Preventing Back Pain In Runners

The causes of chronic back pain in runners and exercises to help prevent it have been examined in a new study by researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The researchers suggest that runners with weak deep core muscles are at higher risk of developing lower back pain as published in the Journal of Biomechanics.

Motion detection technology and force measuring floor plates to estimate muscle movements during activity were used by the researchers to examine the role of both the superficial and deep core muscles. The findings show that weak deep core muscles force more superficial muscles to work harder and those muscles will reach fatigue faster, such as the abs. When the superficial muscles are forced to do the work that the deep core muscles should be doing there are often some painful consequences.

Runners’ bodies were measured for dimensions and how they moved in order to create a computer model that was specific to that person, which allowed the researchers to examine how every bone moves and how much pressure is put on each joint in a virtual simulation. Using virtual simulation makes it possible to virtually turn off certain muscles to observe how the rest of the body compensates as the body moves.

When a person has a weak deep core the body is able to compensate in such a way that allows you to run the same way, but it increases the pressure load on the spine that may lead to and cause lower back pain. It is common for people, even athletes to neglect their deep core when training, and unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation circulating about core strength. Traditional exercises with a large range of movement using the ab muscles such as back extension or sit-ups will not give you a strong core. Exercises such as planks that will focus on stabilizing the core, even better if done on unstable surfaces such as on bosu balls will develop core strength.

Trying to become a better runner and developing a six pack are not the same thing. Typically runners don’t have a six pack, but their muscles are very tone and fit. Static exercises that will force you to firm your core to hold your body in place and stable are the kind of exercises that will strengthen your core and make you a better runner.