Q I’ve had knee pain for a few months now. My GP has explained that the patella has moved out of line and that I am experiencing bone grinding on bone when I run. Now it’s got worse, but my GP is in no hurry to refer me to a specialist, saying that at my age (50) I should know b...

the ankle, and should I run in a support?A: Once you have been in plaster, your calf muscles – and leg muscles generally – will waste. If specific work is not performed to rectify this, there is a chance that, sooner or later, further injury will occur. So

Q I am a 50-year-old runner, and I’ve averaged 20-40 miles a week for the last 25 years. A year ago – just after completing some sit-ups – I starting getting severe back pain around my mid-spine, which extended around the chest and into the abdomen. This has been diagnosed as wo...

and sports-injury specialist

Q During a recent run, my left hamstring seemed to become quite tight. I’m worried that I’ve picked up a strain, but as I’m training for the Flora London Marathon, I’m reluctant to see a physio who’ll just tell me to ‘rest’. At the moment I’m stretching the hamstring before and ...

Lorraine Western, a sports massage practitioner with a master's degree in sports injury management (stayfitsportsmassage.com). "Quality research depends on using a repeatable method, but as every massage treatment is unique to the individual at that moment

Catch up with the highlights from our recent webchat with Six Physio physio Matt Todman.The theme was last-minute race help.Matt qualified as a physio 20 years ago and has spent the past decade at the forefront of sports medicine. He works as a consultant in private practice deal...

Q I’ve developed a recurring blister between my big toe and the one next to it. I’ve tried taping up the area and also using petroleum jelly, all to no avail. It’s now making me miss training.A As you’ve discovered, petroleum jelly is not durable enough to overcome the mechanic...

that, with physiotherapy, I should be running again in six months. But will I be able to regain my full fitness, and what are the chances of the injury returning?A Yes, it will be possible to return to the level you were at prior to the operation

at the moment, if you were ever to get any pain in your knee, it would be worth asking your GP to check for these possible problems at the same time.—Martin Haines, chartered physiotherapist and sports-injury specialist