[NeilC]

I've had longterm problems with my lower back (had a bit of disk removed a few years ago). Over the years I've added neck pain and mid back problems to the list. I have periodic "collapses" where my back or neck go and I can stand up and am very lopsided. Now my shoulders get painful when I do pretty much any upper body exercise, my right elbow gets sore after push or pull exercises, I have knee pain in one leg with crepitus that stops me running and when I awake my ankles feel painful and almost locked and make the loudest cracking sound when I walk - this gets better. I wake up feeling like I've been done over by Mike Tyson and feel better as the day goes on.

I've had physio treatment on my back and have exercises I do relating to core strength. They also gave me some external rotator stuff for my shoulders which help don't solve it.

What I'd like to know is: is all this linked or am I just unlucky or badly put together?

I find I can exercise for about 2 weeks before one or more of these problems flares up and I have to stop. This is limiting my fitness to say the least.

I'm really not sure where to go from here.