You have been checking in, trying to look after yourself, but your pain seems to be staying the same. That can be frustrating and a little disheartening. Pain that is not changing does not mean nothing will help. Taking a fresh look at what you are doing, and trying a few small changes, can often get things moving again.

Why pain can plateau

Pain can stay the same for many reasons. Sometimes the changes you have made are helping, but need a little longer. Sometimes something else in your day is keeping the pain going, like long spells of sitting, a busy period at work or poor sleep. And sometimes your plan just needs a small adjustment.

It is also worth remembering that staying the same is not the same as getting worse. Even holding steady can be a sign that what you are doing is helping you manage. Pain that is not changing on the pain scale can still be changing in other ways, like how far you can walk or how well you sleep. These are worth noticing too.

Reviewing what you are doing

Taking a step back can help you see what might need to change. Some questions to ask yourself:

• Am I moving regularly through the day, or mostly sitting still?
• Am I doing any strength work, and is it challenging enough?
• How is my sleep?
• Has stress or workload been high recently?
• Have I been doing too much on some days and too little on others?

There are no right or wrong answers. The aim is simply to spot one or two areas where a change might help.

Small changes to try

Rather than changing everything at once, choosing one or two small changes can be easier to stick with. Some ideas:

• If you mostly sit, try getting up and moving every half hour or so.
• If you are not doing strength work, try adding a short routine two or three times a week.
• If your strength work feels easy, make it a little more challenging.
• If your sleep is poor, try a regular wake-up time and a calm wind-down before bed.
• If you have been doing a lot on good days, try spreading activity more evenly.

VIDA’s Pomodoro stretches, in the top right corner, can prompt you to pause and move during focused work.

A simple strength routine

Strength work helps your body cope better with daily life and can help ease pain over time. Something to try two or three times a week:

• Sit to stand. Rise from a chair without using your hands, then lower slowly.
• Bridges. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips, then lower slowly.
• Shoulder squeezes. Sit tall, draw your shoulder blades back and down, hold for five seconds, then relax.
• Heel raises. Rise onto your toes, pause, then lower slowly.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of sit to stands, bridges, shoulder squeezes and heel raises you can use at your own pace. Start where you are and build up gradually.

Giving changes time

Bodies usually take time to adapt, so changes may need a few weeks before you notice a difference. Sticking with one or two changes for a while, and checking in regularly, can help you see whether they are working.

Looking at the bigger picture

Pain is not just about the sore area. Sleep, stress, mood and how active you are all affect how much pain you feel. If one of these has been difficult lately, looking after it can make a real difference to your pain too.

Doing things you enjoy, spending time with people and getting outside can all help, even if they do not seem directly linked to your pain.

When to get support

If your pain has not changed after a few weeks of trying these changes, or it is stopping you doing everyday things, it is worth speaking to your GP or a physiotherapist.

Your VIDA pain check-in can help you notice small changes over time, which can be easy to miss day to day.

What to take away

• Pain staying the same is common and does not mean nothing will help.
• Review what you are doing to spot one or two areas to change.
• Try small changes, one or two at a time.
• Give changes a few weeks before judging them.
• Look after sleep, stress and mood, as they affect pain too.

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