Back pain and neck pain can take all the pleasure out of a good run. Enjoying your special time becomes impossible. Every step sends a nagging jolt into the neck, back, or between the shoulder blades. As the miles drag by, you keep checking your watch to see how much longer you have to be finished with your workout. It’s no fun at all. Whether you are a jogger, a weekend warrior, or an elite athelete, you are especially prone to injury because of the unique stresses of running on the body. Sometimes you are able to help yourself with injuries, sometimes you need professional help. So, how do you know when to self-treat and when it’s time to go to the doctor? Here are 3 suggestions to follow before seeking professional help.
1. Form is Function. Correct posture is essential to maintain while running, which requires tremendous muscle exertion for extended periods of time. So, “think tall” while you run. Many runners have a forward lean, which places extra stress on the muscles in the low back, which causes them to fatigue and eventually become strained (torn). This leads to back pain. Also, keep your shoulders relaxed and down. If you carry them up by your ears, the muscles of the neck will become tense and that’s when damage can occur, which leads to neck pain. Lastly, keep your chest thrust up and out. Not only will this decrease the muscle tension and burning in your mid-back, but it will also increase your lung capacity.
2. Work On Your Flexibility And Strength. Stretch your hamstrings. Almost everyone who has tight hamstrings has some type of low back pain. That is because these muscles work in conjunction with your erector spinae muscles to maintain you in an upright position. Gentle daily stretches of the hamstrings and calves may help alleviate your lower back pain. Strengthen your quadriceps and abdominals. Running does not naturally develop the quadriceps or spine-stabilizing muscles like the abdominals. Do some cycling or lift some weights. Do your crunches. Increase your spine’s range of motion. Gently stretch your neck and lower back in the directions of forward flexion, backward extension, side bending and rotation. Roll your shoulders up and back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. You will feel a difference in your mid-back immediately.
3. Take Self-Help Time For Your Injuries. Getting a massage from a certified therapist is a great place to start. A good massage will break up scar (non-functional) tissue, increase circulation to injured muscles, relieve back pain and neck pain, and speed the healing process. Use ice for your injuries. Cryotherapy (treatment with ice) is nature’s pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. Stay away from hot baths or hot tubs for a couple of weeks. Heat is one of the components of inflammation and can be like adding gasoline to a fire. Even though it feels good to muscles at the time, you will feel worse after you are done. Take magnesium, calcium, and potassium supplements that are in readily absorbable (bio-available) forms. They are nature’s own muscle relaxers. In addition, take Vitamin D3 to help modulate inflammation and take fish oil for the omega 3 fatty acids that help with muscle repair. Last, but not least, get enough sleep at night and enough rest between workouts. You really need 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Your body repairs most efficiently while you are sleeping. Alternate easy and challenging workout days so you can continue to train without causing more damage.
When To See A Specialist. If it’s been a few weeks, you’ve tried these recommendations diligently, and you are still experiencing back pain or neck pain, then perhaps you have a condition that is more serious than you can handle by yourself. Your condition may involve more than just sore muscles. The health of the spine depends upon the individual motion of each of its 24 vertebrae. Where two vertebrae attach together, they form a spinal joint. When one of these joints becomes injured, it will not move correctly, like two suction cups stuck together. The friction that this lack of motion produces irritates the joint surfaces and causes swelling and inflammation that pinches, chokes, and irritates the nerves that exit between the vertebrae. Nerves control every function of the body, including the supporting muscles of the spine. Irritation of the nerves can cause irritation of the postural muscles, resulting in muscle tension or spasm. Then comes the pain! This condition, where joint dysfuction causes nerve interference, is called a “subluxation”. Chiropractors are specialists in treating subluxations without using surgery or medication. Getting yourself examined and treated for subluxations may be the key to breaking your pain/injury cycle. All the pleasure of running is taken away by back pain or neck pain. Following these recommendations may help you find relief and start enjoying your favorite sport once again. To watch a video of the exercises and recommendations made in this article click the following link:
Dr. Williamson is an avid runner and specializes in the natural treatment of sports injuries at his Chiropractic Centers of Virginia offices in Mechanicsville and Richmond areas. He is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic.
