Best first steps: Repetitive stress injury and endometriosis

The body is a complicated piece of machinery and pain is its way of telling us something is wrong. When confronted by pain, it should never be ignored; consider these first steps to take with these common ailments.

• There's a reason our bodies yell at us. They're trying to tell us to stop. Give your muscles and tendons a rest when they ask you to do so.
• Wrap an ice pack in a clean cloth — a bag of frozen peas will do — and place it on the painful spot for 20 minutes at a stretch to stop both pain and inflammation.
• If the dosage on the label instructions isn't enough to ease the pain, talk to your doctor. He may advise that you can take up to 800 milligrams of ibuprofen three times per day or 600 milligrams four times per day or 500 milligrams of naproxen twice daily. If you take either of these for 10 days and it doesn't help your pain, stop taking it and let your doctor know. Don't take this much on your own.
• If the pain doesn't subside after a few days, let your doctor check it out. He can offer both medications and tips that can keep an RSI from getting worse and rule out other treatable conditions that may be causing your pain.

• You don't have to feel defeated by the pain of endometriosis. Here are some immediate steps you can take on the path to feeling better.
• Pain-relieving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can help relieve pain and inflammation. Start the medication immediately before or at the start of your period, following the dosage instructions on the label.
• Make an appointment with your gynecologist if you're having symptoms such as chronic pelvic pain, more severe periods, or intermittent bleeding. The sooner you get treated, the less risk of complications and more pain.