I am up early, ready for my training session. I start off with my usual jump rope warm up and I find myself perplexed at how soon I feel a stitch – only about 1 minute in.
For those of you unaware of what a side stitch is, it is that striking pain you sometimes get around the abdominal area. It’s a sharp surprise when you first notice it and it subsequently feels like someone is lodging hundreds of tiny needles into your muscles while simultaneously slowly ripping them apart; the more you move the more it hurts. Most people get it when they’re running or doing strenuous exercises.
The scientific explanation for this dose of joy (cough, cough) as you’re trying to get your workout in is “side stitches are muscle spasms of the diaphragm” (http://www.healthcommunities.com/abdominal-pain/side-stitch-cramp.shtml).
How early I felt mine that day of training prompted me to ask why does this happen and how can I prevent it?
I hate to tell you this, but research has found no definitive reason why side stitches happen.
Yes, that’s right. I repeat! Research has found there are no proven causes as to why we experience stitches.
While many share plenty of guesses and preventative tips about this phenomenon, my two cents is, if we don’t know why it happens how can we even begin to try to prevent or expel the pain?
