dandelion said:I have had issues with mid- and lower-back pain recently that have
probably occurred while running, but I've only noticed them when I'm
done with my workout and I feel a lot of stiffness, soreness, and
tightness. I also have ITB issues and wonder if that could be
contributing to my back problems? And yesterday when running (and I've
noticed this before as well), I had a weird pain in the back of my
knees like a little "x", really tigt and somewhat disconcerting. So,
fellow rec running group users, any and all advice is greatly
appreciated!
~Dondi
oh yeah, i have very similar things going on. a few ideas:
the mid and low back pain is often due to weak core muscles. if you
can do some abdominal exercises, different ones that hit the upper and
lower abs, as well as the obliques, should help. i find that if i
neglect to do core exercises, my running form becomes poor, i slouch
or lean weird, the back hurts... you see the process here.
then there is the ITB thing... i have suffered from that for years,
and only in the past year or so have i really gotten it under control.
the key is to find the ITB stretch that really works for you. i tried
some and they didn't quite do it, but one particular one got results.
aggressive treatment of the problem is necessary: rest, ice, and so
on, but i also got into ROLLING the tissues of the hurting areas. some
people use a product called The Stick (search it on the web), but i
improvise with a rolling pin. start out slow and easy to warm up the
area, then apply more and more pressure (it'll hurt), but once you
find the "target", you can focus on that until the pain subsides.
i also cut back on mileage for a couple of years, focusing on 5 and
10k's and triathlons (with 10k run max), staying within my limits and
the injury calmed right down. i also stopped running on ice and snow
in winter training... instead, i used a treadmill. i think that really
helped.
also, i learned that ITBS is often happening in conjunction with the
condition called piriformis - which is a pain in the butt... really.
it's a band of tissue that travels up the top of the leg and into the
gluteus; it, like the ITB, can be massaged/rolled and treated to
relieve and eliminate pain. my ITBS is virtually gone, with only tiny
reminders now and then. the piriformis seems to hang around, and
affects my one hip and often the low and mid back. but there are a few
good stretches that i do regularly, both before and after runs and
sometimes on days off for the pirif.
not sure about the back of the knees thing you mention. anyone else?
best of luck,
Cam
