What causes stitch when running?
Runners Stitch What causes it?
Are you an executive or living a sedentary life? Have you participated in sports activities with your office colleagues and felt pain over the upper abdomen?
You had a ‘stitch’.
Let’s see what stitch is all about. Classically, stitch is felt over the right upper abdomen. Sometimes it may also happen in the left upper abdomen. Or it may radiate to your back and limbs. Characteristically, stitch occurs to the novice person who takes part in exhaustive sports activities.
The stitch is caused due to insufficient blood supply to the main muscle of respiration – the diaphragm. During each inspiration, the diaphragm moves downwards and during each expiration it goes back upwards. Most of the abdominal organs are supported from the ligamental attachment from the lower surface of diaphragm. When running or doing any sort of exercise, the frequency of respiration increases.
The continuous to and fro movement causes the diaphragm to be fatigued. Moreover, when we do exercise, there is an increased need for oxygen and other nutrients to our muscles.
If the oxygen supply to the diaphragm is less, it induces the nociceptors (pain receptors) present in the diaphragm – the stitch occurs. Stitches are most commonly felt over the right upper side due to the presence of the liver – the heaviest of all organs.
How Can you cure/relieve stitch?
You must bend over and try to touch your toes and put firm pressure over the pain areas. This will reduce the stitch. You must stop doing all activities while you feel any sort of pain as well.
It is better to ‘warm up’ your muscles before doing any kind of exercise.
Tags: Exercise, jogging, relieving stitch, runners stitch, running, running pain, sticth when running, stitch, what cause stitch