How To Get Rid of Side Stitches

Every runner or jogger has experienced the scenario of going along at a good pace, then suddenly feeling a sharp pain under the rib cage.  These sharp pains are commonly called side stitches and are felt along the lower edge of the rib cage on the right hand side, the result of a spasm by the diaphragm muscle.

As you inhale and exhale while running or jogging, the diaphragm pushes downward, then up again, but often will cramp due to several factors: shallow breathing, eating a meal right before exercising, or running too strenuously.  Any of these can result in an uncomfortable side stitch. There are a number of preventative measures to take so you never have to feel the sharp sting of a side stitch again.

Before you begin your run, make sure you practice a thorough warm-up of stretching exercises so you don't go from zero to sixty and risk triggering a side stitch. It's also wise not to eat anything for at least an hour before you plan to begin your run.

How you breathe can also impact whether or not you'll develop a side stitch. Ensure that you are breathing in and out from your mouth rather than your nose and mouth, and that your breath is coming from your belly, not your chest. Chest breathing is shallow and triggers side stitches, whereas belly breathing is deep and enables you to inhale a bigger quantity of air so the diaphragm is less likely to cramp up.

If you are running when the air temperature is frigid, you are less likely to be able to take in sufficient amounts of air and a side stitch is more likely to develop. If you insist on running when temperatures are freezing cold, at least wear a scarf or neck warmer to help warm the air that does enter your lungs.

If you manage to develop a side stitch, don't panic; try the following actions to get relief from pain as quickly as possible: try a breathing exercise in which you inhale deeply, hold the breathe for several seconds, and then exhale very rapidly through pursed lips.

If you are in competition and can't stop when a side stitch develops, change your breathing rhythm altogether. If you had been inhaling as you step with your right foot, do the opposite. If that change doesn't get rid of the side stitch, try walking quickly while inhaling and exhaling very deeply until you feel the side stitch melt away.