* A friend of mine had this problem and was helped by using a bioflow magnetic wrist band. It helps with blood circulation, and I also find the product works on my painful thumb joint. - Carmelle James, reflexologist

* This almost exactly describes my symptoms, although the GP said it wasn’t polymyalgia rheumatica because it didn’t show up in a blood test.

Whatever it is, I am getting over it after two months of discomfort. The two things that helped were: (a) a low but steady dose of ibuprofen, about one every six hours; and (b) regular performance, several times a day, of a chi gong [qi gong] set of exercises. Chi gong is the right treatment because it is designed to encourage and facilitate the flow of chi [energy] in the body. - David Noton

* I suffered badly from this in my back, legs and feet about five years ago. I went to a kinesiologist, who identified multiple food, drink and environmental intolerances. Avoiding as many as possible of these triggers reduced the number of intolerances until, at the end of eight weeks, I had no more pain and my energy was back to normal.

If I have the beginnings of a recurrence, I raise my intake of MSM (methylsulphonlymethane), an effective painkiller and anti-inflammatory, and the pain goes away again almost immediately. - Sue Bowness