and rotation of your foot. Do three sets of 12–15 repetitions of each every day.In addition, you lose proprioception in a joint that has been injured and immobilised. This means the cells in the ankle that would normally tell your brain where the joint

appropriate running shoes by visiting a specialist retailer. You could also try shoe inserts, best recommended by a podiatrist or physiotherapist. There are some good non-prescription orthoses available – try calling Medisport for advice on AOL orthotics (0161-678

pain or not. If these suggestions do not have any lasting effect, it may be worth finding a sports therapist who specialises in the treatment of backs, and who has an understanding of adverse neural tension. —Martin Haines, chartered physiotherapist

Q On a recent visit to a podiatrist I was given a stretching programme in which I was told to hold each stretch for up to 15 minutes. I was surprised by the length of these stretches, as I’ve always been told that you should do stretches in three

Q I’ve been suffering from a very sore Achilles tendon and hamstring problems in my left leg for nearly a year. I can still run on it, but at the end of the day I can’t wait to jump in a warm bath because of the pain. Oddly, it gets worse if I stand

Q I have a lump at the back of my knee which is always there, but it seems to get bigger after each run. It doesn’t cause me any pain and doesn’t hinder my running in any way, but should I be worried?A It sounds to me as if you have a Baker

Q Following a partial tear in my Achilles tendon, the scar tissue thickened, resulting in stiffness, aches and swelling. I am due to have an operation to remove this scar tissue, which means that my leg will be immobilised for two weeks. I’m told

and rotation of your foot. Do three sets of 12–15 repetitions of each every day.In addition, you lose proprioception in a joint that has been injured and immobilised. This means the cells in the ankle that would normally tell your brain where the joint

-orientated. In this case, get a sports osteopath to mobilise the area and prescribe strengthening and stretching exercises to stabilise the pelvis in its correct position. Once this has been completed, you should be able to return to running.—Martin Haines, chartered

Q I suffered from pain in my hip and back for about 12 months. Then my back suddenly stiffened completely while I was out running and I had to stop. It has been variously diagnosed as a slipped disc and a trapped L4 nerve, but after treatment