Due to the poor summer we have all been experiencing, many people have been grabbing the slightest sunny patch to squeeze in some gardening or some golf or go for a longer than normal walk.

A sudden burst of activity like this, following a period of relative inactivity can sometimes lead to injury or trigger off an existing problem. This is what happened to a patient who was recently referred for treatment.

This keen 64-year-old golfer, who regularly played three or four times a week, was experiencing severe left buttock, low back and hip pain for many months.

This lady had been playing regularly despite the appaling weather but had been unable to keep on top of the weeds at home. A mammoth attack was launched on a dry day that included much kneeling and bending over.

As is often the case, the following day heralded aches and pains that gradually worsened over the following days.

The pain was beginning to radiate down the outside of her thigh to her knee making it increasingly difficult to walk and it was often necessary to walk in after playing ten or eleven holes.

For someone who is used to completing a round easily this can be a very sobering measure of restriction. As is sometimes the case, this lady was reticent to attend for treatment despite being in pain and experiencing limitations, as she was concerned I would ban her from playing her beloved golf!

This lady had been prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets and analgesics, which had initially been helpful but were no longer. This patient's sleep was also being affected as the pressure from lying on it inadvertently during the night was contributing to an overall exhausted and pretty desperate lady.

Following a chiropractic examination, the findings were all very positive. There was very little loss of hip movement and the restriction detected appeared limited by pain.

The palpation findings indicated that the origin of the pain were the structures around the hip and not the joint itself.

There are some keys structures such as the trochanteric bursa and the attachments of the hip extensor muscles on the hip that are commonly involved with hip pain.

It is always a question in the mind of a patient with hip pain if they require surgery to replace the joint.

For this patient it was obvious that was not the case despite the severity of symptoms.

Following treatment to alleviate the inflammation, soft tissue work to address the muscle tightness and some stretches to avoid the recurrence once the pelvis had been realigned, this lady was soon back to playing the full course.

The moral of this case is first, you often don't have to live with the pain and limitations that many patients accept as normal. Secondly, if you haven't performed an activity for a while, your body will complain if you do a marathon session without any training, be it gardening, golf or yoga!

Enjoy the sunny moments when you can, stay well and please feel free to contact me a Ilkley Chiropractic Clinic on 605060 or email ilkleychiro@tiscali.co.uk.

l I am delighted to be back writing the Spinal Column once again, following a short break. As many readers have noticed, we are no longer at our old address. Having grown out of the clinic space we have a lovely new clinic at the Riverside Business Park on Leeds Road, but the same contact numbers and email apply.

As ever, I would be delighted to answer any questions regarding any particular conditions or aspects of health, either as a column or via email.