The pain usually increases gradually over weeks or months before help is sought, and improvement once treatment has begun is usually just as slow. Patients often have to be patient. Setbacks are the norm, and simply preventing the daily and occasional minor injuries is crucial if not the cure. A portion of a patient's lifestyle has often caused the pain, and it is that portion of their lifestyle that has to change. It takes about 36 hours for many soft-tissue injuries to reach their maximum soreness, so it's often difficult to know when you're overdoing it.
Swimming is one of the few safe alternative exercises.
Applying ice after lengthy activities is very important. For me, ice directly contacting the skin seems best. Some patients like to keep water frozen in a plastic soda bottle. Others use a bag of frozen vegetables, but I did not think that method was cold enough. It's best to keep the injury cool as long as possible for up to 48 hours after the injury, depending on the severity of the injury.