Please note: This information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice. Check with your provider before starting a new exercise or self-care routine, especially if you have a heart or lung condition, recent surgery, osteoporosis, or are pregnant.
Self-care that works alongside your treatment
Exercise, movement, sleep, stress skills, nutrition and posture all affect how much pain gets in the way of daily life. The guides below explain each approach, what research says it may help with, and a simple routine to start at home.
These approaches complement medical care. They do not replace it. Check with your provider first, especially if you have a new or worsening problem, recent surgery or another health condition.
Guides
Exercise & walking
How regular walking and gentle exercise may help chronic back, neck and joint pain, with a simple walking plan you can start at home.
Open the guide →Yoga
Gentle yoga may help chronic low back and neck pain. Learn what the research says, a beginner sequence with animated poses, and how to stay safe.
Open the guide →Stretching & mobility
A short daily stretching and mobility routine for the back, neck and hips, with an animated step-by-step guide and safety tips.
Open the guide →Core strength
Core exercises may help support the spine. Learn safe beginner core exercises such as pelvic tilts, bridges and bird dogs, with animated demonstrations.
Open the guide →Nutrition & weight
How an anti-inflammatory eating pattern and gradual weight loss may help joint and back pain, with a simple plate guide.
Open the guide →Sleep
Pain and poor sleep feed each other. Learn simple sleep habits, comfortable sleep positions and a wind-down routine that may help.
Open the guide →Mindfulness & breathing
Try an animated breathing guide, learn mindfulness basics and how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pain psychology may help with chronic pain.
Open the guide →Posture & ergonomics
Simple desk setup, phone habits and safe lifting steps that may reduce strain on your back and neck, with animated illustrations.
Open the guide →Heat, ice & self-care
When to use ice or heat for back, neck and joint pain, how long to apply it safely, and a simple flare plan.
Open the guide →Tai chi & water exercise
Tai chi and warm-water exercise are gentle ways to move with less strain on painful joints. Learn what research says and how to get started.
Open the guide →Physical therapy
What happens at a physical therapy evaluation, what a typical program for back, neck or joint pain includes, and how to get the most from it.
Open the guide →Where self-care fits
Self-care is step one of our stepped approach. If pain continues, the next steps may include physical therapy and medicines, injections and nerve blocks, minimally invasive procedures, and surgical evaluation. See nonsurgical options.
This information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice.