Why do runners often sore upper back and how to get rid of it
Sport And Fitness / / December 19, 2019
Pain in the upper back after long runs - a very common problem. With increasing distance of many runners begin to experience a sharp pain in the area between the shoulder blades or under them. The sensation is quite tolerant, but becomes annoying, because you realize that you still have to run and run.
Causes of Pain
Physiotherapist Shatto Ben (Ben Shatto) says that most of these newcomers are experiencing pain, especially those who are engaged without a coach. This happens for several reasons: improper running technique, poor posture and weak back muscles.
1. High load on the upper back. Because while running works the whole body, closer to the end of the long training is not only tired legs, but also the body. As a result, without our head begins to outpace the body is pulled forward, we begin to slouch. Head, walking in front of the body, gives an additional strain on the upper back.
It's like having a bowling ball on a stick. Keep it exactly straightforward. But as soon as you tilt a little ball forward immediately felt the load - hold it becomes much more difficult. And with the head of our body has to include work much more muscle than in its correct position.
2. Incorrect hand position while running. We can keep them or too high, or too close to the body. This usually happens when we start to get tired: shoulders rise up, they appear excessive voltage. In addition, some people are starting too hard waving his arms from side to side, and some, on the contrary, keep them too tense and motionless.
Chiropractor Stadholm Nick (Nick Studholme) advises not to wave your hands too much. They have to move on the right path: the fist is at the level of your hips and then rises to the level of the second elbow bent hands.
3. Source of the pain may not be where it hurts. What you feel pain in certain areas does not mean that they are the source of pain. Thomas Hyde (Thomas Hyde), a professor of sports medicine at the University of Western jersey states, gives the example of a study in which examined fascia. When the fascia is in the lower part of the spine stretched, it causes a reaction in the opposite shoulder. That is, it is possible that the pain in the upper back during running caused problems, the source of which is much lower.
Also, there are studies that show that the cause of the pain may be hypersensitive nerves located just under the skin. Due to the repetitive movements while running these nerves can get caught up in the skin tissue, resulting in an unpleasant irritation and pain.
4. Changing the level of pH. To change the acidity can cause production of lactic acid. The more you run, the more tired your muscles, the more lactic acid builds up in your body, the greater the reaction of the nerves and pain. There are special gels, reducing the pH, and pressure point massage, which helps nerves. However, this is only an aid, without which we are again faced with a major problem - a weak back and improper running technique.
5. Sedentary work and hang in smartphones. Most runners, except for professional athletes and coaches - ordinary people spend most of their working day at a desk or constantly reading something in their smartphones. They often hump, and this gives an additional load on the cervical spine, shoulders and back. And if you just walk in, we are able to more or less cope with their posture, then while running our body gives up.
Exercises
Dr. Shatto recommends specific exercises to strengthen the lower and middle trapezius muscles, rhomboid muscle, as well as the muscles along the spine and base of the neck: push-ups, abduction hands back using the Expander, "Superman" on the floor and the like.
Stadholm recommends work on the serratus anterior muscles, which run along the ribs and under the shoulder blades. The challenge is to incorporate into the work these muscles without involving the upper muscles, which are the dominant (ie, the most commonly used).
It is important to strengthen those muscles that do not allow our body to shrivel, and neck and shoulders - continuously extended forward due to prolonged sedentary work at the computer.
We also recommend you to watch 'video with exercises for the back and the correct posture:
- Exercises to help get rid of pain in the upper back.
- Strength training for runners: strengthening the back.
- Exercises to strengthen the upper back.
- How to fix your posture for 30 minutes a day.
- Exercises to strengthen the body.
- Military exercise since the Second World War for the correct posture.