You’re two miles away from running and feeling good. Your steps are relaxed, your breathing is controlled, and those endorphins are flowing.
Suddenly, you get a sharp stabbing sensation on the side of your torso, just below your ribs. Without thinking, you slow your pace, desperate to get away pain. You planned to run six miles today, but now all you can think about is how you’re going to get home in one piece.
Nothing ruins a great workout like the dreaded side squat.
Clinically called transient exercise-associated abdominal pain (ETAP for short), side stitches are “very common.” Sydney Lopeza licensed athletic trainer with The Stone Clinic in San Francisco, tells SELF. An old survey of 965 athletes, published in 2000 in the magazine Medicine and science in sports and exercise, found that nearly 70% of runners and 75% of swimmers reported a side stitch in the past year.
But just because the side stitch is common doesn’t mean you need to suffer from it. Read on to find out what the hell causes side stitches, expert-backed tips for keeping them away, and red flags that require a conversation with your doctor.
What exactly is a side stitch?
A side stitch is a sharp, localized pain that occurs during exercise and occurs in the abdomen, usually below the rib cage, according to engadget. Hunter Carteran exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “A lot of people will describe it as like stabbing pain in the ribs,” Carter tells SELF. He says that for many people, this sensation appears on the right side of the body.
Side stitches are different from other exercise-induced abdominal problems, such as muscle spasms (which feel like tightness) and gastrointestinal distress (which can include cramping accompanied by bloating, nausea, and/or a sudden urge to defecate), says Carter.
Why do people get side stitches?
As for the causes of side stitches, Carter says: “There is no specific mechanism that is absolutely agreed upon.” But the leading theory is that it happens when the parietal peritoneum (a layer of the abdominal lining) becomes irritated by repetitive motion, he says.
Runners who have a lot of vertical oscillation — meaning they jump up and down during their stride — can be especially vulnerable, Cater says. This is because all that forceful movement can put pressure on the parietal peritoneum and aggravate it.
