Persistent Pain

5 Best Exercises For Pain

May 03, 2023

You'll find a heap of information on the internet about the best exercises for knee pain, low back pain, hip pain, neck pain...you name it. I'm always pretty sceptical of all of these? How can they be the best, when you might not even know what is causing your pain? With the best intentions, many of these might be causing more trouble than they're solving. It's much better to see someone to work out what the problem is and treat accordingly.


None of the advice below constitutes diagnostic or treatment for any specific pain or condition but is general advice only. In emergencies dial 000 and request an ambulance.


My 5 best "exercises" would be:

  1. Ask for help. Don't panic if you have a pain, but if its somewhere between 3-5/10 in severity, call your physiotherapist, GP or other health practitioner for some advice and make an appointment to get it properly assessed and treated. Don't rely on "Dr Google" as you can find some very scary and inaccurate websites out there, which could leave you feeling a lot worse.
  2. Ask for more help. If its more than an 8/10 seek urgent advice and if you're really worried, dial 000, access the emergency department, especially if the pain is associated with an accident, is sudden onset, you haven't haven't had it this badly before or its associated with chest pain, breathing difficulty, reduced consciousness or problems feeling or moving your face or limbs.
  3. Go to the freezer. If it's neither of the above, but you have pain, swelling or stiffness, use an ice pack on the area for 10 minutes, protecting your skin from the ice pack with a cloth or clothing. Repeat every 30 - 60 minutes, as long as your skin has warmed up and shows no signs of breakdown (roughness or extreme redness).
  4. Move gently. Keep what ever is painful moving gently and see how it feels over the next few hours. If it doesn't seem to be improving, book an appointment to see a health professional.
  5. Visit your pharmacist. Pharmacists are awesome professionals who really know about pain, pain relief and other medications. They can advise you according to your individual circumstances on appropriate medications that can help relieve pain and keep you comfortable until you're able to visit your health professional.