Physical activity is crucial to our health and a great stress buster. But one of the downsides of getting active can be an increase in muscular aches and pains. Here, we focus on topical pain relief and the conditions that are most likely to be relieved by this sort of treatment. We discuss common painful conditions, including back pain, strains, sprains and osteoarthritis, as well as looking at the available OTC treatments and some self-care tips to help prevent and treat injuries.

Pain is something we've all experienced €“ a bumped elbow, cut finger or pulled muscle are all common causes of pain. Healthcare professionals tend to classify pain according to its origin. Here, we focus mainly on musculoskeletal pain, which is pain, soreness or discomfort felt in the muscles or joints, such as a twisted ankle or pulled hamstring. Pain can also be classified by its duration:

• Acute pain is short-term, e.g. a sprained ankle
• Chronic pain is long-term, e.g. arthritis.

Pain happens for a reason and shouldn't be ignored. It's also very common and can interfere with normal, everyday activities. According to Arthritis Research UK, musculoskeletal pain affects a large proportion of the population. One study found that 69 per cent of women and 66 per cent of men aged 50 to 59 had experienced pain lasting a day or longer at some point during the previous four weeks. Meanwhile, a separate study revealed that chronic pain, which persists continuously or intermittently for more than three months, affects at least 10 per cent of the population.