Back Pain

Brown_Eyed_Girl

Hi Guys some advice needed .............. again, my back (neck) seemed to seize running this morning should I rest it completely for a few days or walk instead of run for the next week or so ???

I have been loving the running and gym work over the last few months and I have to say I am half afriad resting even for a few days will make me lazy :-(

siochain

Brown_Eyed_Girl wrote:

Hi Guys some advice needed .............. again, my back (neck) seemed to seize running this morning should I rest it completely for a few days or walk instead of run for the next week or so ???

I have been loving the running and gym work over the last few months and I have to say I am half afriad resting even for a few days will make me lazy :-(

I'd go for a full body 'deep tissue massage' at least every 3 months to loosen up the muscles and as preventative measure.

You might also think about yoga to mix the hard training with something soft on the body.

The body needs rest and maintenance and will respond very well to it.

Can't say how long you should rest the neck, see how you feel after a few days.

Reyman

Brown_Eyed_Girl wrote:

Hi Guys some advice needed .............. again, my back (neck) seemed to seize running this morning should I rest it completely for a few days or walk instead of run for the next week or so ???

I have been loving the running and gym work over the last few months and I have to say I am half afriad resting even for a few days will make me lazy :-(

This is really best dealt with by a physio, but neck pain is usually caused by a lack of mobility. A major culprit is sitting over a computer all day long with your head locked in one position. Laptops are particularly bad because the screen is well below eye level, meaning the head is bent forward all the time.

This will get worse if you do nothing about. Do some mobilising and stretching exercises every day , but take it very easy, necks don't like it when you overdo it.

CerebralCortex

Could have something to do with your feet. Have you ever thought of seeing an orthopedist?

Rogueish

Get it fully assessed by a Physiotherapist/Sports Rehabilitator/ Athletic Trainer.

Without a full assessment and a knowledge of your trianing regime all we can offer is some very superficial advice.

Chronic back pain causes weakness of the deep stabilising or postural muscles of the spine. These can cause a reflex action of the larger muscle groups going into spasm trying to stabilise the spine.

Core stability weakness also cause the above reflex.

The increased impact of running causes the core muslces to be tested. Are there any pilates classes in your gym? They may be a good idea to strengthen your core muscles.

While you are waiting for an appointment with a therapist you can keep to low impact training such as cycling and maybe the crosstrainer if it doesn't futher irritate your back. Keep away from the weights until advised otherwise.

Brown_Eyed_Girl

Thanks for all the advice guys, I think that I will work through the pain and walk instead of run for the week until the pain has completely gone. I have been attending a pilates class weekly for over a year now so I would be surprised if this had to do with my core stability to be honest but its worth thinking about. I think that I will steer clear of the gym for this week as I would be afriad of making it worse but I think that I will attend my pilates class tonight in the hope of stretching it out ......

Actually Reyman I think you might have hit the nail on the head I sit in front of a pc or laptop 7 hours a day, so maybe its about time I learnt some stretching exercises ..... any suggestions ?

Reyman

Brown_Eyed_Girl wrote:

Thanks for all the advice guys, I think that I will work through the pain and walk instead of run for the week until the pain has completely gone. I have been attending a pilates class weekly for over a year now so I would be surprised if this had to do with my core stability to be honest but its worth thinking about. I think that I will steer clear of the gym for this week as I would be afriad of making it worse but I think that I will attend my pilates class tonight in the hope of stretching it out ......

Actually Reyman I think you might have hit the nail on the head I sit in front of a pc or laptop 7 hours a day, so maybe its about time I learnt some stretching exercises ..... any suggestions ?

Well, don't rotate your head in a 360 degree arc that's the one a lot of people do and it's supposed to be very bad for your neck.

There is a book you might look at "7 steps to a pain free life- how to rapidly relieve back and neck pain" ISBN 0-452-28277-2. It uses the McKenzie method, which seems to have a good few followers.

Otherwise have a look on the web and I'm sure you'll get plenty of ideas