1) Back pain is very common, affecting over 80% of Americans in their lifetime, and is the second leading reason people see a doctor. Running puts significant force on the back with each foot strike. 2) Maintaining good posture, core strength, flexibility, muscle balance, and ideal body weight can help prevent back pain. Cross-training engages different muscles and tissues. 3) Most back pain can be self-treated with rest, ice, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, and light activity or core exercises. Seeking medical advice is recommended for severe or prolonged back pain, or pain with other symptoms.

1. A Presentation on Back Pain and
Running 2011
Stephan Esser MD
www.esserhealth.com

2. Running Series
Back Pain
Stephan Esser USPTA, MD

3. Learning Points
• Get to know your body
– Basic Anatomy
– What can go wrong
• Know what yo u can do
– Prevent problems
– Basic Treatment
• When to see a doctor

4. Why it Matters?

5. Ever had back pain?

6. Back Pain Stats
• > 80 % of Americans in a lifetime
• ≈ 30 % at any given time
• 2nd leading reason to see a doctor
• Spending in 2005 = $85.9 billion
• Among Athletes highest rates:
– Football, gymnastics, wrestling etc.

8. 80%
10%

10. Kinetic Chain:
– Inter-Connections of the
Body Heel to Scalp
– Forces are transmitted
through the tissues
– Technique, accessories,
muscle balance, body
habitus etc. can alter these
forces

11. Running
• Foot Strike:
– Force is delivered through the foot
– Force is 3-6 x’s body weight
• 10-mile run ≈15,000 strikes

12. Preventing Back Pain
• Maintain healthy Posture
– Awareness
• “Ergonomics”
– Core Strength
– Flexibility & Balance
– Ideal Body Weight
• Muscle Balance
– Weight training
– Cross-Training

14. Ergonomics

15. Core Strength
• Defined
– Abdominals: Rectus, Obliques
– Back Musculature: Extensors
• Function
– Provide spinal/pelvic stability
– Improve spinal circulation
– Look Good
– Improve Efficiency

16. Flexibility
• Maintain
– Hamstrings
– Quadriceps
– Lower Back
– Upper Back and Shoulders
– Abs

17. Preventing Back Pain
• Cross-Training:
– Challenge “Tissue” in different ways
– Develops complementary muscles
– Engages the nervous system
• Normalization/desensitization
• Maintain Muscle Balance

18. Preventing Back Pain

19. Back Pain
• You can handle it:
– Mid-Low Back pain that improves with rest, ice
NSAID’s and core work
– Pain with a clear cause: eg: recent increase in
activity now with some mild LBP
• Self Treating
– 1-5 days of ’d activity: Soft-Brace, Ice, NSAID’s,
maintain light activity (stationary bike etc.)
– 1-3 weeks of intensive core strengthening,
stretching

20. More Stats.
• Back Pain Free
– 50% of people in 1 week
– 75 % of people in 1 month
– 95% of people in 3 months
Regardless of Treatment or no
Treatment

21. Back Pain
• See your Doc’:
– Extreme Pain
– Pain that fails to improve with “conservative”
management in 3-7 days
– Pain with associated symptoms:
• weight loss, fevers, chills, skin rash, night sweats
– Pain with numbness, tingling or weakness
down the legs
– Change in bowel or bladder habits
– Numbness in the groin area

22. Back Pain Wrap-Up
• Back Arthritis and degeneration is a normal
part of aging, but how we experience it varies
• 90% of back pain is “safe pain”
• You CAN do a lot to reduce the intensity,
frequency and duration of back pain
• You CAN manage most back pain on your own
• There are times when you NEED to be
evaluated by a Doc

23. Demonstration

24. ?

25. Thank you!

26. "The
miracle isn't that I finished. The
miracle is that I had the courage to
start."
John Bingham
J

27. Enjoy more powerpoints and
educational resources at
www.esserhealth.com