intriguing thing, though, is this 13-day cycle of symptoms that you have noticed. There is no cycle in the body that I can think of that follows this pattern – neither tissue turnover nor hormone output. It is, I think, more likely to be caused by something

Q I’m a triathlete, and a few months ago I damaged my Achilles tendon while cycling. I tried to control the problem with rest, ice and elevation, but to no avail. It now regularly becomes inflamed and painful, and I have to have three to five days

. This has been diagnosed as worn vertebrae, which are pinching the nerves exiting the spine. My doctor and my osteopath both say that the condition is inoperable, which I accept, but I can’t face the diet of swimming and cycling which they’ve given me

from a stress fracture. Muscle injuries and strains may occur between the bones, but you can often run with them, unlike a stress fracture.Self-treatmentRest! You may be able to swim or cycle as long as it doesn’t provoke pain, but running – which

, particularly high-impact training like running, after a back injury, you must tread carefully (no pun intended). Start with a month of low-impact exercise, such as cycling or using an elliptical trainer in the gym, to re-develop your cardiovascular fitness

worsening what can be a very long, drawn-out and chronic injury. Spend your time cycling instead. This will exercise your heart and stretch scar tissue more gently and regularly.Recovery time There is a high risk of reinjury if treatment is overenthusiastic

which take the elastic strain when the knee is forced inward and hence protect the ligament from further injury. As full movement is restored, the physiotherapist will use quadriceps contractions and ultrasound with progressive cycling-type exercises

. Avoid bed rest. Movement, even crawling on hands and knees, is better than inactivity. Backs: to the future. (Real-life solutions) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain

to complete the cycle. Arteries contain muscle within their walls, and the blood in them is under much higher pressure than that within the venous system. This is particularly relevant in understanding the injury and healing cycles.Common damage:If you damage

job. They use it for self-improvement, from losing a few pounds to beating a PB; there’s nothing like it for boosting your self-esteem and giving you a sense of achievement.Injury takes all that away. As soon as a runner feels a pain, the fear begins