Many thanks for the replies guys!

I appreciate that it is hard without giving an assesment.

Alophysio, thanks for the info some interesting stuff there especially regarding the lying hip tests

Dr. Damien, I am well thankyou. Have just been on a very basic day course learning about bricklaying. Hard work being crouched down and bent over etc! (Not something I'm planning to do was just to learn a bit more). Thankyou for the information regarding the muscles. I would definately say I have tight hamstrings. I cant touch my toes (am quite far off, say mid shin) even with curving my back (I generally try to avoid stretching with curving the back). If I stand with my back straight and start to bend forward, I can feel tightness after just a very slight angle. As for my calf muscles, I guess I cant really judge but if I stand on a step with the front of my foot and let my weight go in the usual stretch, I wouldn't say they're particularly tight.


I suppose at this point it could be either the muscles or the joint, and obviously one is a lot more treatable than the other!

Many thanks again guys.
I do stretch but only after going to the gym. I should stretch more to loosen them up, but then that would involve some form of warm up? I don't know how warm they need to be before stretching?

Perhaps I should get an assesment. I could go NHS, Suppose private but depends how many sessions really... Have to say, without sounding horrible, that I think there can be great differences between how good different physios are, for instance regarding how much they know and how up to date they keep themselves ( I have had physios in the past ).