After the 42km Sundown Marathon, I had ZERO neck, upper /lower backs on the day and the next day, something I have suffered from for MANY years. The biggest relief I have EVER had. The running style is about swinging my arms with relaxed shoulders.
The biggest change this year and only recently, is my running style: the placement of my arms and how much I swing them. I don’t know why I did not look for treatment earlier, but it has change my life so much I have share this.
For distances over 10km, once I had finished I suffered from a long list of aches, pains and tension. I have lived with constant upper back pains for so long, that I thought it was normal and I was just perhaps just a whinge :
- Neck aches & tension
- Upper back aches & tension
- Shoulder aches
It felt like every time I ran a longer distance, I was running with a sack of of rice around my shoulders. So as much as I enjoyed running, it also made me suffer and enjoy it less. I am constantly shrugging my shoulders for quick relief that has developed bad habits
My posture suffered so much from years of abuse, it could have been overuse, bad technique, it remoulded my posture in the worst of ways. The good news is, it is reversible but with patience and commitment.
I had my first session with Orchard Health Clinic, an Osteopath clinic at Park mall on the 20th May and since then I have made positive changes with non -medicinal and non-invasive treatments that have influenced my lifestyle in a fantastic way.
I have 2 therapists who have looked after me Martin John (Founder & Owner, treats disc injuries in the neck and back as well as sports injuries), and Lewis Clarke (specialty is sports injuries, pain and lifestyle management as well as exercise advice)
Click on their names to read about them
Going back to my running, Martin made a suggestion form how I normally ran, the usual way everyone does, hands bent at their sides, back and forth.
Due to bad posture & tight muscles, causing lower back pains and eroded vertebrae in the cervical (top) section of the spine, the more I ran with my hands up it was aggravating my problems:
Anterior pelvis tilt ( pelvis tipping forward, causing lower back pains)
- arched lower back
Tight Chest muscles
- rounded shoulders – I start leaning too forward, and naturally the cervical spine curves forward more meaning I will end up looking down, so my neck has to then push back my head more, causing an aggravating sharper angle
- hyper extended neck
BEFORE
To combat the issues of rounding my shoulders he suggested that I run with my arms down, which would open up my chest , meaning less swinging motion. It may seem strange he mentioned, but it would stop me from shrugging my shoulders and bunching up my muscles the longer distance I ran, which naturally happens when we are tired and not as relaxed. I then naturally stopped leaning forward so much which puts an incredible pressure on my neck from the weight of my head and the pull of gravity.
AFTER
Of course this was a Running tip and my therapists have done much more than just give me a tip on my running stance. I highly recommend this natural way of treating my body through “Body Mechanics”
Info:
ORCHARD HEALTH CLINIC
Park Mall Shopping Centre
9 Penang Road, #07-22
Singapore 238459
Tel: +65 6336 9577
Operating Hours:
Mon-Fri 9am – 6pm,
Sat 9am – 6pm.
Closed on Sun & Public Holidays
Email: info@orchardhealthclinic.com
Blog: osteopathysingapore.wordpress.com
