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I recently started jogging slowly and I get a little back ache after jogging for 2 Km which stops me from jogging further. It is normal when i stop jogging. I am overweight by about 12-13 Kg. What I'd like to know is will this back ache disappear eventually after some days allowing me to jog as much time as I can ? I do not have this problem when i do other things and even when i play soccer.

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    I would consult a doctor about this. This seems very specific to your context and more difficult to give you a correct answer.
    – chrisjlee
    Jul 21, 2011 at 4:58
  • What exactly hurts? Muscles, spine, ...?
    – Daniel Rikowski
    Jul 27, 2011 at 10:49
  • @DR01 : I don't know how it feels when spine aches, i guess it is muscles.
    – Rajesh D
    Jul 27, 2011 at 11:02
  • And, is it upper back, lower back, shoulders, etc?
    – Ryan Miller
    Jul 27, 2011 at 12:02
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    @BuildStarted : I do both on the same ground which is like a clay court, not very hard, but it seems to have disappered now. I used to some streching in the gym and when i do the thing of lying with your back on curved surface (head down) and trying to get up, which is supposed to put pressure on abdomen, but i used to feel some pressure on the back as well (not pain though). I really don't know what this exercise is meant for but do you think it was the cause of the back ache while jogging, also when i do some gym, my chest and other mucles also were slightly aching while jogging.
    – Rajesh D
    Jul 27, 2011 at 15:25

3 Answers 3

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Its funny I had something happen like this to me many years ago. My back would ache when I jogged for a certain amount of time but I was able to play soccer and basketball with no pain at all. I went and saw a dr about this who referred to a orthopedic dr. It turned out to be the following combination of things:

  1. I was overpronating basically my foot was striking the pavement on the outside of my foot, which means your body does not absorb the force all that well. The reason why it did not hurt with any other sports is that I usually played those sports on balls of my feet and ran only in short sprints so the effects of the pounding effect was not sustained enough to give my back pain.
  2. My core (stomach and lower back) was weak which was causing me after running for an extended period to lose good form. He tested this through just having me run on the treadmill for a while and observing. By the way at the time I read runner worlds and they had some articles about good form which really helped could not find the exact article but it was something like these. Running Form - Runner's World Magazine

So how did I fix these things:

  1. Custom Orthoticts - believe me you would not believe the difference these made. It took a while for me to get used to them but in the end it has really straightened out my foot strike and reduced the shock to my body.
  2. Core exercises, the stuff you would think of side bridge, planks, twisting exercises like the wood chop with free weights and cables.
  3. Really thinking about my form while I was running.

Pain free now.

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I would definitely consult a sports doctor about this problem. It could be a result of any number of conditions or a combination of conditions. However, here is a list of issues that have caused lower back pain in my experience, in no particular order, with remedies where possible:

  • Herniated disk - surgery and/or VAX-D
  • Degenerative disk - surgery
  • Tight hamstrings - stretching/yoga
  • Tight lower back - stretching/yoga
  • Tight hips - stretching/yoga
  • Severe heel strike - shorten your stride, switch to mid-foot strike
  • "Heavy" running - shorten your stride, run tall, focus on quick foot turnover
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I doubt that your back pain with jogging will go away unless you specifically address the cause.

When you jog on an alignment problem, whether it is your foot/ankle/knee/hip/pelvis or spine, the impact of each step aggravates the problem. The more steps you take, the worse the problem becomes. It is to your advantage to have an evaluation of your back, posture, lower extremity alignments, muscle weakness/tightness as well as a running analysis, preferably by a sports physical therapist.

@Richard has given you some good ideas about how orthotics, core strengthening and running form can address alignment problems. Your problems may be the same or different, so it is worth having a pro take a look at you and give you specific recommendations.

If you don't have access to a running evaluation, you may want to try Chi Running. It is a running technique designed to reduce or prevent injuries and to improve your running efficiency. The technique addresses flexibility, stride, posture, cadence, breathing, body awareness and feedback.

You can learn the Chi Running technique from their book and dvd from their site. Or you can get just the book on Amazon. (If you get the book from Amazon I'd appreciate it if you use the link on our site.) The best way to learn is by attending one of their workshops.

If you try the above suggestions and still can't run without causing back pain, some other options are jogging in water with or without resistance bands, cycling, using an elliptical trainer or using nordic walking poles. The buoyancy of the water reduces the amount of weight compressing your joints and spine. The elliptical trainer and cycling also reduce or eliminate impact. The nordic walking poles engage your trunk muscles, reduce impact and improve your back alignment.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

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