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| If you have long-term pain, it's important to keep active. If your body stiffens up it can make the pain worse, so resting is not always the best way to deal with pain. |
Things You Can Do
Painkillers:
If painkillers help you, take regular pain relief. Use paracetamol as it's safer than anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, unless you have a clear injury that occurred in the past few days. Pharmacists can advise you on pain relief and what to do if you're having side effects.
Exercise:
Try to do gentle stretches, movements and warm-up exercises throughout the day. Take care not to overdo it. Ask your GP about Exercise on prescription schemes. Your GP can refer you to a fitness instructor at a local leisure centre who will design a fitness programme that is adapted for you.
Pace Your Activity:
Do something active every day instead of only on the good days when you're not in so much pain. This may reduce the number of bad days you have and help you feel more in control.
Osteopaths And Chiropractors Specialists:
May be able to help with short-term pain relief, but it's not recommended that you use these treatments in the long term. It’s important to be able to manage the condition yourself.
See A Physiotherapist:
Physiotherapists use a wide variety of treatments for pain. They also help with posture. For instance, if you have a painful condition, you may lean away from the site of the pain (for example, using a stick or crutch). The longer you lean away, the more difficult it is to get upright again. This can put pressure on the other side of your body and cause problems there. It’s important to use your muscles rather than relying on collars, braces, corsets, tubigrips and wrist splints.
You need a referral from your GP to see a physiotherapist. Physiotherapists are often based in hospitals, but some are available in GP surgeries.
Occupational Therapy Occupational Therapists (OTs):
These are specialists who work with people with long-term pain and give expert advice on how to carry out day-to-day activities in spite of pain. They can assess your home to identify whether devices such as stair rails could help you lead an independent life. They can also advise you on how to get back to work gradually. They can produce a 'graded return-to-work' plan for you and liaise with employers.
Work
It's important to try to stay in work. Research shows that people become less active and more depressed when they don't work. This, in turn, leads people to take even more time off. If your employer is not sympathetic you may need a letter from your GP explaining your condition.
If you've been off work, you could go back to work gradually. This is called a 'graded return'. You may start with one day a week and gradually increase the time you spend at work.
When you do go back to work, take care not to overdo it. Change your position at regular intervals and take proper breaks.
Go On A Course
The Expert Patients Programme is a six-week course for people with chronic or long-term health conditions. You'll work with health trainers who themselves have long-term health conditions. They will help you relax, develop new life goals and work on ways of building up your stamina. Together with the tutors you will develop a plan to help you live with your pain.
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