Side Stitch

On my run today I got a side stitch which really hampered my breathing and my ability to run.  A side stitch is an intense stabbing pain under the lower edge of the ribcage that occurs while exercising.  This annoying and painstaking pain is caused by a spasm of the diaphragm muscle.  This is common in runners and there are ways to treat and prevent them from occurring.  The following is from The Stretching Institute web page on side stitches.

Treating a Side Stitch

Like any other muscle spasm, when a side stitch occurs it is important to stop the activity that brought the stitch on in the first place, or at the very least reduce the intensity of the activity.
Another effective treatment for a side stitch is to alter your breathing pattern. First concentrate on taking full, deep breathes and avoid shallow breathing. Then, if you are one of those people who exhale when your right foot hits the ground, try instead to exhale when your left foot hits the ground.

Preventing a Side Stitch

There are a number of measures that help to prevent side stitch, the main ones being:

• Improve your cardiovascular fitness;
• Concentrate on breathing deeply during exercise;
• Warm up properly before exercising;
• Gradually increase exercise intensity;
• Avoid eating before exercising;
• Drink more fluids;
• Strengthen your core muscles (lower back, abdominal and oblique muscles); and
• Stretch more, especially your lower back and abdominal muscles.