The Public Health Protection Unit (PHPU) is responsible for key aspects of communicable disease and infection control, emergency planning, waterborne incidents, chemical and microbiological incidents and environmental health work.
We provide specialist advice and support to health staff working in the community (e.g. GPs; practice nurses; health visitors and staff nurses); hospitals; local councils and other local organisations and discuss and agree how best to deliver health protection locally.
We investigate and manage a full range of health protection incidents (including outbreaks of diseases such as meningitis and food poisoning) and carry out surveillance, co-ordination, support and the monitoring of certain key national programmes.
We co-ordinate immunisation within the Board area.
Contact Details and Personnel
PHPU West House Gartnavel Royal Hospital 1055 Great Western Road Glasgow, G12 0XH
Mental health is a state of wellbeing where an individual can cope with normal daily stresses in life, realise their abilities, learn well, work well, and contribute to their community (World Health Organisation).
Mental health issues are widespread among adults, with 1 in 4 experiencing them each year. It’s possible to prevent these issues from happening, and with the right support at the right time, people can recover too.
This page provides information and resources to help promote positive mental health among adults. It is based on the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Healthy Minds – Adult Mental Health Improvement and Early Intervention Framework.
Framework For Adult Mental Health
The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Adult Mental Health Improvement and Early Intervention Framework is a local tool to support those working across Greater Glasgow and Clyde to support positive mental health in adults. The framework brings together a range of activities that have been demonstrated as having value in the promotion of good mental health.
It is designed to be read from the bottom up, starting with actions that can be taken against the underlying determinants of mental health. This includes socio-economic factors and social environment issues like challenging stigma and discrimination. It then considers health promotion and what can be done to prevent mental health issues from occurring in the first place. Finally, the upper tier is more focused on early detection and intervention of mental health issues to prevent them from worsening, as well as recovery-oriented action.
Adult Mental Health Policy Landscape: A useful planning tool to illustrate how the Healthy Minds Mental Health framework links to and supports key adult mental health policy drivers.
Adult Mental Health Supports
Adult Mental Health Apps, Helplines, and websites: A resource directory of mental health apps, helplines, and websites to support staff with signposting and sharing of information that is appropriate to need.
Mental Health Posters
Adult Mental Health Supports Poster: A wipe-clean poster showing how mental health supports can be accessed, from 1 to 1 support, reading, group work, phone, and online. Populate with your own up-to-date information on an ongoing basis.
The Framework in Action
Listed below, you’ll find resources and supports against each element of the framework.
Respond Better to Distress
Unfortunately, some people can find it difficult to cope at times in their lives and may harm themselves or think of ending their life. We need to improve our responses to people in distress, both from services and the wider community, including action to prevent suicide and better support for people who self-harm.
If you are concerned about an individual’s mental health and wellbeing and feel they may be in distress, the GP should be their first point of contact, or contact NHS 24 on 111. If you feel the individual is in immediate danger, please call 999.
Resources
There is a range of suicide prevention and self-harm activities underway across Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Visit the suicide prevention and self-harm pages to find out more.
Suicide Prevention Resources
Suicide Prevention Resources – NHSGGC: Brings together a range of suicide prevention information for staff relating to learning, resources and websites, helplines, and keeping safe.
Suicide ALERT Resources: for staff working in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to support you if you are talking with someone who may be at risk of suicide. Resources include a briefing note, prompt sheet, and a resource directory of supports.
Time Space Compassion: An introductory guide from the Scottish Government to a relationship and person centred approach to improving suicidal crisis. It has been developed for use by people and services who regularly come into contact and support people experiencing suicidal crisis.
Healthy Minds Pocket Guide – Our mental health and wellbeing card provides details for a mental health support organisation across Greater Glasgow and Clyde (Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, and West Dunbartonshire).
Healthy Minds Basic Adult Mental Health (1): A session from our Healthy Minds Resource that aims to raise awareness of mental health, what can impact mental health, what to look out for if someone is struggling with their mental health, and what we can do to help protect and support mental health.
