Pain in the shoulder when i run

quebec

Hey, so when im on the treadmill for a while I start to get this pain in my shoulder, about where my right collar bone meets my shoulder...bone. I talked to one of the trainers in the gym about it and he said it might be a pinched nerve.

Its not agonising but after a while it does become quite noticeable.

Just wondering if anyone else gets this and is there anything you can do to help it or is it a bigger underlying problem?

Thanks

Blackie93

Yeh, i get that sometimes.
It usually just goes away though.
(Wasnt much help, sorry)

beegirl

Believe it or not - I think that is a stitch! As in the type of stitch that you normally get in the side, below your ribs.

I always get a side stitch and was reading stuff on how to prevent it, and came across a few sources that said that you can also get a stitch in your shoulder. It happens to my fiancé sometimes that's why I spotted it.

Here is an article about stitches - it says the pain is sometimes 'referred' to your shoulder - I know it sounds bizarre!

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0705.htm

I find that a stitch is most often caused when your breathing is out of sync/uneven, so try to regulate your breathing when you run. And they can also be caused by dehydration, so I'm told... it is usually the breathing thing for me though!

BossArky

quebec wrote: »

Hey, so when im on the treadmill for a while I start to get this pain in my shoulder,

Are you running on all fours?

Have you eaten just beforehand? Could be a stitch as mentioned.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

I used to get a stitch in my shoulder when I ran but it was more where my shoulder met my pec. Have you tried stretching out before you run?
Also make sure you're properly hydrated before you exercise, so in the hours leading up to it drink plenty of water - don't just drink a pint right before you start your run as this will give you worse cramps.

Aykina

I sometimes get this - usually when I'm tense and not relaxing into a run...
It usually goes when I loosen out and relax.
Focus on dropping your arms so that your collarbones become horizontal - sometimes there's a lot of tension there that you haven't noticed, might help.

dh2007

I used to get the same thing (I think the doctor referred to it and tendonitis). For me, I think I got it 1) because I was always sleeping on my right-hand-side which caused tension to build up and 2) because I used to be more unfit and would tense up after a while.

Since I've made a concerted effort to sleep more on my left and because I've been running a few times a week for three months I find that I don't really get it any more.

Oh and Voltorol was quite helpful too (it's a topical cream you can get in the chemists).

I hope this helps, but if it persists I'd recommend you go to your doctor.

Good luck with the running!

1ceman

I get the same thing sometimes (treadmill or outside running).

I would generally be very tense in my shoulders and neck and it seems as if sometimes when I start running, I'm particularly tense in my shoulders (more often on the right hand side). Whenever this happens I just need to focus a bit on loosening the tension from my shoulders. Kind of hard to relax whilst you're running but entirely possible and then this gradually fades out.

Good to see this thread and realise I'm not the only one

PS. As for this being a "stitch", they can only occur in one place in my book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_stitch

mloc123

Do you run with clenched fists? Usually happens when people run with tense shoulders, arms and hands... try to relax them.

beegirl

1ceman wrote: »

PS. As for this being a "stitch", they can only occur in one place in my book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_stitch

Ummm... try reading your own source the next time...

Taken from Wikipedia via the link above:

"Certain athletes also report a pain in the tip of their shoulder blade. This is believed to be because this is a referred site of pain for the diaphragm via the phrenic nerve."

1ceman

Hahahaha epic fail!

Funny thing is I read the first half of that paragraph. I must have zoned out... It was pretty late.

Still no excuses, pure faceplant! Thanks for the laugh beegirl :pac:

beegirl

Lol yeah sorry couldn't resist that one