What’s this burning sensation in my feet?

than hip-width apart and de of the ears. Exhale and head off the mat. Look e spine and lift up away me. t away from the mat and shoulders down your back ones leave the mat to pine. On the next exhale

SPINAL CURLS

Aim: To mobilise the spine and hip joints while working the core and glutes.

How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor.

Exhale and tilt your pelvis, peeling your spine off the mat one vertebra at a time until you come to the bottom of your shoulder blades.

Inhale as you maintain this position, encouraging length through the spine with a small tuck of the pelvis. Keep your pelvis in a neutral position and lengthen through the front of the thighs.

Exhale as you gently lower back down with a softening of the breastbone first, followed by each vertebra.

SIDE LEG KICK

Aim: To mobilise and strengthen the hip joint while boosting core control and stability.

How to: Lie on one side with your pelvis and spine in neutral, your waist lifted off the floor and your head resting on the outstretched arm (add a cushion for your neck if it’s more comfortable). Place your top hand on your hip or in front of you if you require support.

Bend the underneath leg in front of the torso to 90 degrees. Lengthen the top leg to hip height and as you exhale swing your leg forward, moving from the hip joint without rocking forward and compromising the alignment of your spine and pelvis.

Keep your leg at hip height throughout and maintain a stable pelvis and torso. As you inhale, bring your leg back to the start position. Repeat 10 times before changing sides.

CAT

Aim: To strengthen the spine while improving core strength.

How to: On all fours, start with the pelvis and spine in neutral alignment.

As you exhale, tuck the pelvis starting with a tuck of the tailbone and engage your core.

Allow the movement to continue through the spine to the head, allowing your head to softly drop between your arms. Hold this position as you inhale, aiming to increase the C-shape of the spine. As you exhale, release the head and tailbone. Allow the spine and pelvis to gently return to the start position.

THREAD THE NEEDLE Aim:

To mobilise and strengthen the spine and shoulder joints.

How to: On all fours, exhale as you transfer weight off your right arm, allowing the back of your hand to rest on the mat.

Turn your head to the left and rotate your spine so your right arm slides underneath the supporting arm. The supporting arm should bend and take your upper body weight, while your hips and knees flex.

Avoid moving backwards over the heels. Inhale and rotate your spine back to the start position. Repeat on the other side.

Symptoms:

You’ve had Type 2 Your diabetes. This

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diabetes for six years causes a type of nerve and you’ve started to have damage in your legs, feet and a burning sensation in your fingers. It’s called peripheral feet with pins and needles neuropathy and it’s due to and numbness. high blood sugar injuring the nerves – it affects half the people with diabetes.

You’re a hard drinker Your drinking. Alcohol See your doctor for

6 6 bordering on is a poison and excessive liver function tests alcoholism and recently drinking can lead to nerve and an assessment of your you’ve become clumsy damage in your hands and neuropathy. To prevent due to numbness in your feet. The nerve damage further nerve damage fingers. You’ve noticed a (neuropathy) will get worse you’ll have to stop drinking burning and tingling while you continue drinking. or cut down considerably. sensation in your feet. Consider going to

Alcoholics Anonymous. You’re in your 60s, Vitamin B12 deficiency See your doctor for a

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live alone, pay no which causes peripheral full blood count and attention to your diet and neuropathy accounting for to assess your B12 levels. you’ve developed sores at the burning feeling in your You may need regular B12 the corners of your mouth feet as well as anaemia. injections once a month and a burning sensation to treat your anaemia and in your feet. nerve damage.

Sorry, but I can’t answer letters personally

6 It could be: Stop to:

See your doctor for an 6

assessment of your diabetes. Nerve damage can be slowed down with careful blood sugar control and a healthy lifestyle.

I’m writing regarding the diet advice from Dorothy Bruce to “stick the kettle on” instead of snacking.

How is that ever going to work – surely that’s when the biscuit tin comes out?

Jo Carter, via email

Your column had me in floods of tears last week. As you say, life is memories, good and bad. Luckily for me, mine are mainly good. During lockdown, I have written down my memories and thoughts to leave for my kids before they depart my brain for ever.

Hopefully they’ll read them one day and find out about the real me – warts and all.

Tony Sykes, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

My granddaughter is the same age as The Dark Lord, so we feel your pain. I cut out your daily news to give to my daughter as it gives her and my son-in-law hope!

As a child of the 60s, maybe we made our parents pull their hair out too – but life was different back then. I said to my granddaughter I was going to write to you, and she said: “Go for it, Nan, Jesse is sick!” (Hope she gets better. Ha ha!)

Lorriane Rowe, via email

You’re right to use your dog Boris on walks as a good way of meeting a nice man. But you need to go the extra mile by wearing a football shirt.

No man can resist the urge to tease a woman about her team, especially if it’s a lower league one! It’s a great ice breaker and your new friend will soon see that you are not the battle-axe you pretend to be!

Graeme, Oxford

Ed: Shhh… don’t give away all my secrets, Graeme.

control of the spine and .