Trauma-Informed Resources
National Trauma Transformation Programme Hub – Resources at the Trauma-Informed level, which are aimed at absolutely everyone and provide an overview of trauma and what a trauma-informed approach looks like.
Promote Wellbeing for People with Long-Term Conditions
Long-term conditions are defined as health conditions that last a year or longer, impact a person’s life, and may require ongoing care and support. People with long-term mental health problems have significantly poorer health outcomes with an up to a 20-year gap in life expectancy. Similarly, people with other long-term conditions are at higher risk of mental health difficulties.
It is important to promote holistic health for people with long-term conditions (“healthy body, healthy mind”), promote recovery approaches, and social inclusion. It is also important to include a focus on carers’ wellbeing as part of this agenda. The Healthy Minds Long Term Conditions (no. 6) session can help raise awareness of the impact that long-term conditions can have on mental health and explores strategies to help manage this.
Helplines
Anxiety and Stress Disorders: NHS Living Life provides a free telephone-based service for people over the age of 16 feeling low, anxious, or stressed. Call 0800 328 9655 – lines are open Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 9.00 pm.
Epilepsy Scotland: Provides a free, confidential helpline that provides information and emotional support to anyone affected by epilepsy. Call 0808 800 2200, Monday to Friday, 10.00 am – 4.30 pm.
NHS Inform: provides information on a range of illnesses and conditions and helps people make informed choices about their health and wellbeing.
Promote Wellbeing and Resilience with People & Communities
Resilience is an individual’s ability to successfully adapt to life tasks in the face of social disadvantage or highly adverse conditions. It’s a key part of good mental health.
Being socially connected and resilient, both as individuals and communities, are powerful influences on mental health and wider wellbeing. This can be achieved through developing social connections, tackling isolation, building resilience, strengthening the use of community assets (including social prescribing), and strengthening self-care and peer support.
There is a wealth of initiatives happening across communities to help social connections and reduce loneliness and isolation, including the Thriving Places initiative.
Resources
Local Mental Health Supports
Healthy Minds Pocket Guide – Our mental health and wellbeing card provides details for a mental health support organisation across Greater Glasgow and Clyde (Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, and West Dunbartonshire).
Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental Health in the Workplace: A resource that provides information about the range of resources, supports, websites, and learning opportunities available for staff working across Greater Glasgow and Clyde to support mental health in the workplace.
Adult Mental Health Reading List: A reading list of books has been created to help people self-manage any mental health or wellbeing issues, gain more understanding of mental health and wellbeing, and feel less alone.
Promote Wellbeing and Resilience at Work
Workplaces have a key role to play in improving our nation’s health and quality of life. Good quality work can be beneficial for our mental health, while unemployment and poor quality work are toxic influences.
The business case for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of employees is a strong one. The benefits include fewer days lost to sickness/absence, greater staff retention, productivity, and staff morale.
Resources
Mental Health in the Workplace Resources
Mental Health in the Workplace: Information on the range of resources, supports, websites, and learning opportunities available for staff working across Greater Glasgow and Clyde to support mental health in the workplace.
Healthy Working Lives For employers in Scotland looking for workplace health, safety, and wellbeing information. This includes information on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of employees, what they can do, and access to resources to help with this.
Workplace Mental Health Stigma
See Me in Work – Supports employers and individuals to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace.
Mental Health Awareness-Raising
Healthy Minds can be used by organisations and employers to raise awareness of mental health and issues that can impact mental health such as sleep, loss, and grief.
Promote Positive Attitudes, Challenge Stigma and Discrimination
Despite supportive policies within Scotland, the experience of people with mental health issues in our communities remains poor. More than two-thirds (71%) of people with mental health problems in Scotland have experienced stigma and discrimination.
The impact of stigma and discrimination can be wide-ranging, including making someone’s mental health problems worse and stopping them from getting support. Visit the Anti-stigma and discrimination page to find out more about some of the work being taken forward across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Resources
See Me – Scotland’s Programme to Tackle Stigma
See Me is Scotland’s Programme to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Scotland’s Association for Mental Health and The Mental Health Foundation.
