MSK self-help information centre

The following can help to reduce the pain:

• Pain medication – it is more effective to take pain relief regularly, rather than waiting until the pain builds up. This can also help you to feel more comfortable generally and make moving easier. Speak to your community pharmacist or other healthcare professional if you need further advice.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine – this is a small battery-operated machine that stimulates the skin to help reduce the level of pain you feel. They can be bought from a pharmacy or online.
• Widespread or persistent pain – see the body chart below for more information.

It’s easy to start worrying about all the possible things that could be wrong, but research has shown that most pain settles with time. Keeping as active as possible helps you to cope better and recover more quickly. For more information visit Bradford District and Craven Talking Therapies.

Although your posture doesn’t need to be perfect, resting for too long in any one position can affect your joints and place them under strain. Try and move often so you don’t get stuck in a poor position for long.

Please read our Guide to Seating (PDF) for further advice.

This is an essential part of your recovery and is the single best thing you can do for your health. Moving can really help your joints and reduce the pain you feel.

Try not to:

• brace or hold yourself still – your joints are designed to be mobile
• sit down or rest for too long – resting in bed doesn’t help and can often make it harder to get going again
• if you have to sit or rest, try to change positions regularly and find one that reduces any pain in your joints.

Being physically active throughout your recovery can:

• prevent a recurrence of the problem
• maintain your current levels of fitness – even if you have to modify what you normally do, any activity is better than none
• keep your other muscles and joints strong and flexible.

It’s recommended you stay at or return to work as quickly as possible during your recovery. You don’t need to be pain and symptom-free to return to work.

Physical activity for adults and older adults (PDF)