This is the third in an ongoing series of advice columns featuring your questions about common running ailments, with answers from certified chiropractic sports physician Scott Greenapple of Greenapple Chiropractic Sports & Wellness on Park Road (full bio here).
If you have aches, pains or anything else you're wondering about injury prevention, send me an e-mail and I'll work with him to provide you with some guidance. Meanwhile, let's get to today's questions ...
Q. Sometimes when I run, my right shoulder ends up hurting by the end of the run. It seems really weird to me since my shoulders don't seem to do too much when I am running. I have tried stretching them well before I run, but it doesn't seem to help. I would love to know why. --Emily
Dr. Greenapple says: Sorry to hear of your shoulder pain while running. A few comments and questions. ... Most women tend to run with their shoulders and upper back tight, holding their hands too high, which leads to muscle tension and shoulder pain. Is the pain in the true shoulder joint? Or is it behind the shoulders or at the top? When you run, you should be relaxed; let your hands swing easy (hit your pockets with each forward and backward thrust of your arms) and keep them open or lightly closed. Most shoulder pain from running (barring any true shoulder injury) is a posture problem. There are corrective postural ways and postural exercises to incorporate into your running. Feel free to contact my office with any other questions.
Dr. Greenapple says: Sorry to hear of your shoulder pain while running. A few comments and questions. ... Most women tend to run with their shoulders and upper back tight, holding their hands too high, which leads to muscle tension and shoulder pain. Is the pain in the true shoulder joint? Or is it behind the shoulders or at the top? When you run, you should be relaxed; let your hands swing easy (hit your pockets with each forward and backward thrust of your arms) and keep them open or lightly closed. Most shoulder pain from running (barring any true shoulder injury) is a posture problem. There are corrective postural ways and postural exercises to incorporate into your running. Feel free to contact my office with any other questions.
For contact info, click here.
Posts
4 comments:
General Observation - Most of the female runners I see have a tendency to hold their arms at 90 degrees and swing them across the front of their body, while it appears most male runners tend to swing their arms front to back, brushing their pockets. Don't know if it has anything to do with the shoulder pain. Good Luck!
You should do Chi Running. I've been practicing Chi Running for a year with no injuries! When done correctly, you won't have shoulder, hip or knee pain.
Could larger breasts be a factor?
I think women run differently, including arm positioning due to having wider hips than men.
Post a Comment