Countless charity campaigns and awareness weeks promote the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle. Yet few of us focus on the unexpected muscular aches and pains that can accompany that trip to the gym or that jog around the park. According to Pain UK, 10 million people in the UK live with pain.

For some, this is the result of a serious, chronic condition such as cancer, whereas for others it comes from poor posture or sleeping incorrectly, and for many it's due to a sprain or strain contracted during sport. Whatever the cause, this month's OTC Treatment Clinic focuses on the topical pain relief products available to help ease pain and the self care tips you can pass on to customers.

Different types of pain

Pain is something we've all experienced €“ a bumped elbow, cut finger or a pulled muscle are all common causes. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) often classify pain according to its origin. Here, we mainly focus on musculoskeletal pain, which is pain, soreness or discomfort felt in the muscles or joints (e.g. a twisted ankle or pulled hamstring).

Pain can also be classified by its duration:

• Acute pain is short term (e.g. a sprained ankle)
• Chronic pain is long term (e.g. arthritis).

Pain occurs for a reason and should not be ignored. It's also very common and can interfere with normal, everyday activities. According to Arthritis Research UK, musculoskeletal pain affects a large proportion of the population.

One study revealed that 69 per cent of women and 66 per cent of men aged 50 to 59 had experienced pain lasting a day or longer at some point during the previous four weeks. A separate study revealed that chronic pain, which persists continuously or intermittently for more than three months, affects at least 10 per cent of the population.