Mental Health Stigma Awareness Session
Healthy Minds Stigma and Discrimination session (no. 15) aims to raise awareness of mental health stigma and discrimination and what can be done to help tackle it.
Tackle Underlying Determinants and Promote Equity
Health inequalities are the unfair and avoidable differences in people’s health across social groups and between different population groups.
To reduce health inequalities, action is needed across society to address the fundamental causes of social inequality. This includes inequalities in income, employment, education, and daily living conditions.
In Scotland, improving children and young people’s mental health is a priority action area. We know that there’s no one intervention that can promote positive mental health. Instead, children and young people have a number of prerequisites they require to develop resiliently, and these span the school, family, and community life of young people.
This page provides you with information and resources to help promote positive mental health among children and young people. It is based around the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Healthy Minds – Children and Young People Mental Health Improvement and Early Intervention Framework.
What is the Child and Youth Early Intervention Framework?
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have developed a Child and Youth Mental Health Improvement and Early Intervention Framework, a local tool for anyone working with children and young people across Greater Glasgow and Clyde to support mental health. It outlines six key elements that evidence shows supports children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Child and Youth Mental Health Policy Landscape: A document illustrating how the framework links to some of the key policy drivers for child and youth mental health and how they interconnect to ultimately Get it Right for Every Child.
Mental Health Supports
Child and Youth Mental Health Supports: A document that maps out the range of available mental health supports for children and young people to access, including websites, apps, and helplines.
Explore Each Section of the Framework
One Good Adult
The concept of ‘One Good Adult’ is to emphasise the importance of a dependable adult who can support and protect the mental wellbeing of a child and/or a young person. The presence of One Good Adult has been found to be a key indicator of how well a young person copes with their struggles, and in one study, over 70% of young people repported they received a high level of support from a special adult (‘My World Survey’). This ‘One Good Adult’ can be a parent, grandparent, teacher, sports coach or someone who is available to them in times of need.
Helpful Resources
One Good Adult
One Good Adult Job Description: The One Good Adult Job Description captures the ethos of a suite of learning resources that have been designed to upskill people who work (or volunteer) with children and young people.
Healthy Minds – One Good Adult Session: The One Good Adult session (number 12) from our Healthy Minds Resource can help raise awareness of the concept and what is means to be that one good adult.
Resilience
Resilience Toolkit: Contains a One Good Adult activity session for children and young people, to help them identify the qualities a one good adult should have and who theirs might be.
Resilience Development in Schools
Schools play a key role in protecting and supporting the mental health of children and young people. A whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing can help children and young people develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing for now and in the future. This means embedding mental health and wellbeing into all aspects of school life.
Helpful Resources
Resources for Early Years, Schools, and Youth Providers
Resources for Early Years, Schools, and Youth Providers: A comprehensive document that offers a range of suggested resources that can be used in early years, schools, by youth providers to help protect, promote, and support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.
Healthy Minds Resilience Session: The Resilience session from our Healthy Minds Resource (number 13) can help raise awareness of what resilience is, what it means to be resilient, the benefits to mental health and what we can do to help develop resilience.
Resilience Poster: A poster that includes top 10 tips for developing resilience.
Resilience Toolkit: This Emotional Resilience Toolkit provides practical guidance in promoting the resilience of young people as part of an integrated health and wellbeing programme.
Resilience Development in Communities
Many children and young people have links to their communities and opportunities to be involved in various youth groups and clubs. Youth services, voluntary and community organisations are in a very good position to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, includin those who are most vulnerable.
It is important that youth services, voluntary and community organisations have access to mental health resources and have a baseline knowledge and understanding of mental health and feel confident to intervene to help children and young people in situations of distress, including self harm and suicide.
Helpful Resources
Mental Health Supports
Child and Youth Mental Health Supports: A document which maps out the range of available mental health supports for children and young people to access, including websites, apps, and helplines.
