Side Stitch
Side Stitch
Strike Out Piercing Pain
A side stitch isn't a life-and-death matter--just a sharp pain under the rib cage. The problem is, side stitches usually occur when we need to keep moving--sprinting to catch a bus, jogging around the park or trying to keep up with a new aerobics instructor.
What brings them on?
"The most common cause is either trapped gas in the intestine (in your abdomen) or a spasm in the diaphragm (a large muscle separating your abdomen and chest)," says Mona Shangold, M.D., co-author of The Complete Sports Medicine Book for Women and director of the Center for Sports Gynecology and Women's Health in Philadelphia.
When you're running or otherwise working your body pretty hard, most of your blood goes to the muscles involved in your activity--your arms and legs--and less goes to your diaphragm, explains Dr. Shangold. Pain is the diaphragm's way of alerting you to the problem.
BEFORE-AND-AFTER TACTICS
There is no way to tell if your side stitch is caused by a gas bubble or a diaphragm spasm, says Dr. Shangold. So here's what women doctors say you should do.
Breathe. Take a deep breath, purse your lips, tighten your abdomen and push all the air out of your lungs, says Dr. Shangold. Inhale and exhale nine more times in this way. If a gas bubble is causing your side stitch, breathing this way will move it on its way.
Slow down. If forced breathing doesn't stop the pain, the problem is probably a lack of blood to your diaphragm, says Dr. Shangold. Just slow down, and your body will automatically send your diaphragm more blood. The stitch should be gone within minutes.
Walk. If the stitch is still piercing your side once you've slowed down, try walking slowly for one minute, says Dr. Shangold. That should do the trick.
Eat lightly before a workout. To prevent a stitch in the first place, eat lightly before you exercise, suggests Angie Ahlemeyer, an exercise physiologist at Washington Sports and Family Medicine in Kirkland, Washington. Since eating a big meal can draw blood away from your diaphragm and toward your stomach, plan to eat meals at least two hours before exercising. A piece of fruit or a bagel are light snacks that can provide quick energy before a workout.