Rest Is Not the Answer: The Science of Why Staying Still Makes Pain Worse

Back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain. For most people, the first piece of advice is the same: rest, let it settle, give it time. It is well-intentioned, it is widespread, and for the majority of musculoskeletal presentations, it is wrong. Rest is not the answer for pain. This piece looks at what the research actually shows, why fear of movement can become more disabling than the original injury, and - most importantly - what appropriate, evidence-led rehabilitation looks like in practice.