One in seven Britons ignores or incorrectly treats muscular injuries, suggests a new survey. The poll of 2,000 people, by pain relieving gel Polar Frost, found that over half would treat a muscular injury, such as a strain or sprain, by either taking oral painkillers or just resting, while 14 per cent would take no action.

Gardening was the activity most likely to result in an injury (35 per cent of respondents), followed by carrying heavy shopping (30 per cent), falling over (24 per cent) and DIY (21 per cent), while just 18 per cent had injured themselves playing sport. Commenting on the findings, GP and medical broadcaster Dr Sarah Jarvis warned: “By leaving an injury untreated, a once fixable problem can result in having long-term, serious implications. It’s essential we educate people on how to stay healthy and treat minor niggles using cold gels, elevation and compression to get them back up and out again as soon as possible.”