A tension headache is the most common type and feels like a tight band has been wrapped around your forehead, causing a constant ache to the sides of the head. Your neck or shoulders might feel tight and tender, and a dull ache or pressure can build up behind the eyes. It's commonly referred to as a stress headache for good reason – it comes at the busiest or most stressful times. While frustrating, for most people, it's mild enough for them to be able to continue with everyday activities. In medical terms, it's known as a primary headache which – put simply – means that there is no underlying medical condition causing it. It may last between 30 minutes and a few hours. More rarely, some people get a chronic tension-type headache that can last for much longer, or come and go for days within a flare-up period. Most describe tension headaches as mild and short-lived. Many feel better after a sleep or a warm bath, and tension headaches usually respond well to simple painkillers. Let's talk you through how to shake off a tension headache and how to avoid triggers in the future.

The term ‘tennis elbow’ is more correctly known as lateral epicondylitis and is a painful condition affecting the outside part of the elbow. The lateral epicondyle is the bony prominence at the outer part of the base of the humerus or upper arm bone. A similar condition affects the medial epicondyle (the bony prominence at the inner part of the elbow) and is usually called 'golfer's elbow'. What causes tennis elbow? Tennis elbow occurs because of our anatomy. The muscles that straighten out our wrist and fingers anchor onto a small bone at the outer side of the elbow. Repetitive movement under tension of these muscles can irritate the sheath these muscles are contained within and also cause tiny tears of the muscle, too. The subsequent irritation and inflammation then causes all the symptoms and these symptoms are probably related to the poor healing process rather than to any original injury. Who gets tennis and golfer's elbow? Any sport, hobby or work activity in which repetitive arm movement, a type of RSI and muscle overstraining are involved can cause it, with the highest risk involving using a bent elbow while holding a racquet or tool. It also affects people more frequently over the age of 35 and both men and women are affected equally. It is uncommon in people under 30, probably because the healing ability of the tissues is better below that age. How do I know if I have tennis elbow? It usually starts with discomfort on the outer part of the elbow that gradually increases with movement. Pressing on this part is painful as is bending the wrist upwards against pressure. The wrist may feel weak so picking up everyday objects such as books or pans may become difficult. Eventually, the pain travels all along the upper arm and outer part of the forearm and it may get so painful that the arm is held close to the body to prevent it hurting. There is usually tenderness over the lateral epicondyle in tennis elbow, and over the medial epicondyle in golfer's elbow.

Tendonitis is a common painful condition that can affect tendons around a joint. In most cases, tendonitis is a self-limiting condition and will improve after a period of activity restriction. Tendonitis was previously believed to be a condition of inflammation within a tendon. However, it is now understood that tendonitis does not involve inflammation, but instead represents multiple micro-tears accumulating, with the tendon then generating a healing response. Most cases of tendonitis are caused by a sudden change or increase in your activity levels.

Subacromial impingement (also known as shoulder impingement syndrome) is a condition characterized by the painful movement of the shoulder. Pain often occurs when moving the shoulder and arm in specific directions and can be associated with weakness. Subacromial impingement is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. It most commonly affects people aged 30-70, and around one in five people will experience symptoms of subacromial impingement at some time in their lives. Subacromial impingement tends to cause pain that can be felt at the top of the shoulder and can spread down the arm towards the elbow, pain worse when lifting your arm to the side and above your head, and weakness when lifting your arm to the side.

What is Postherpetic Neuralgia? Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is long-lasting pain that happens after a shingles rash goes away. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus stays in your body but is not active. Years later, the virus can wake up and cause shingles. When you have shingles, you get a painful rash. This rash usually heals in a few weeks. But sometimes, the pain doesn't go away after the rash heals. This ongoing pain is called postherpetic neuralgia. PHN happens when the shingles virus damages your nerves. The damaged nerves send pain signals to your brain even when there is no rash anymore. This can cause burning, stabbing, or throbbing pain that lasts for months or even years. Who Gets Postherpetic Neuralgia? Some people are more likely to get PHN after having shingles: People over 50 years old People who had severe shingles with a bad rash People who didn't get treatment for shingles right away People with health problems that weaken the immune system Women (slightly more than men)

