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Sports related activity or habitual tension and hyperventilation can trigger side stitches. |
Side Stitch Pain, No Laughing Matter
Has anyone ever made you laugh so hard they left you in stitches? Today we are addressing a pain syndrome know as "Side Stitches". Side stitch pain is no laughing matter if you've ever experienced it. It is characterized as a sharp, stabbing pain, and a feeling of being restricted when trying to breath deeply. The pain is felt at lower end of the rib cage and can also send referring pain to the back just under the shoulder. Serratus anterior is the muscle we find as the main culprit in this syndrome. The pain is felt when movement in the diaphragm muscle is restricted by trigger points during deep inhalation. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that separates the thoracic (lung) cavity from the abdominal cavity and moves up and down when you inhale and exhale.
This syndrome is experienced by, commonly, the weekend sports enthusiast; hyperventilation and habitual tension due to respiratory illness or prolonged emotional stress.
During vigorous athletic activity, when you need to take quick breaths, the serratus anterior muscles assist in respiration by pulling the ribs to expand the chest. These muscles are also in involved in arm and shoulder movement in actions such as push-ups, weight lifting, horse back riding, chin ups and tennis. If you are a person not normally engaged in regular recreation activities, these muscles can easily become over taxed due to over exhersion.
One remedy to avoid side stitch in this case is to properly warm up before activity, concentrate on deep breathing during exercise, gradually build up workout intensity and increase fluids during activity. In the case of prolong emotional stress, a key is to become more acutely aware of how you maybe holding your breath during stressful times. This action can help minimize the formation of trigger points in the diaphragm muscles which is turn restricting the movement of the rib cage.
Once you have brought this to your awareness, practice letting go and take deep full breaths to allow your body to ease tension. Trigger point therapy, a type of medical massage, is also very helpful in helping to alleviate pain and discomfort.
During vigorous athletic activity, when you need to take quick breaths, the serratus anterior muscles assist in respiration by pulling the ribs to expand the chest. These muscles are also in involved in arm and shoulder movement in actions such as push-ups, weight lifting, horse back riding, chin ups and tennis. If you are a person not normally engaged in regular recreation activities, these muscles can easily become over taxed due to over exhersion.
One remedy to avoid side stitch in this case is to properly warm up before activity, concentrate on deep breathing during exercise, gradually build up workout intensity and increase fluids during activity. In the case of prolong emotional stress, a key is to become more acutely aware of how you maybe holding your breath during stressful times. This action can help minimize the formation of trigger points in the diaphragm muscles which is turn restricting the movement of the rib cage.
Once you have brought this to your awareness, practice letting go and take deep full breaths to allow your body to ease tension. Trigger point therapy, a type of medical massage, is also very helpful in helping to alleviate pain and discomfort.
