Started running recently as mentioned in a previous thread. However now when walking any further than about 50 metres I get stitch just bellow the right side of my rib cage? Asked the Doctor about it this morning but he just told me stitch isn’t anything to worry about and moved on to giving me my flu jab.
Now, I understand that I’m not going keel over and die from stitch BUT it does seem rather odd to me that I didn’t previously get stitch (only after a couple of miles of running) and now seemingly get it when I walk a very short distance? I’ve been running since having this pain and can seem to run through it, I just don’t want to run every where and it’s annoying me. Anyone suffered this? Any tips on how to stop it from happening when I’m walking?

I can’t help except to say that touching one’s toes a few times would fix it for me. Don’t ask me how or why.

Dehydration is a big factor, I used to be troubled by them now and then. Proper breathing will also help, good deep breaths, force the air in and out.

Also, if the stitch is on the right side, you should breathe OUT when the right foot is striking the ground. Not with every stride obviously, but when breathing out, do it that way.

Raise your arms above your head, that’ll also help.

Those things all sorted me out.

Raise your arms above your head

whilst running or not?

Unfortunately there is no real way to get rid of a stitch but I was always told try and ‘breathe deeply from the bottom of the stomach’…not entirely sure what that means but there you go.

Almost always for me when eating or drinking within around 30 minutes of setting off.

I find drinking water all morning rather than coffee (for a lunchtime run) helps avoid it so maybe there is something in the dehydration thing, or just coffee is more difficult to process??

Oh, another tip I got here was to tie my shorts lower – sitting them lower and looser on the hips really helped, thought it did sort of look like a bad middle age crisis – I can recommend an extra long T Shirt 🙂

Try leaving several hours between eating and running. I couldnt eat within 3 hours of a run, maybe a cup of tea or Coffee but I have slow digestion. Others I know can run within an hour of eating.

Esperiment for what works for you.

you’ve probably strained a rib muscle or your diaphragm has gone a bit skew-whiff from the original strain of running.

You could go and see a physio and they will tape your rib cage which gives it enough of a rest to heal itself.

I had this problem but to the extent where I had a stitch permanently and was on really strong painkillers for months and had all sorts of tests in hospital until I finally tried a physio who fixed it in two visits!