Resilience Resources
Healthy Minds Resilience Session: The Resilience session from our Healthy Minds Resource (number 13) can help raise awareness of what resilience is, what it means to be resilient, the benefits to mental health and what we can do to help develop resilience.
Resilience Poster: A poster that includes top 10 tips for developing resilience.
Guiding Through the Service Maze
For children and young people mental health problems can develop as a result of life circumstances like exam stress, transitions, or caring responsibilities. Many of these mental health problems are mild and temporary and often manageable with help from supportive trusted adults. However, some children and young people may require support from an organisation who specialises in the area that is impacting on their mental health, such as bereavement.
It is important that children, families and young people have range of support options for early intervention and can be helped to find their way to appropriate help quickly.
Still concerned?
For some children and young people they may be finding it difficult to cope and may think of ending their life, if you are concerned about a child or young person’s mental health and wellbeing and feel they may be in distress, their Doctor should be their first point of contact. If you feel the young person’s life in immediate danger please call 999 for assistance.
Accessing Mental Health Support – Child and Youth Poster: A poster illustrating the different ways in which mental health supports can be accessed. Anyone working with children and young people can download it to populate it with their own information.
CAMHS Video: Watch this video from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) which includes information for referrers.
Responding to Distress
Unfortunately, some children and young people can find it difficult to cope at times in their lives. As a result, they may harm themselves or think of ending their life. It is therefore important that frontline staff working with children and young people are confident and supported to intervene and help children and young people in situations of distress, including self-harm and risk of suicide.
The NHSGGC Self-Harm Forum is a group of trainers who have completed the What’s the Harm: Self-Harm Awareness and Skills Training Course. They play a key role in building capacity across the board area to help standardise understanding of and responses to self harm when used as a coping strategy. If you want to hear more about their work, please contact us at ggc.mhead@nhs.scot.
Helpful Resources
Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention Resources
Suicide alert resources: for staff working in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to support you if you are talking with someone who may be at risk of suicide. It explains the ‘ALERT’ model and provides some ideas for putting it into practice, as well as useful information about support services and suicide prevention resources. Resources include a briefing note and prompt sheet. A resource directory of mental health APPS, helplines and websites to support staff with signposting and sharing of information that is appropriate to need.
Promoting Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Preventing Self-Harm and Suicide: A series of animations co-produced by NHS Education for Scotland and Public Health Scotland. Developed to support the knowledge and skills of those in health, social care, and the wider public sectors who need to be informed about mental health, self-harm, and suicide prevention in relation to children and young people.
Mental Health Supports
Child and Youth Mental Health Supports: A document which maps out the range of available mental health supports for children and young people to access, including websites and helplines.
Peer Help and Social Media
In 2024, those aged 18-24 spent over 6 hours each day online. Digital is now he medium by which most young people conduct their lives. It’s therefore no longer possible for us to support a child or young person’s mental health without thinking about the online environment. This includes being aware of the risks of the online environment and supporting children and young people to maximise the benefits of being online.
Helpful Resources
Aye Mind
Aye Mind: A platform for anyone who works with children and young people to help them build their knowledge and understanding of the online environment and how it impacts children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Includes topics like cyberbullying, sextortion, and more.
Support for Online Harms
Online Harms – Useful Websites, Helplines, and Reporting Mechanisms: A document outlining the range of helplines, websites, and reporting mechanisms to support those who have experienced a variety of online harms. This includes cyberbullying, harassment, hate crime, online gambling-related harms, online sexual exploitation and abuse, scams and fraud, and content promoting disordered eating, self-harm, or suicide.
Digital Wellbeing Conversation Starters
Digital Wellbeing Conversation Starters – A toolkit for anyone who works with a child or young person. It outlines eight key building blocks of digital wellbeing in a Digital Wellbeing Wheel (mapped against the SHANARRI indicators) and shares hints and tips for talking about children and young people’s online lives.
Further Reading
“It’s not safe and consistent”: Read our report sharing the lived experiences of young people using social media who have experience of self-harm, including the potential risks and protective factors social media offers them.