Repetitive strain injury (also known as RSI) is very common and is when repetitive movement causes pain due to overuse or strain of muscles, ligaments, or tendons. The symptoms can range from pain and aching to numbness or tingling, and they tend to start and are made worse by doing repetitive movements. It can occur in the areas around different joints or muscles in the body, with the most common areas being the hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, and neck. Repetitive movements, stress, vibrating work tools, and cold weather can also increase your risk of developing RSI. Common reasons for developing RSI are doing repetitive tasks at work, gaming or using a mouse, playing sports, using a wheelchair, and being a musician. However, not everyone in these categories develops RSI.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is associated with increasing age, though it is distinct from the changes associated with aging. Osteoarthritis is a disease affecting the cartilage layer that covers the ends of bones at a joint and normally functions to provide a smooth surface that allows friction-free joint movement. Any joint can suffer from osteoarthritis but some of the most common include: hips back knees shoulders fingers It is a degenerative joint disease characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage in the joints, leading to pain, stiffness, and impaired mobility. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of osteoarthritis, as well as the latest advancements in treatment options.

A migraine is a severe throbbing headache that comes on suddenly and can last a few hours to days. It is a very common health condition that has yet to be entirely understood. It is described as a throbbing pain that usually affects one side of the head around the temples. The headaches are usually accompanied by other symptoms. This can vary for each person but include things like vomiting, feeling sick, or having a sensitivity to light or sound, eased by lying down in a dark, quiet room. Migraines can be associated with auras - these are warning signals that the migraine is about to occur. Examples of different auras include flashing lights, numbness, tingling, dizziness, or muscle weakness. It is also possible to have a silent migraine, where there is no headache, but instead just the auras and other migraine symptoms.

A hernia is a weakness or a defect in the muscle or tissue wall, causing internal body parts to push outwards, like part of an organ or soft tissue. It's common in your abdomen or groin but can develop in other areas, also.

Golfer's elbow is also known as medial epicondylitis, a type of tendonitis where the tendons attached to the elbow can become painful and inflamed. Golfer’s elbow affects the inside of the elbow and doesn't just affect golfers, but anyone that repeatedly uses their wrists and fingers in a clenched or closed fist manner. Tennis elbow is a similar condition but affects the outside of the elbow. Golfer's elbow is caused by repetitive use of the forearm muscles, through twisting and gripping activities that cause you to bend and open your wrist and hand repetitively. It affects both men and women equally and is most common between the ages of 40 and 60.

Frozen shoulder is a condition characterized by pain and loss of movement of the shoulder. Otherwise known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is a disorder affecting the lining of the shoulder joint which becomes inflamed and tightens. What causes a frozen shoulder? The exact cause is unclear but because it becomes more common as we get older, it’s thought to be due to some form of irritation to the shoulder joint and surrounding capsule of the shoulder. This irritation causes inflammation, which then causes small adhesions or scarring between folds of the shoulder capsule. This is why it’s also sometimes called ‘adhesive capsulitis’.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain all over the body. It can be a lifelong condition, although there are treatments that help to relieve pain and make living with the symptoms much easier. The name fibromyalgia comes from the words fibrous tissue (fibro), muscles (my) and pain (algia). It’s a syndrome (FMS), which means it can cause a collection of symptoms. Alongside pain, these include tiredness, headaches, bowel symptoms (bloating), constipation, diarrhea, difficulty concentrating and remembering, sleep disturbances (including restless leg syndrome), muscle stiffness and increased sensitivity to pain. However, fibromyalgia is not a type of arthritis and so joints are not usually affected but many areas of the body can feel tender when pressed. About 1 in 25 people develop fibromyalgia at some time, and it’s much more common in women than in men. It typically begins between the ages of 25 and 55 and has often been present for a long time before it’s diagnosed. Symptoms may wax and wane, so the aims of treatment are to keep most symptoms at bay and reduce the severity of symptoms if you get a flare-up. Fibromyalgia can also go hand-in-hand with other conditions, including depression and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).