Back pain and running don’t go together!
‘No, not again’ I muttered when I felt that familiar tweak in my lower back. I was on a run. There was a dull pain. That spot where I’ve slipped a disc twice and had ongoing issues with the joints that sit around it (more of the back story here). It was a pain that built during the day to a crescendo in bed when trying to turn over.
OK, this pain sucks. Over the next couple of days, I did stretches, I did some gentle walking.
Time to hit the Arnica (limited evidence so perhaps a placebo effect?), and pain meds. I have problems with good pain relief – I can’t take anti inflammatory meds, I hate codeine as even tiny amounts make me feel like a drugged out zombie.
And then off to the physio for me. Massage, a little manipulation, some taping. The diagnosis – soft tissue damage around the disc. No real cause, just one of those things. Strict instructions to not run until the pain has gone. I trust my physio – he knows me, he knows my back.
That day, the day after, walking hurt with spasms hitting my lower back every few dozen steps.
And since then…
It’s gotten a little better with gentle stretching and a lot more walking. I’m even hoping to run a couple of miles tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.
I meant to be ultra training. But you know what? There’s no point getting grumpy or depressed. And it’s definitely NOT one of those times to ‘run through the pain’ which could result in months of not running and/or permanent damage.
And there’s no point worrying about the tidiness of my flat!
Next steps on back pain and running…
It feels a little like this as the moment…
But perhaps, just perhaps… this has been the kick in the arse I’ve needed. I know what I need to do:
- Lots of core work – daily.
- And I’ve gotten really lazy since being self-employed. I’m doing a lot less walking etc the sort of incidental activity that keeps all those muscles and joints happy. Running itself is not enough. This will change.
And on being a little Zen about the whole thing …
The main thing I’ve learned from my back issues is how grateful
- that this is not a chronic condition. I could not imagine living with pain day in and day out and have real compassion for anyone who has a chronic pain condition
- I have access to a physio
- that my physo is a workaholic and starts appointments at about 7am with the last appointment often around 9.30 pm. This means I can generally get an appointment quickly. And he gets runners.
So onwards and upwards and here’s to running again…soon!
Postscript
Eight days since tweaking my lower back – lots of walking, a visit to the physio, lots of gentle core and stretching. And today a RUN! Only 2.5 miles, mainly on soft ground, but it’s left me feeling a little like this…
Let the good times roll!
🙁 Sorry to hear this, but glad for all the stuff under Zen. Hope it’s a quick recovery.
Thanks so much MJ, that’s really kind of you to say. And here’s to getting back to running soon!
Ugh, sorry to hear that this has returned Sophie…it is one of the craziest, frustrating injuries. Mine is still lingering and it’s going on over 6 months now. I can run (I really shouldn’t) but at a very slow pace compared to where I was before. Believe it or not, I’m actually training for a marathon…sorta. The marathon is in 8 weeks and I run when I can but have to take a lot of rest time and run 2, sometimes 3, times per week. I have got back into cycling on an indoor trainer and sub a couple of runs for rides – Zwift has been a revelation for me…I should blog about it sometime when I get the enthusiasm to get back on my blog of course!! Hope the back resolves soon…great that you at least got out for the 2 miles so hopefully recovery will be quick…best of luck and happy running…Cheers!
Thanks so much James. I’ll try a run on Tuesday adding a little more distance. I think it happened again as I’ve been really slack on the core work and just not moving enough (running or not) during the day. And you must be so frustrated and just blergh – the longest I’ve had to deal with the pain has been a couple of months with just physio and pain killers so not needed any serious intervention but something I have to watch out for. And I wish you the absolute best with your training and I know that spinning is meant to be great for running. And I hope you have a great time at the marathon – it sounds like your focus is on enjoying it which is great. Speedy recovery my friend, Cheers.