The worst kind of back pain is in the low back. Even non-runners feel it at some point. You may have concerns about your posture and body mechanics if you have lifted something heavy wrong, sit for eight hours a day, or spend that much time sitting. It’s possible that the way you run could be contributing to the aching lower back muscles you’re experiencing. Jogging in the park might be excruciating for someone who suffers from lower-back discomfort.
You can keep pain in your lower back at bay. Running without experiencing discomfort is possible if you engage in strength training, correct your poor posture, and work on improving your mobility. Please continue reading to learn why weak and tight muscles contribute to discomfort and then check out our suggestions for relieving the symptoms.
Running injuries and chronic discomfort are not inevitable consequences of the sport. If you jog and get soreness in your lower back, your training might not be sufficient. You may have had less time for your workouts, in which case you’ve been focusing solely on running and ignoring other forms of exercise. It’s possible that your sedentary lifestyle has to be updated.
Be positive. Visit a physician or a physical therapist if you have significant back pain, nerve pain, sciatica, or if you are experiencing any other symptoms.
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Causes for lower back pain from running
It’s possible that you won’t experience any pain at all while you’re running, but when you get back to your house and start recovering, that’s when it’ll hit you.
Back pain can have many of the same causes, whether it occurs before or after running; however, there are a few reasons why you might be experiencing it after the run.
You may lack water: If you didn’t drink enough water before or during your run, or if it’s an especially hot day outside, dehydration might induce muscular spasms in your lower back, which would feel like a tightening of the muscles in that area. Make some changes to your drinking routine and ensure you aren’t dehydrated before looking for additional issues.
Overuse: The back discomfort you’re experiencing may result from you trying to cover too many miles in too short of a period without allowing your body the time to recuperate from the repeated stress.
Your hamstrings may be excessively tight: There is a direct connection between your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Before going for a run, you should perform the appropriate stretches to get your hamstrings relaxed and ready for the activity.
The uneven development of the hip flexors and the abdominal muscles due to muscular imbalance: When we spend most of the day sitting, the glutes get relaxed, and the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thighs frequently become unduly tight. This has a bad impact on the powers of the lower back and the spine. Developing stronger gluteal, hip flexor, lower back, & abdominal muscles could help prevent this from occurring.
Muscle tension on one side of the body more than the other in the hip flexors and the core: By stretching out the muscles in your hips and abdomen and paying attention to whether the side of your body feels stiffer than the other, you may evaluate whether or not this is the root of your back pain. In such a case, as you warm up before each run, spend more time stretching the side that tends to be tighter.
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Your shoes have seen better days: Running with a flat foot can lead to jarring in the spine’s bones, which can be caused by wearing out your running shoes to the point where they are worn out. People sometimes blame improper footwear for foot ailments; however, worn-out shoes can damage other body parts.
Low Back Pain from Running Treatment
- If you want deep tissue massage benefits without leaving the house, investing in a foam roller and using it regularly is the next best thing. By relaxing the muscles in your lower back and hamstrings with the help of this form of self-care, you can alleviate the discomfort and stiffness you have been experiencing in those areas.
- Apply either heat or ice to the affected area of the wound. In the initial few days after an accident, applying heat to the affected area can help minimize the severity of muscular spasms, while using cold can help reduce inflammation. The muscle soreness resulting from running can frequently be alleviated by alternating between heat and cold treatments.
- Anti-inflammatory medications that can be purchased over-the-counter can assist with most difficulties; however, muscle relaxers or other stronger pain relievers requiring a prescription may be necessary for more serious injuries. Find these medications in pharmacies.
- Runners who suffer from lower back pain may find that participating in therapeutic stretching activities, such as yoga, can help relieve some of the discomforts they experience.
- If your low back pain does not improve or if it gets worse, you should discuss your treatment choices with a physiotherapist or a doctor as soon as possible. Injections of steroid medication, a specialized workout program, or even surgery might be necessary to help alleviate the pain.
Low Back Pain from Running Prevent
- It will be less likely for you to sustain an injury if you speed up the blood flow to your muscles while also gradually warming up your cardiovascular system.
- Your hamstrings are tight, and your lumbar spine tends to curve inwards, which can cause pain when you run. Stretching your hamstrings regular is best to avoid soreness like this. If you notice running gives you back pain, you should make it a point to stretch your hamstrings twice every day.
