Returning to exercise after birth means rebuilding activity step by step, starting with walking and pelvic floor exercises and progressing to strength work and, if you wish, running. UK guidance recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week once you are ready. The 2019 postnatal…

Diastasis recti is a widening of the gap between the two long tummy muscles that run down the front of the abdomen. It happens because the tissue between them stretches to make room for the baby. It is very common and often narrows by itself after birth, and exercise can help you rebuild…

A wrist sprain is an injury to the ligaments that hold the wrist bones together, usually from falling onto an outstretched hand. It causes pain, swelling and stiffness, and most mild sprains improve over a few weeks with early, gentle movement. Because some wrist fractures, especially of the…

Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve as it passes through a narrow tunnel at the front of the wrist. It causes tingling, numbness and sometimes pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often worse at night. Mild to moderate cases often improve with night splints and…

Carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy is tingling, numbness or pain in the hand caused by pressure on the median nerve at the wrist. Fluid build-up in pregnancy can squeeze the nerve, so symptoms are most common in the third trimester and are often worse at night. It usually settles after birth,…

Distal biceps tendinopathy is pain and irritation of the biceps tendon where it attaches just below the front of the elbow. A tear happens when this tendon partly or fully pulls away, usually during a heavy lift with the elbow bent. Tendon pain is usually managed without surgery, but a suspected…

Hand osteoarthritis is a common joint condition that causes pain, stiffness and sometimes knobbly swelling in the finger joints and at the base of the thumb. Thumb-base osteoarthritis affects the joint where the thumb meets the wrist and makes pinching and gripping painful. Information, hand…

Low back pain in pregnancy is aching or stiffness in the lower back that starts or gets worse while you are pregnant. It is one of the most common complaints of pregnancy and tends to increase in the later months. Staying active, simple changes to daily habits and, for some women, hands-on care…

Trigger finger is a condition where a finger or thumb catches, clicks or locks in a bent position because the tendon cannot glide smoothly through its tunnel in the palm. It is often sore at the base of the finger and can be stiff in the morning. Splinting, a steroid injection or a minor…

Cubital tunnel syndrome is irritation or squeezing of the ulnar nerve as it passes behind the inner elbow, the spot often called the funny bone. It causes tingling or numbness in the ring and little fingers and, in more severe cases, hand weakness. Mild cases often improve with simple changes to…

Elbow bursitis is swelling of the small fluid-filled sac (bursa) that sits over the bony tip of the elbow. It often follows leaning on the elbow or a knock, and usually settles with simple care. About a third of cases are caused by infection, which needs prompt medical treatment.

De Quervain's tenosynovitis is irritation and thickening of the tunnel that two thumb tendons pass through on the thumb side of the wrist. It causes pain when gripping, pinching or lifting, especially with the thumb tucked in. A steroid injection followed by a few weeks in a thumb splint is the…

Sports injuries in young athletes include sudden injuries such as sprains and gradual overuse problems such as growth-plate pain, tendon pain and stress injuries. Growing bodies are especially sensitive to rapid increases in training, too much of one sport and too little recovery. Most can be…

Joint hypermobility means a child's joints move further than most people's – often called being 'double-jointed'. It is common and usually causes no problems, and can even be an advantage in some activities. Some children, however, have pain, tiredness or frequent sprains, and they usually…

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a sideways, twisted curve of the spine that develops during growth, usually in the teenage years, with no known cause. Most curves are small and only need monitoring, but some progress during growth spurts. Early recognition and assessment by a specialist team…

Growing pains are recurring aching pains in both legs, usually in the evening or at night, in otherwise healthy young children. Despite the name, they are not clearly linked to growth spurts, and the cause is unknown. They are harmless, but because other conditions can cause leg pain, it is…

An ACL injury is a sprain or tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, a key ligament that stabilises the knee during twisting and changes of direction. It usually happens in sport when landing, pivoting or stopping suddenly. Treatment is either structured rehabilitation alone or reconstruction…

A meniscus tear is damage to one of the two C-shaped pads of cartilage that cushion the knee joint. In younger people tears usually follow a twisting injury, while in people over about 40 they often develop gradually as part of age-related change. For many tears, especially degenerative ones, a…

Patellar tendinopathy is a painful, load-related problem of the tendon that joins the kneecap to the shin bone, felt just below the kneecap. It is most common in people who jump, sprint or change direction, such as volleyball and basketball players. Gradually progressed loading exercise is the…

Patellofemoral pain is pain around or behind the kneecap that is brought on by activities that load a bent knee, such as squatting, stairs, running and sitting for long periods. It is one of the most common causes of knee pain in active teenagers and adults. International consensus recommends…