We all get aches pains and stiffness; quite often we either can't afford to pay for private physio or can't be bothered to wait 12 months for an NHS appointment.  What do we do?

Well - It is clear that on e-Bay there are a plentiful supply of TENS, ultrasound, UV light, taping, accupuncture kits and so on.  If the plan is to use these modalities then care should always be taken.

TENS is a nice and simple modality used by physiotherapists to kill pain by stimulation of 'pain killing nerves' in the body.  However, with variable frequencies TENS can also be quite painful and cause unwanted muscle stimulation.  Please seek advice from a physiotherapist or a physician BEFORE use.

Ultrasound is something that if you do get hold of you should cut the plug off and keep as a nice bit of medical history.  It should only be used by a health professional and can easily be damaged if used in the wrong hands.  The same goes with ultraviolet light, PEME and any other radiation / mechanical stimulation modality.

Acupuncture should only be carried out by health professionals who have the appropriate training to do so - if you do manage to get hold of a kit and are not educated / licensed to use it then don't use it.  To do so would be breaking the law and risking your patients health.

Bandages and taping are something that can really help the recently immobilised person become more active... however, over use will lead to atrophy (weakening) of muscles and contracture (shortening) of soft tissues about the joint.  Please only use taping, crepe, tubi-grip etc where essential and if long term use is needed treatment from a physio or physician should be sought ASAP.

Cold therapy pack should only be used if you have good sensory perception of the area - for example sufferers of diabetes may have diminished perception to hot or cold and therefore be unable to tell when damage is being done.  Make sure no ice or freezing material comes into contact with the skin (i.e apply it though a towel) and the application is no longer than 10 - 15 mins.  If persistant acute exacerbations are noted, physiotherapy advice should be sought.

Heat is a nice effective way of relaxing muscles and dulling down pain.  The same contra-indications apply here as they do for ice.  Don't use on acute injuries (within ~72 hours of injury) or leave the application on for longer than 15 mins.

My overall advice to you is this:  Do not use these modalities unless you are educated as to their indications and contra-indications and how they work.  Always seek the individual advice from a health clinician such as a physiotherapist doctor or your general practitioner.  Don't rely on generic information such as that from books or the internet.

If you think that you know the answer then you don't know the answer and should ask.

I am not a physiotherapist or a physician but have seen the result of uneducated self treatment many times.  If this prevents one unnecessary musculoskeletal injury it would have been worth it.