Should I Run With Lower Back Pain?
What Are the Best Types of Running Shoes for Neutral Feet?
https://yourgoalspt.com/what-is-the-b...
What Are the Best Types of Running Shoes for Pronated Feet?
https://yourgoalspt.com/what-is-the-b...
What Are the Best Types of Running Shoes for Supinated Feet?
https://yourgoalspt.com/what-is-the-b...
Cost & Availability https://yourgoalspt.com/contact/cost-...
Talk To A PT https://yourgoalspt.com/contact/phone...
Whether you are new to running 🏃♀️, or you’ve been running since diapers, your back should not hurt before during or after a run.
I often talk to patients who tell me it’s normal to have back pain from running. Let me assure you, it may be a common issue – but pain when running is not normal.
Now, I’m not saying that you need immediate medical 🏥 attention. But you shouldn’t ignore or push through back pain.
Pain is a signal from your body that something is wrong. If you have pain that lasts longer than 2-3 weeks , it’s best to have someone help you resolve it.
Don’t wait until the back pain is unbearable. If you do, you’re more likely to find out you have permanent damage. However, if you go see a PT when the pain starts, it’s far more likely no permanent damage has started, and everything is completely reversible.
Read on to find causes of back pain among runners, and 7 tips to address (not push through) your back pain.
5 causes of lower back pain when running
Lower back pain when running can come from various causes. Each affects the body’s mechanics and stability differently.
1. Hip Inflexibility
Your hips ideally should allow a full range of motion without restriction. This ensures that your hip joint stays healthy. Your hips need to be strong and stable throughout the full range of motion into flexion, extension, internal rotation, external rotation, hip abduction and adduction.
If you lose the ability to move through one of those ranges while you are running, your body will adapt, but over time that adaptation can strain your back.
For instance, let's say that you have difficulty lifting your knee to your chest or even to 90 degrees. Then you go running. You will either limit how high your knee comes off the ground or your lower back will have to tuck under to help give you the range you want.
Or let’s say you have limited hip extension. Then every time you advance your leg then your lower back has to extend or arch to give you the range of motion you need to propel yourself forward.
Both of these adaptations add stresses to your back that are not typically there which will lead to pain.
2. Poor Trunk Stability
Unlike your hips that need to be very flexible, your trunk needs to be very stable. While doing all things, your trunk is supposed to resist all motions such as rotating, bending and twisting.
Think about how weird it would be if you could not sit up in a chair without slumping forward or to the side. Or if you walked down the street every time you wanted to turn your head your whole body would turn with you. Our ability to move as freely as we do is because our trunk has the ability to be stable.
Now to running…When you run you add additional forces to the mix compared to simply sitting or walking. Your muscles have to be able to resist the impact of you pushing yourself forward and landing on the ground.
This adds additional stress to your upper back from your neck and shoulders moving and to your abdominal muscles as they try to stabilize your lower back and pelvis.
When your upper back or your abdominal muscles get tired and are no longer able to hold your bones steady you will notice side to side trunk motion, and that your shoulders will slump down or rotate more.
All these motions add stress to your spine which will lead to back pain.