In India , starting a gym is as easy as opening a kirana store. But is your friendly neighbourhood fitness centre fit for business? Yudhajit Shankar Das looks at the other side of the sixpack story.

Vivek Sharma has been off sick for five days and doesn't know when he can go back to work. "My elbow hurts badly and the pain radiates to the forearm, so I can't use a keyboard, which is essential for my desk job," says the 24-year-old Gurgaon BPO worker.

Dhanraj Makhija, a businessman in his 30s, says a fortnight of back pain means he is constantly at the doctor's or the physiotherapist.

Both sufferers share more than the community of pain. They are gym rats,lusting after the sixpack and labouring to achieve it. As Indians increasingly hit the treadmill , pump iron and do ab crunches, it is time to ask if our gyms are fit for purpose?

There is good reason to

Almost seven weeks ago I was diagnosed with tennis elbow in both arms. This was not caused by sporting activities but from typing in inept positions for extensive periods of formerly. I have since been resting my arms and bewitching anti mutinous painkillers when sore occurs. I have avoided typing as this pulls on the tendons which is incredibly frustrating, I am currently critique to you using homily honour software. Around the three week effect I started to admonish the grieve a lot less. I started doing meet exercises as recommended by a Physio, however I must have overdone this as the hurt came back later on. This convenience life the trial was in the long run in the back of my elbows, this lasted another week or so but the misery has now mostly gone away and I have begun gently exercising again. What concerns me is how subtle my arms are, even from focal activities such as cooking I can perceive my tendons foreshadowing me not to extend. The torment is not that bad but I do not privation to interfere with healing. I have...

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A: I used to be the nurse when doing steroid injections, they can work but are not guaranteed to work for everyone in fact initially they can be more painful for the first few days before settling down, any injection carries the risk of infection so watch out for the area becoming red hot or swollen as these are the main signs of infection.
With regard to a support bandage seek advice from your GP they may even supply you with one.
Hope this helps you.