Child and Youth Mental Health Policy Landscape: A policy landscape to highlight how our evidence-based child and youth mental health improvement prevention and early intervention framework links to some of the key policy drivers for child and youth mental health and how they interconnect to ultimately Get it Right for Every Child.
Adult Mental Health Policy Landscape: A policy landscape to highlight how our evidence-based mental health improvement framework links to and supports some of the key adult mental health policy drivers.
Resources
We have developed a range of free resources on a range of themes that cut across the life course which are available for use:
Perinatal and Infant Mental Health
Resources
Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Good Practice Guide
A resource to support Health Care Workers, Third Sector Partners, and any community organisations that are in contact with, supporting and/or working with new and expectant parents. It is underpinned the nine protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act (2010).
Greater Glasgow and Clyde Prevention and Early Intervention Guide
The Greater Glasgow and Clyde Prevention and Early Intervention Guide helps staff have conversations with parents about their mental health during the perinatal period and signpost to supports appropriate to their needs to prevent a mental health crisis from developing.
Accessing Mental Health Support – Child and Youth Poster
Accessing Mental Health Support – Child and Youth Poster: A poster illustrating the different ways in which mental health supports can be accessed; from 1 to 1 support, reading, group work, phone, and online. Anyone working with children and young people can download it to populate it with their own update to date information on an ongoing basis, relevant to their organisation, locality area, and wider.
Healthy Minds Pocket Guide
Healthy Minds Pocket Guide : Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Card provides details for mental health support organisations in each of the 6 Health and Social Care Partnerships; Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, and West Dunbartonshire. It also provides helpful tips for looking after your mental health and wellbeing and who to contact if you feel someone is in distress.
Child and Youth Mental Health Apps, Helplines, and Websites Supports
Child and Youth Mental Health Supports: A document that maps out the range of available mental health supports for children and young people to access, including websites and helplines.
Resilience Toolkit: This Emotional Resilience Toolkit provides practical guidance in promoting the resilience of young people as part of an integrated health and wellbeing programme.
Resources for Early Years, Schools and Youth Providers
Resources for Early Years, Schools and Youth Providers
Resources for Early Years, Schools, and Youth Providers: A comprehensive document that offers a range of suggested resources that can be used in early years, schools, and by youth providers to help protect, promote, and support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, the resources highlighted have been developed by Education and Health colleagues and National Mental Health organisations.
Whole School Approach to Loss and Bereavement
Whole School Approach to Loss and Bereavement: This guidance aims to support practitioners to increase their knowledge and understanding on the subject of bereavement, loss, and change and how to support children and young people through this.
A resource pack for teachers and professionals working with children and young people. It includes teaching support materials and further information in the form of signposting to external resources and advice services, references, and linked where relevant to the Curriculum for Excellence and other national guidance. Download via the links below:
Self-Harm Resources and Supports is a comprehensive document for the wider public health workforce that brings together a range of self-harm information for staff relating to learning, resources and websites, helplines and keeping safe. The information is targeted at the Informed and Skilled levels as set out in the Mental Health Improvement and Suicide Prevention Framework.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide Alert Resources
Suicide alert resources: for staff working in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to support you if you are talking with someone who may be at risk of suicide. It explains the ‘ALERT’ model and provides some ideas for putting it into practice, as well as useful information about support services and suicide prevention resources. Resources include a briefing note and prompt sheet. A resource directory of mental health apps, helplines, and websites to support staff with signposting and sharing of information that is appropriate to need.
Adult Mental Health Supports Poster: A poster showing the ways in which mental health supports can be accessed; from 1 to 1 support, reading, group work, phone, and online. The resources allow anyone working with adults to populate with their own update to date information on an ongoing basis, relevant to their organisation, locality area, and wider. It is a reusable, wipe-clean resource.
Healthy Minds Pocket Guide
Healthy Minds Pocket Guide – Our mental health and wellbeing card provides details for a mental health support organisation in each of the 6 Health and Social Care Partnerships; Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, and West Dunbartonshire. It also provides helpful tips for looking after your mental health and wellbeing and who to contact if you feel someone is in distress.
