Christmas is just around the corner and festive fun is starting to fill up our calendars. From work parties and nights out with friends, to decorating the house with the family, it can often feel like there isn’t any time left in your schedule for that all-important self-care!
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‘Tis The Season… To Take Care Of Yourself!
You may have a silly little niggle in your shoulder after lifting the tree decorations down from the loft, or perhaps you feel a slight twinge in your knee every time you walk down the stairs. Surely these niggles will go away by themselves? The truth is, this is very rarely the case.
In honour of National Self-Care Week, taking place from 17-23 November, the aim of this article is to remind you of how important it is to take care of yourself and your health.
As a physiotherapist working clinically, there’s often an influx of people coming to see me in the New Year who have ignored aches and pains in their joints over the festive period, hoping they would go away by themselves. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case - joint pain is often exacerbated by colder weather, which means that patients are often in a lot of pain by the time they enter my treatment room. Don’t let that be you this winter! Read my top tips from last year on how to manage joint pain over the festive season.
Act Now - Thank Yourself Later
Joint pain is one thing you should not put off this season. It is a busy time of year for most, professionally and personally, with many of us spending more time working, sitting and standing for prolonged periods of time and neglecting exercise because of increased demands elsewhere. This can lead to chronic pain and inflammation rearing its ugly head, and many of us putting on a brave face to power through the work projects and social plans we’ve had in the diary for months.
Leaving your joint pain untreated until the New Year could lead to further damage or escalation of the injury. Weakness and inflammation around a joint can worsen, making the road to recovery much longer. Other areas of your body may start to compensate for a painful joint as you subconsciously change the way you stand, walk, sit or move to avoid the pain. These compensatory mechanisms can cause dysfunctional movement at other joints, which can then cause pain in new areas too.
When you eventually come to see a health professional, it can be difficult to address the root cause of your pain due to the secondary issues that have developed whilst waiting for an assessment. Treating the cause becomes trickier and improving your quality of life takes longer. Thus, it is crucial to seek help in a timely manner.
When To Seek Professional Help
In order to stop your niggle from escalating into a more serious condition, it’s important to be mindful of the following tell-tale signs:
A persistent pain or discomfort that occurs with certain movement patterns: This means that a specific mechanism around your joint is inducing pain which can point to a particular structure being at fault. If this persists longer than a few days, it’s time to seek help.
The pain returns again and again, even after a period of rest: Resting can often support healing in an acutely injured joint, but if the pain continues to come back and doesn’t show any signs of getting better, it’s time to have the area assessed professionally.
The pain is disrupting your sleep or affecting your daily function: No more ‘putting on a brave face’ or ‘grinning and bearing it’. Being in constant pain is not normal and should be addressed as soon as possible.
You’ve started to change the way you move to avoid the pain: This can lead to compensatory movement strategies as aforementioned which can negatively affect other areas of your body. Treat the pain at source, rather than compensating and causing further issues later down the line.
You’ve had a history of injury or pain in the same area: If an area is predisposed to injury due to historical weakness, tightness or pain, that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Chronic pain and injuries can often be prevented with timely rehabilitation.
The Role Of Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists treat pain, movement disorders and loss of function by addressing the root cause of an injury or condition. Several tools are used to assess the injury or condition and psychosomatic factors are also considered.
A physiotherapist will ask you about any working conditions, hobbies and commitments that may be affecting your recovery, and will examine the way you move. Therapeutic strategies include activity management, advice and education, exercise therapy, manual therapy, gait re-education and much more.
The practitioner will thoroughly assess your painful joint as well as the joints either side of it to ensure that the root cause is identified and the correct course of treatment can be recommended. Treatment modalities are completely tailored to the individual to ensure that exercise programmes can be followed consistently and are effective.
Ease Joint Pain With Flexee
Your practitioner may recommend taking a supplement alongside your exercise programme to accelerate the healing of your painful joint from the inside-out.
Flexee by Extracted is an evidence-dosed supplement that many physiotherapists recommend due to its high-efficacy and proven ingredients. It includes the groundbreaking ingredient, Ovomet, which contains over 400 proteins, collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, clinically proven to improve joint and tendon elasticity, decreasing pain and stiffness. Glucosamine and MSM are also present, which keep cartilage healthy and help to produce collagen to improve healing and speed up recovery.
Christmas time shouldn’t equal pain and discomfort, so give yourself the present of good health and reduced pain this season! Address that niggle and save yourself a long road to recovery in 2026.
The Author: Lauren Jackson BSc (Hons) Physiotherapist
Lauren graduated with first-class honours in Physiotherapy (UEA, 2020), completing her final year in a USA outpatient clinic treating athletes and post-operative patients.
She combines manual therapy, massage, exercise rehabilitation, and education to treat and prevent musculoskeletal conditions. A qualified Pilates instructor with sports massage certification, Lauren tailors treatment to individual goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Flexee take to work?
Most users notice improvements within 30 to 60 days of consistent use. Some may experience relief sooner, but results depend on factors like the severity of joint issues, overall health, and adherence to the recommended dosage.
How is Flexee different from other joint supplements?
Unlike many “off-the-shelf” joint supplements, Flexee provides significantly higher doses of key active ingredients - sometimes up to 5x more than competitors. This means you get a more potent and effective formula, increasing the likelihood of noticeable benefits.
Is Flexee vegan?
Flexee is not vegan due to the inclusion of Eggshell Membrane (Ovomet®), which is derived from eggs.
How do your subscriptions work?
Subscriptions are a convenient way to get your supplements delivered every month. After purchasing you will receive an email to manage your subscription.
You can cancel or pause at any time. We also send out handy reminders 3 days before you are billed so you know when your next pouch is on its way!
Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
