Health Information

Practical ways to beat pain, including relaxation tips, breathing exercises and courses for patients.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a method of pain relief that can help some people with long-term painful conditions. A TENS machine is asmall, battery-operated device that has leads connected to electrodes

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a general term used to describe the pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons caused by repetitive movement and overuse. It's also called work-related upper limb disorder or non-specific upper limb pain.

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a condition that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation in the muscles around the shoulders, neck and hips. The main symptom is muscle stiffness in the morning that lasts longer than 45 minutes. It may also cause other symptoms, including:

Paracetamol is a painkilling (analgesic) medicine available over-the-counter without a prescription. Paracetamol can be used to:

Retinal migraine is an eye condition that causes brief attacks of blindness or visual problems like flashing lights in one eye. These episodes can be frightening, but in most cases they're harmless and short-lived, and eyesight goes back to normal afterwards.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a sudden, severe facial pain, described as sharp, shooting or like an electric shock. It usually occurs in sudden short attacks lasting from a few seconds to about two minutes, which stop just as abruptly.

Many people suffer from persistent physical complaints, such as dizziness or pain, that don't appear to have an obvious medical cause. They are sometimes termed "medically unexplained symptoms" or "functional" symptoms when they last for more than a few weeks, but doctors can't find any disease or problem with the body that may be the cause.

Ibuprofen is a painkiller, which is available over-the-counter, without a prescription. It is one of a group of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and can be used to:

Hereditary neuropathy with pressure palsies (HNPP) is an inherited nerve disorder that typically causes numbness, tingling and muscle weakness.

More than 10 million people in the UK get headaches regularly, making them one of the most common health complaints. But most aren't serious and are easily treated.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a poorly understood condition in which a person experiences persistent severe and debilitating pain.