Adult Mental Health Apps, Helplines and Websites
A resource directory of mental health apps, helplines, and websites to support staff with signposting and sharing of information that is appropriate to need.
Self-Harm Resources and Supports is a comprehensive document for the wider public health workforce that brings together a range of self-harm information for staff relating to learning, resources and websites, helplines and keeping safe. The information is targeted at the Informed and Skilled levels as set out in the Mental Health Improvement and Suicide Prevention Framework.
Suicide ALERT resources: for staff working in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to support you if you are talking with someone who may be at risk of suicide. It explains the ‘ALERT’ model and provides some ideas for putting it into practice, as well as useful information about support services and suicide prevention resources. Resources include a briefing note and prompt sheet. A resource directory of mental health apps, helplines, and websites to support staff with signposting and sharing of information that is appropriate to need.
Self-Harm Resources and Supports is a comprehensive document for the wider public health workforce that brings together a range of self-harm information for staff relating to learning, resources and websites, helplines and keeping safe. The information is targeted at the Informed and Skilled levels as set out in the Mental Health Improvement and Suicide Prevention Framework.
Suicide Alert Resources
Suicide Alert Resources: for staff working in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to support you if you are talking with someone who may be at risk of suicide. It explains the ‘ALERT’ model and provides some ideas for putting it into practice, as well as useful information about support services and suicide prevention resources. Resources include a briefing note and prompt sheet. A resource directory of mental health apps, helplines, and websites to support staff with signposting and sharing of information that is appropriate to need.
LGBTQ+ Resources and Supports: A document that brings together a range of information and supports for LGBTQ+ communities across the life course, from perinatal and infant mental health, children and young people, through to adults.
We will continue to add to this page – please contact us at ggc.mhead@nhs.scot* if you have any questions or would like to make a suggestion.
*Please note that this is a generic admin inbox and not monitored immediately. If you, or someone you know are in distress and need an immediate response call the emergency services on 999 or NHS 24 on 111.
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Please read the following information and then use the links at the bottom of the page if you are looking for further information or exercise.
Important information to read if you have any concerns about your elbow pain
Please click below to expand relevant section; these sections outline some of the main issues that we would advise you get checked by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
If your symptoms are caused by a recent traumatic incident (e.g. a fall, football tackle) and you have any of the following symptoms:
Significant bruising and swelling in the area
Difficulty in moving elbow or seems locked in one position
Looks a different shape to the other side, new lumps and bumps that have appeared since the injury.
Loss of ability to use your hand normally.
Note: If you have an underlying poor bone density (e.g. osteoporosis) smaller amounts of force can cause the problems listed above.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
Hot, red and/or swelling of elbow
Tingling, numbness and/ or pins and needles into arm, hand or fingers
Worsening weakness in your arm and/or loss of movement
Unexplained lumps or bumps which are changing/growing
Fever and generally feeling unwell at same time as elbow pain developed
Pain and/ or stiffness in other joints at the same time as elbow pain developed
Constant pain which appears to not change with rest/ activity.
Significant worsening pain at night in bed
Unexplained weight loss and/ or previous history of cancer.
NOTE: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid use/immunosuppressive drugs, recent joint replacement, surgery, steroid injection. Rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease. Recent infection, intravenous drug use or alcohol misuse.
Here are some specific exercises to help you get your arm moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
Please click below to expand relevant section; these sections outline some of the main issues that we would advise you get checked by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
If your symptoms are caused by a recent traumatic incident (e.g. a fall, sprain, bad cut or burn) and you have any of the following symptoms:
Significant bruising and swelling in the area
Difficulty in moving fingers, thumb or wrist or seems locked in one position
Looks a different shape to the other side, new lumps and bumps that have appeared since the injury
Loss of ability to use your hand normally.
