If you’ve ever been told to “just rest it” when something starts to hurt, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common pieces of advice given for musculoskeletal injuries — and in the very early stages, it’s not entirely wrong. But here’s the problem: for most people, especially those over 50 who want to stay active, rest alone is rarely enough to get you properly better.
In fact, in many cases, it’s the very thing that keeps you stuck.
Let me be clear — recovery does require some degree of rest. If you’ve strained a muscle, irritated a tendon, or flared up a joint, your body needs a short window to settle things down. Pain is often your body’s way of asking for a temporary reduction in load.
But “temporary” is the key word.
What I see time and time again in clinic is this: someone develops knee pain, back pain, or a shoulder issue. They’re told to rest and take painkillers. So, they stop their walking, pause their running, avoid the gym… and wait.
A few weeks later, the pain might be slightly better — but as soon as they try to return to normal activity, it comes straight back.
Why? Because nothing has actually improved.
The issue isn’t just the pain — it’s the body’s reduced capacity to tolerate load.
When you rest for too long, your muscles get weaker, your tendons lose resilience, and your joints become less tolerant to the very activities you want to get back to. So, when you return to walking the hills around Stroud, playing 18 holes of golf, or getting back into running, your body simply isn’t ready for it.
This is where modern rehabilitation is very different from outdated advice.
Recovery isn’t just about letting symptoms settle — it’s about rebuilding your body so it can handle the demands you place on it.
That means gradually and progressively loading the injured area. It means targeted strength work. It means restoring movement, confidence, and resilience — not just waiting for pain to disappear.
And this is particularly important for the over-50s.
We’re seeing a generation who are more active than ever — running, cycling, playing sport, going to the gym, travelling, hiking. That’s a brilliant thing. But it also means the old model of “rest and hope” simply doesn’t match the reality of modern life.
If your goal is to stay active, independent, and doing the things you enjoy for as long as possible, then your body needs to be prepared for that.
Painkillers might mask symptoms. Rest might calm things down temporarily. But neither of them build strength, improve movement, or increase your body’s ability to cope.
That only comes from the right kind of rehabilitation.
So if you’re currently dealing with an injury and finding that rest hasn’t quite done the job, it’s not because your body is failing you — it’s because it likely needs a different approach.
One that doesn’t just aim to get you out of pain…
…but actually builds you back stronger than before.
About Ed Voss
Ed graduated from Birmingham University with an MSc in Physiotherapy in 2009.
He is an HCPC and CSP registered Physiotherapist who has worked in the NHS, private practice and in sport both in the UK and New Zealand, and he now specialises in working with people over the age of 50 who value their health and want to keep as active as possible for as long as possible.
In his spare time, you’ll find Ed spending time with his wife and two children, out running the local trails with his dog, or if he’s really lucky, out on the golf course.
Ed grew up in Stroud, the son of a local GP and he knows and loves the local communities in the Five Valleys and beyond. Being able to give back to the people of this wonderful part of the world is something that Ed considers a huge privilege.
For further information, visit Ed’s website by clicking HERE or Email: edvossphysio@gmail.com Call: 07542 940478
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