- There is evidence that running can put certain persons at risk for overuse injuries. One strategy for lowering the risk of injuring one’s lower back is to build up the strength of the core muscles by performing work in the plank position and other exercises targeting the core.
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- One of the muscles in your hip flexors has a connection to the lumbar spine, and you can feel this connection in your lower back. This muscle can be the source of discomfort in the lower back when it is contracted and in its acquired form. You might be able to perform a standing figure four with ease at busy intersections. Still, if you want your flexibility to improve even further, you should also practice yoga positions like the happy baby pose and pigeon pose in the privacy of your own home.
- Running at a too fast pace for your capabilities, whether those capabilities pertain to the amount of distance covered or the amount of work required, can put you at risk for injury. If you find that your lower back starts to hurt after jogging for 30 minutes, you should start by running for only 20 minutes, adding strength training to your routine, and gradually working up to the distance you want to run.
- Running on a rubber track absorbs part of the pressure of running, which means that it places less strain on your body than running on pavement does. Jogging on a rubber track also helps offset some of the impacts of running. Beginners in the running may find this helpful as they gain experience and strength.
- Running while wearing comfortable shoes and having an adequate level of cushioning to absorb the impact of the impact will give your back support from the ground up.
What Kind of Dangers Exist?
Slouching, which leads to an incorrect spine posture, hurts the muscles in your neck, back, and shoulders, and this can cause pain and discomfort. Individuals who suffer from this ailment are more likely to acquire accidents due to the muscle weakness that it creates and the strain it places on the body.
These problems, first developed by incorrect posture, are worsened by the stress that long-distance running imposes on your body as you pound out mile after mile. In the beginning, faulty posture was the root cause of these problems.
People who run shorter distances are less likely to have upper back pain due to poor posture. Running for long distances, especially on a hard surface like asphalt, has the potential to exacerbate the strain that is caused by having poor posture. This strain can produce pain in the upper back and spine and the capacity of the lungs.
Does Running Give You Pain in Your Lower Back?
Because jogging is regarded as a “high-impact” workout, you may have heard from other people that it is detrimental to your bones and joints to engage in this type of exercise. On the other hand, that is not even close to being accurate. Running is good for the joints throughout your body, but it is especially excellent for the joints in your back.
Because of its impact on the bones, running helps build up bone density, and it provides the ligaments with additional tensile strength. When you absorb a blow, the discs in your spine will swell to provide you with extra padding as a protective response.
FAQ
What are some ways to alleviate the pain that running causes in the lower back?
It is of utmost importance that you carry out a comprehensive warm-up routine and consistently stretch your hamstrings. Your workout regimen should incorporate strength training in addition to cardiovascular exercise so that you may develop the deep core muscles in your lower back. These muscles are located in the lumbar province. When you are first getting started, it is vital to take things slowly in terms of both speed and distance, and it is also crucial to make sure that the shoes you are wearing are the appropriate size for your feet.
Should Someone Who Has Lower Back Pain Avoid Running?
Your answer to this question will be determined by the nature of the condition that is causing your back pain and the degree of discomfort you are experiencing. Consult your physician if the despair grows worse while you are running. You may need to rest until your injury has recovered.
On the other hand, running is typically beneficial for the health of your spine since it strengthens your discs. And provided that you do not already have an injury, it should not be difficult to steer clear of back discomfort by taking the necessary precautions and engaging in the appropriate level of exercise.
Why hip mobility can help your back?
When you take rests while running, your hip flexor muscles tend to shorten, forcing your pelvis to assume an arch position. This puts your hip flexor muscles at a disadvantage, making running more difficult for you. Consequently, the core muscles get disengaged, and as a consequence of this, you begin to experience agonizing back pain.
To bring this problem under control, you should perform various hip exercises, such as rotations of the hips to the side and flexions of the upper body to the side. You should begin to feel some favorable benefits quickly if you execute at least 30 repeat side rotations during each session.
Conclusion
Running-related lower back pain can be caused by various factors, including injuries, improper technique, and overuse. Lower back pain is the most unconscious stage for a person; nevertheless, if lower back pain is experienced in conjunction with other issues, such as lower back pain caused by running, breathing, and so on, we cannot survive joyously.
If you are interested, we can also talk about another issue with your body, including the factors that cause it, how it is treated, and other related topics. Feel free to leave a comment below with your opinions if you believe that we have neglected any part concerning the lower back discomfort caused by running, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. In addition, if you have any inquiries or topics, we ask that you get an indication with us as soon as practicable and not be apologetic about it.