Note: If you have an underlying poor bone density (e.g. osteoporosis) smaller amounts of force can cause the problems listed above.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
Hot, red and/or swelling of elbow
Tingling, numbness and/ or pins and needles into arm, hand or fingers
Worsening weakness in your arm and/or loss of movement
Unexplained lumps or bumps which are changing/growing
Fever and generally feeling unwell at same time as wrist, hand or finger pain developed
Pain and/ or stiffness in other joints at the same time as hand and/or wrist pain developed
Constant pain which appears to not change with rest/ activity.
Significant worsening pain at night in bed
Unexplained weight loss and/ or previous history of cancer.
NOTE: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid use/immunosuppressive drugs, recent joint replacement, surgery, steroid injection. Rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease. Recent infection, intravenous drug use or alcohol misuse.
Resources, Exercises, & Advice – Self-management leaflets and webpages
Below, there are some advice and information leaflets specific to wrist and hand conditions. There are also some specific exercises to help you get your hand and wrist moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
Please read the following information and then use the links at the bottom of the page if you are looking for further information or exercise.
Important information to read if you have any concerns about your upper back pain
Please click below to expand relevant section; these sections outline some of the main issues that we would advise you get checked by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
If your injury is caused by a recent significant traumatic incident to your head, neck or body (e.g. a fall from a height, significant car accident) please have this checked out by a health professional before commencing with an exercise program.
NOTE: if you have a known diagnosis of osteoporosis (low bone density) a small amount of force (e.g. strenuous lifting) may cause problems that require medical assessment.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
If you feel any of these signs appear rapidly or over a longer period of time please have these checked out by a health professional.
Severe restriction in the movement of your neck/ trunk or arm
Changes in your balance and the way you are walking e.g. tripping, falling
Weakness and/ or altered sensation into both arms and/ or legs at the same time
Electric shock sensations into both arms and legs on forward bending of your head or looking down
Problems with coordination of upper and/ or lower limbs e.g. writing, standing and walking
Pain or altered sensation around your trunk e.g. can be described as a band of pain/ numbness around the chest
Fever or generally feeling unwell at same time as mid back symptoms developed
Constant severe pain which does not change with rest or activity
Significant pain and/or night sweats
A previous history of cancer/ unexplained weight loss
Unexplained lumps or bumps that are changing/ growing
Increasing number of joints that are painful and/ or stiff
Sudden change in height and/or curvature of your spine, inability to be upright
Significant changes to bowel, bladder habits and/or sexual function required IMMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSESSMENT. WARNING: Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) This a rare but extremely serious spinal condition that requires immediate assessment.
NOTE: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid/ immunosuppressive drug use, recent joint replacement, dental surgery or steroid injection, rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease, recent infection, previous history of tuberculosis, intravenous drug use history or alcoholism
Upper Back Exercises
Please make sure you have read through the important information about upper back pain before proceeding.
Here are some exercises to help you get your upper back moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
This page contains low back pain self-help information, as written by musculoskeletal physiotherapists. Please read the following information and then use the links at the bottom of the page if you are looking for further information or exercises.
Important Information About Your Low Back Pain – Please read
Here is a list of the main problems and concerns we would recommend you get checked out by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises (please click to expand relevant section below). These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES)
Warning: CES is a rare but extremely serious spinal condition that requires immediate assessment. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms please have these checked out urgently – usually your GP if within normal hours (8.30am – 6.00pm) or call NHS 24 on 111 at other times:
Significant changes in your bowel or bladder habits and/or sexual function. This includes difficulty passing or controlling your urine flow/ signs of recent bowel incontinence
Changes to sensation in between your legs e.g. difficulty feeling the toilet paper when you are wiping your bottom.
If symptoms are caused by a traumatic incident to your back (e.g. a fall, car accident), please have this checked out by a health professional before commencing with an exercise program.
NOTE: If you have underlying low bone density (e.g. osteoporosis) or long-term steroid use then smaller amounts of force may cause problems that require medical assessment.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
If you feel any of the following signs develop rapidly or over a longer period of time please have these checked out by a health professional.
Severe restriction in the movement of your lower back and legs.
