running causes my back to hurt. any suggestions?

godblessourhome

i have been an off and on 'runner' for almost 3 years. i started in may 2009, took a small break, started up again, ran several 5ks and 10ks, had abdominal surgery, walked a half-marathon, ran a half-marathon, had another abdominal surgery and i am now training for another half-marathon. even with a half-marathon under my belt, i still consider myself a novice. i do not run with a running group, most of my friends/family do not run, i do not subscribe to any running magazines (although i do occasionally read a few running blogs), i rarely visit the local running store, i rarely read running articles online, etc.

since i have started running again, my lower back hurts after each run. this morning i ran 6.5 miles, and now 6 hours later my back is killing me. i figure it is because i am not stretching enough either at the beginning or the end of my workout, but i am unsure which stretches would be the most beneficial to help with the lower back area.

my cross-training is yoga, cycling and swimming.

advice?

Cmh1211

stretching before and after, right shoes(newshoes), and form is always the main factor to back pain.

i wish i could explain how to stretch but it is so complicated to exain thru plpain text... ill see if i can find some illustrations.


easiest one i can explain is bend down touch ur toes but instead of looking at the floor while ur stretching put ur chin to ur chest. when u bend down in this position ur spine is in its most stretched form. gl

JonoK

I had the problem. Take up biking. I've lost 30 lbs in 4 months biking 4 times a week for about an hour a shot.

freezerburn2012

How old are your shoes?

godblessourhome

How old are your shoes?

i have put about 184 miles on them.

jessradtke

I was having lower back problems that just kept getting worse when I ran, so I started seeing a good chiropractor/accupuncturist. He figured out that I had messed up my SI joint in a fall quite a while back. Most of the stretches and yoga poses that are often recommended for runners were actually making it worse because they were stretching the muscles but not addressing the frozen joint. When I stretched, the wrong muscles were engaging to compensate for the frozen joint. My glutes were not engaging like they should and my outer thighs and lower back were taking up the slack. After several months of no running, no stretching, frequent adjustments, and exercises to re-engage the muscles that had stopped working properly, I'm finally running without pain again. I'm not saying that's YOUR problem, I'm just saying don't assume that if you just stretch more or get different shoes it will get better. You might want to get checked out by a good chiropractor or sports rehabilitator to make sure it's not structural.

godblessourhome

bump.

Quickster34

if your core is weak your back is going to hurt until its gets stronger, I would recomend stretching and strengthening your hamstrings lower back and abs ( core) with a stronger core and hamstrings your lower back will have to do less work and therefor not be as strained, poor form can also contribute to lower back pain , hit those weights and have fun!

HollyCParkerx

Are you running on pavement/road? It's harder on your joints because the impact is harder. Try running on grass and seeing if that makes a difference.

Also, where did you buy your running shoes from? There are different types of shoes to support the different ways in which people run. It may be worth going to your local running shop and asking for a gait analysis to make sure your shoes are supporting you in the way they should.

Also, pilates does wonders for your back - and it really good at aiding runners!

maddymama

My husband had back pain when he used to run. Turns out that he had broken his spine (playing football in HS) and it didn't heal properly. He didn't even know he had broken it. We found out after he had been in a car accident and it showed up on the X-rays. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, he was told to stop running, do some PT and stretches at home, and then start running slowly again (think C25K). He can now run mostly pain free. He has his creaky days, but overall he is pain free.

You may want to go to a doctor/chiro/etc. to get looked at and make sure it isn't something else making your back hurt. Running shouldn't cause you pain.... it should be making you feel better.