Lunging for a ball that was never quite reachable. Pushing off hard to change direction. Stopping dead at the kitchen line. Then a sharp catch in the back of the lower leg, and the certainty that somebody behind you kicked it—except nobody is behind you.

If you have ever been woken by an ache on the outside of your hip after rolling onto that side, felt it standing at the kitchen counter with your weight sunk onto one leg, or getting out of a low car seat, you already know the particular nuisance of outside hip pain.

If you have ever felt an ache at the front of your knee walking down stairs, getting out of the car after a long drive, sitting through a whole movie, or easing down a hill in the last miles of a long run, you may have experienced runner's knee.

If you have been told you have a rotator cuff tear, the word tear probably did most of the work in that sentence. It sounds like something that has to be repaired, especially if you play a sport built on reaching overhead, and rotator cuff tear surgery can start to feel like a decision somebody has already made for you.

Morning heel pain is common, treatable, and usually managed without surgery. The most effective rehabilitation plans combine symptom relief with a gradual return to strength and activity.

If you’ve ever felt pain on the outside of your elbow when lifting a coffee mug, carrying groceries, shaking someone’s hand, opening a jar, or working on your computer, you may have experienced tennis elbow.