Sudden or newly worsening leg pain which extends below the knee
Changes in your balance and the way you are walking e.g. tripping, falling
Weakness and/ or altered sensation into both arms and/ or legs at the same time
If one or both feet are feeling very floppy or feel very weak on walking
Problems with coordination of upper and/or lower limbs e.g. writing, getting dressed, walking.
Pain or altered sensation around your trunk e.g. can be described as a band of pain/ numbness around the chest
Pain and/or stiffness in other joints at same time as low back pain developed
Fever and generally feeling unwell at same time as low back pain developed
Unexplained lumps and bumps that appear or are changing/ growing
Constant pain that does not change with rest or activity
Significant worsening night pain, unable to lie flat
Night sweats
Unexplained weight loss and/or previous history of cancer
Increasing number of joints that are painful and/or stiff.
NOTE: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid/ immunosuppressive drug use, recent joint replacement, dental surgery or steroid injection, rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease, recent infection, previous history of tuberculosis, intravenous drug use history or alcoholism.
Please make sure you have read through the important information about lower back pain before proceeding.
Here are some exercises to help you get your lower back moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe.
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try.
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
Please read through the following information and then use the links at the bottom of the page if you are looking for further information or exercise.
Important information to read if you have any concerns about your hip pain
Please click below to expand relevant section; these sections outline some of the main issues that we would advise you get checked by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
If your symptoms are caused by a recent traumatic incident (e.g. a fall, football tackle) and you have any of the following symptoms:
Extensive bruising and/ or swelling around your hip and thigh
Severe pain and very limited movement of your hip/ Leg
Leg deformity e.g. foot not sitting in normal position
Difficulty putting weight through the injured leg.
NOTE: If you have underlying low bone density (e.g. osteoporosis) smaller amounts of force can cause the problems listed above.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
Severe pain and/or inability to stand on one leg
Significant loss of hip movement
Heat, redness and swelling around your hip
Fever or generally feeling unwell at same time as hip pain developed
Pain and/ or stiffness in other joints at the same time as hip pain developed
Constant pain which does not change with rest or activity
Significant pain at night with or without night sweats
Unexplained weight loss and/ or a previous history of cancer
Unexplained lumps and bumps that appear or are changing/growing.
NOTE: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid use/ immunosuppressive drugs, recent joint replacement, surgery or steroid injection. Rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease. Recent infection, Intravenous drug use or alcohol misuse.
Resources
What is Osteoarthritis video (video 3 min watch)
Lower Limb Osteoarthritis information video (16 min watch)
Hip Exercises
Please make sure you have read through the important information about hip pain before proceeding.
Here are some beginner-to-progressive exercises to help you get your hip moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe.
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try.
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
This page contains knee pain self-help information, written by musculoskeletal physiotherapists.
Important information to read if you have any concerns about your knee pain
Please click below to expand relevant section; these sections outline some of the main issues that we would advise you get checked by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
re caused by a recent traumatic incident (e.g. a fall, football tackle) and you have any of the following symptoms:
Extensive swelling and bruising around your knee/ lower leg
Severe pain and very limited movement
Great difficulty in putting weight through your leg
Not able to straighten knee out
Joint deformity e.g. kneecap appears in the wrong place
NOTE: If you have an underlying poor bone density (e.g. osteoporosis) smaller amounts of force can cause the problems listed above.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
Significant loss of movement with or without pain
Redness, heat and swelling of the joint or surrounding area.
Increasing number of joints that are painful and/or stiff
Fever and general feeling unwell at same time as knee pain developed.
Constant pain that does not change with rest or activity
Significant worsening pain at night with or without night sweats
Unexplained weight loss and/ or previous history of cancer
Unexplained lumps and bumps that appear or are changing/ growing
Note: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid/ immunosuppressive drug use, recent joint replacement, surgery or steroid injection. Rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease. Recent infection, Intravenous drug use or alcohol misuse.
Exercises and advice
Please make sure you have read through the important information about knee pain before proceeding.
Here are some beginner exercises to help you get your knee moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe.
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try.
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
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