Traing for a Marathon - but my back hurts so much.?

Question

I've started to up my mileage in prep for the Paris marathon next year. I've never had back pain before when I run, but it's getting to a stage now where I think I need some help. I've been refered to see an orthapedic specialist.

I have great shoes and always warm up and cool down.

Any ideas to help, to make sure I keep up to speed with the training schedule I have?

Answer 1

Often back pain is caused by weak abdominal muscles. Your back muscles become stronger with running so they over power the stomach muscles.

You should be doing abdominal exercises daily along with your stretching. When you stretch work on your back and the rest of your body not just your legs.

The hamstring muscles are attached to the bone you sit on, which is beneath your glutes and will affect your lower back.

Meaning that low back pain is often caused by tight hamstring muscles.

If you are warming up, cooling down, stretching, and doing your abdominal exercises you can usually take care of low back pain.

Muscles balance our skeleton, and many times muscle pain is caused because the muscles on one side are stronger than the muscles on the other side. Keep balanced to reduce the pain.

Answer 2

Lester has it right. Chances are it's muscle imbalance, which means you need to exercise your abs, obliques, and back muscles.

But there are many factors as you already know that can influence back pain, and I'd be the first to get to a sports-medicine doctor to make sure there is no abnormality or medical condition causing this.

Just based on what you've told us, I'd look at shoes, core strengthening exercises, good stretching and flexibility exercises, and see a doctor.

Good Luck

P.S. The training schedule is the last thing you should use to base a decision on whether to continue training or not. Screw up your back and you're out of it for life.....

Answer 3

I would tend to agree that it could be the back muscles thsat need a bit of work. Muscles work in pairs (one to bend you forwards, one to bend you backwards for example). If one set of muscles are hurting then it might mean that the opposing set are working and becasue they might be stronger the first set are getting tired and are hurting. So a few torso strenghtening exercises might help. Things such as sit ups, and the reverse of them (not sure what they are called. lie with your hips on the edge of say a bed, body in the air, with your feet held in place, bend down and up again)

You might also be running and being tense at the same time, so relax as you run. I find that if I am fighting against cold and wind then my body tenses up and after a run I have sore muscles that I shouldnt do - winter is worse becasue of the weather. Relax as you run, at this point you arnt trying to run fast or long distances, but the time you are out for is important. So run and be relaxed, as you run find silly things to do (like run and jump the next puddle or paving slab - something to break up the paces, and relax you). Sing as you run can help too

Finally you are going to see the specialist,take their advise too - they know how a body works better thanwe do (I hope), and they can look at you and all your history and see what to advise.


Good luck with the training and enjoy the marathon

Answer 4

Can't help you with the training and good luck by the way, but also see a podiatrist, foot doctor, who can also ascertain that you are wearing the correct footwear or that the problem doesn't lie with your feet. Over the years had endless trouble with my back, and found out by trial and error that it was shoes causing the problem. I know other people who have had similar problems.

Answer 5

the thing is with a bad back unless you know what is causing it you should give it a rest because you could actualy make it worse it could be caused by siatica (nerve pain) slipped disc or muscular see your specialist before proceding with your training