Stitches - why & how to prevent?

Dotcomdolly

Raced today & yet again struck by stitch(es) I never get them when out on a normal run yet practically very time I race I get them :mad:
Two places today - first in the space between my collarbone & my neck - this is really painful. I *try* to be concious of keep my shoulders down are elbows at waist-ish level but I guess this can only be caused by hunching, no?

And then the more traditional stitch in my side - I just looked up my Nike run and from 3km on I had to stop & walk 4 times - no wonder my time is so disappointing. I did it in 26:15 last year, have not had a great year as I got injured last Summer so definitely haven't been as consistent in the interim, still I managed 26:31 in Marlay in January, today 27:57

robinph

No idea what the first one is, but it's not a stitch if it's up at your shoulder.

But once I don't run within at least two hours of eating I don't get them though.

Dotcomdolly

I ate at breakfast at 9am and the race was at 12 so I should have been ok.

Re the collarbone, I guess cramp would be a better word, google threw up this but not very informative.

cwgatling

I read somewhere that if you have a stitch on your left side, change your breathing so that you're exhaling as your right foot hits the ground. I don't know how well it works, but it's worth a try.

Bally8

I think someone on here told me before that stitches can be caused by taking off too fast in a run when you are not warmed up properly. Someone else said dehydration. A quick way to get rid of them is to hold your arms up in the air above your head while you run and breath deeply:). Looks kind of silly but Ive heard it works.

BrokenMan

A trick I use if I feel a stitch coming on is to blow out really hard when I exhale, empty your lungs as fully as you can almost then take as deep a breath as you can. Aparently it helps to 'break' the spasm. Try it on a few of your training runs though as its not the easiest thing to do. Usually 5 or 5 breaths like that and its gone before it really starts.

TFBubendorfer

cwgatling wrote: »

I read somewhere that if you have a stitch on your left side, change your breathing so that you're exhaling as your right foot hits the ground. I don't know how well it works, but it's worth a try.

I've read that too, and I've also read that it's not true. :rolleyes:

What I find helps is exhaling strongly and going a little bit slower for a little while until the stitch subsides.

Condo131

I agree with Robinph: Shoulder one is not a stitch.

Two solutions for a stitch:
1. Read once that you should do a reverse somersault :eek:. Never tried it - I have (a little bit :rolleyes: ) more sense.
2. Lean slightly over towards the side of the stitch. Shove your fingers (one hand) up under your ribs on that side and breathe hard against the resistance. I've found that this worked for me - haven't had a stitch for ages.
Note to self: Bet I get a stitch in the next race after this post. :rolleyes:

Main causes of stitches:
1. Eating too fast - wolfing down food.
2. A prime cause - gulping water during a race. Learn to (run through water stations and also) drink calmly on the run. Lots of runners stop or slow down considerably for water stations and then drink like there's no more water left on the planet. Drink (relatively) slowly.

nerraw1111

BrokenMan wrote: »

A trick I use if I feel a stitch coming on is to blow out really hard when I exhale, empty your lungs as fully as you can almost then take as deep a breath as you can. Aparently it helps to 'break' the spasm. Try it on a few of your training runs though as its not the easiest thing to do. Usually 5 or 5 breaths like that and its gone before it really starts.

This works for me 9 times out of 10

Mac Cormaic

I have a great article on 'stitches' somewhere, I'll find it and post up the general points of it. As far as I remember though it mostly on the 'right side' that you get stiches, and when you do, you should breathe out when your left foot touches the ground. The cause of them has to do with muscle contractions. It might be possible that you are getting them because you are running faster in races than in training for longer periods.

MrCreosote

Here's a good article:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/side-stitches.html

Cause of stitches is not known, and you can feel them in the shoulder

Dotcomdolly

MrCreosote wrote: »

Here's a good article:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/side-stitches.html

Cause of stitches is not known, and you can feel them in the shoulder

Aha! thanks for that, my body is finely attuned to my diaphragm, that's my problem!
So I guess it's all coming down to the fact that when I race I push myself and my breathing goes to pot & causes these stitches....

Thanks for all the replies.

zoomtard

Does building up core strength reduce the chances of stitches?

Micilin Muc

MrCreosote wrote: »

Here's a good article:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/side-stitches.html

Cause of stitches is not known, and you can feel them in the shoulder

This article proposes breathing out when your left foot strikes the ground. I tried this yesterday and strangely enough, it felt weird, ie I usually breathe out on a right-foot strike. I didn't get a stitch during the run, but I can't say for sure that the change in breathing was the reason!

Oldlegs

zoomtard wrote: »

Does building up core strength reduce the chances of stitches?

Extract from the article ...
Four ways to prevent stitching
To keep stitches from striking in the first place, use the following four techniques:
1) "Belly Breath" ...
2) Strengthen your abdominal muscles. It's not exactly clear why this helps, but athletes with strong abdominal muscles seem to have a much lower risk of stitching. Perhaps increased abdominal-muscle tone helps to support internal organs and keeps them from jostling up and down quite as much. To strengthen your stomach muscles, lie down on your back with your hips and knees flexed and the soles of your feet on the floor, and then simply raise your head and upper chest repeatedly by about 30 degrees or more. Don't just flop back down after each raise; lower yourself gradually so that you will get nice, controlled, eccentric contractions of your abdominal muscles.
3) Restrict food intake before exercise ...
4) Relax ...

dodgyknees

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Raced today & yet again struck by stitch(es) I never get them when out on a normal run yet practically very time I race I get them :mad:
Two places today - first in the space between my collarbone & my neck - this is really painful. I *try* to be concious of keep my shoulders down are elbows at waist-ish level but I guess this can only be caused by hunching, no?

And then the more traditional stitch in my side - I just looked up my Nike run and from 3km on I had to stop & walk 4 times - no wonder my time is so disappointing. I did it in 26:15 last year, have not had a great year as I got injured last Summer so definitely haven't been as consistent in the interim, still I managed 26:31 in Marlay in January, today 27:57

havent a clue what the 1st one is but the stich in your side ,is common enough what i usually do is push out your stomach and breath in deeper at the same time feels kind of awkward at first but you get better at it the more you practice ,works for me..