Is your love of running marred by lower back pain that takes the joy out of the experience or leaves you sore for days after? Lower back pain in runners is a problem that is not uncommon but not fully understood either. However, there are some known causes of lower back pain as well as some simple changes you can make to reduce the risk of developing the issue.
What Causes Lower Back Pain While Running?
Your lower back pain could be the result of many things. From pre-existing health problems to aches brought on by issues with the way you run or how you prepare for long runs.
Existing Back Pain: Even if you develop lower back pain from running, remember the real cause could actually be something else. It might merely be aggravated by the run.
Some common causes for lower back pain include :
- Back sprains, strain-related injuries, or traumatic injury from sports or accidents
- Skeletal irregularities like scoliosis, kyphosis, and other anomalies of the spine present since birth
- Spondylosis – the degeneration of the bones, discs, and joints of the spine
- Spondylitis – vertebral inflammation
- Intervertebral disc degeneration, herniated/ruptured discs
- Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Infections like sacroiliitis
- Sciatica
- Spinal nerve compression or inflammation
- Osteoporosis
Running-related Lower Back Pain: Runners may develop lower back pain after or during a run for various reasons.
- Inadequate warm-up activities before a run or not preparing your body for the run with back strengthening exercises and core exercises.
- Poor stamina/fatigue , especially if running long distances like marathon runners
- Poor running gait
- Being overweight(as this can put additional stress on the back)
- Increasing your speed too quickly/suddenly during the run
- Doing too much downhill running (it places more stress on the lower back)
Making changes to the way you prepare for big runs and taking care to maintain the right posture while running(try to take small steps while running, lower the extent of vertical bounce in your step, and land softer)can help. For immediate pain relief, a topical pain remedy like a pain relief spray or back pain cream is useful.
Omnigel: A Topical Remedy For Lower Back Pain
Pain relief remedy Omnigel is a handy solution to back pain issues. You can use the easy-to-use pain spray on your lower back before or after a run to help you manage the pain. It provides immediate topical pain relief, easing stiffness, swelling, and inflammation. The diclofenac gel is easily available and comes in portable sizes so you can take it with you when you run. It couldn’t be simpler!
Omnigel and Omnigel spray are available at online and offline pharmacies. Use these fast-acting topical pain relief remedies to bring the joy back to your running again!
