What causes a stictch ?

This is the best explaination I have seen, from ww.drmirkin.com:

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a
side stitch. Suddenly a runner develops pain in the right upper part of
the belly, just underneath the ribs in the front. With each step the
pain worsens. Doctors proposed all sorts of explanations for side
stitch and most were nonsense. A stitch is not caused by gas in the
colon because it is not relived by passing gas. It is not caused by a
liver swollen with blood during running, because the liver has a very
distensible capsule and the liver does not enlarge that much during
exercise. It is not caused by cramps in the belly muscles because the
belly muscles are not held rigidly when you have a side stitch, and it
does not hurt when you push on the belly muscles. Lack of oxygen to the
diaphragm doesn't cause them because blood flow to the diaphragm is not
shut off by running. They are not caused by trapped gas in the lungs
because gas does not get trapped in the lungs during exercise.

Then along came Dr. Tim Noakes, a medical school professor from South
Africa, who offered the first reasonable explanation and a successful
treatment. Thick fibrous bands called ligaments extend downward from
your diaphragm to hold your liver in place. When you run, your liver
drops at the exact time that your diaphragm goes up, stretching the
ligaments and causing pain. Humans have a fixed pattern of breathing
when they run. They have a two to one breathing ratio, breathing once
for each two strides. Most people breathe out when the right foot
strikes the ground. When you breathe out, your diaphragm goes up, and
at the same time, the force of your foot strike causes your liver to go
down. This stretches the ligaments that attach the liver to your
diaphragm, causing pain. So the cause of a side stitch during hard
running is a stretching of the ligaments that hold the liver to the
diaphragm and the cure is to relieve the stretching of the ligaments.

When you get a stitch, stop running and press your hand deep into your
liver to raise it up against your diaphragm. At the same time, purse
your lips and blow out against the tightly held lips as hard as you
can. Pushing the liver up stops stretching the ligaments. Breathing out
hard empties your lungs. The pain is relieved immediately and you can
resume running as soon as the pain disappears. The pain usually will
not go away unless you stop running long enough to raise your liver.

"Mike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is the best explaination I have seen, from ww.drmirkin.com:

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a
side stitch. Suddenly a runner develops pain in the right upper part of
the belly, just underneath the ribs in the front. With each step the
pain worsens. Doctors proposed all sorts of explanations for side
stitch and most were nonsense. A stitch is not caused by gas in the
colon because it is not relived by passing gas. It is not caused by a
liver swollen with blood during running, because the liver has a very
distensible capsule and the liver does not enlarge that much during
exercise. It is not caused by cramps in the belly muscles because the
belly muscles are not held rigidly when you have a side stitch, and it
does not hurt when you push on the belly muscles. Lack of oxygen to the
diaphragm doesn't cause them because blood flow to the diaphragm is not
shut off by running. They are not caused by trapped gas in the lungs
because gas does not get trapped in the lungs during exercise.

Then along came Dr. Tim Noakes, a medical school professor from South
Africa, who offered the first reasonable explanation and a successful
treatment. Thick fibrous bands called ligaments extend downward from
your diaphragm to hold your liver in place. When you run, your liver
drops at the exact time that your diaphragm goes up, stretching the
ligaments and causing pain. Humans have a fixed pattern of breathing
when they run. They have a two to one breathing ratio, breathing once
for each two strides. Most people breathe out when the right foot
strikes the ground. When you breathe out, your diaphragm goes up, and
at the same time, the force of your foot strike causes your liver to go
down. This stretches the ligaments that attach the liver to your
diaphragm, causing pain. So the cause of a side stitch during hard
running is a stretching of the ligaments that hold the liver to the
diaphragm and the cure is to relieve the stretching of the ligaments.

When you get a stitch, stop running and press your hand deep into your
liver to raise it up against your diaphragm. At the same time, purse
your lips and blow out against the tightly held lips as hard as you
can. Pushing the liver up stops stretching the ligaments. Breathing out
hard empties your lungs. The pain is relieved immediately and you can
resume running as soon as the pain disappears. The pain usually will
not go away unless you stop running long enough to raise your liver.

cool, thanks for the info, ill give it a go!

That's a neat article.
I never knew the cause; used to think it was just a cramp or something.

Thanks,
jobs

Mike said:

This is the best explaination I have seen, from ww.drmirkin.com:

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a
side stitch.

......

rundmb said:

Last couple of weeks i seam to be getting a "stitch" in my left lower side
after 20 minutes or so sunning, what exactly causes this and how can i
prevent it?

thanks

"Seam"??? Work on your spelling dumbass, then we'll consider a reply.

Ahhh, the spelling flame. Sweet, no one has ever thought of that one!
Great work, newbie.

Mike C

Quoted message said:

rundmb said:

Last couple of weeks i seam to be getting a "stitch" in my left lower side
after 20 minutes or so sunning, what exactly causes this and how can i
prevent it?

thanks

"Seam"??? Work on your spelling dumbass, then we'll consider a reply.

Mike C said:

Ahhh, the spelling flame. Sweet, no one has ever thought of that one!
Great work, newbie.

Mike C

Loser has one "o", got that? Loser?

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

rundmb said:

Last couple of weeks i seam to be getting a "stitch" in my left lower side
after 20 minutes or so sunning, what exactly causes this and how can i
prevent it?

thanks

"Seam"??? Work on your spelling dumbass, then we'll consider a reply.

[censored]! your punctuations as bad with your ???

Mike said:

This is the best explaination I have seen, from ww.drmirkin.com:

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a
side stitch. Suddenly a runner develops pain in the right upper part of
the belly, just underneath the ribs in the front. With each step the
pain worsens. Doctors proposed all sorts of explanations for side
stitch and most were nonsense. A stitch is not caused by gas in the
colon because it is not relived by passing gas. It is not caused by a
liver swollen with blood during running, because the liver has a very
distensible capsule and the liver does not enlarge that much during
exercise. It is not caused by cramps in the belly muscles because the
belly muscles are not held rigidly when you have a side stitch, and it
does not hurt when you push on the belly muscles. Lack of oxygen to the
diaphragm doesn't cause them because blood flow to the diaphragm is not
shut off by running. They are not caused by trapped gas in the lungs
because gas does not get trapped in the lungs during exercise.

Then along came Dr. Tim Noakes, a medical school professor from South
Africa, who offered the first reasonable explanation and a successful
treatment. Thick fibrous bands called ligaments extend downward from
your diaphragm to hold your liver in place. When you run, your liver
drops at the exact time that your diaphragm goes up, stretching the
ligaments and causing pain. Humans have a fixed pattern of breathing
when they run. They have a two to one breathing ratio, breathing once
for each two strides. Most people breathe out when the right foot
strikes the ground. When you breathe out, your diaphragm goes up, and
at the same time, the force of your foot strike causes your liver to go
down. This stretches the ligaments that attach the liver to your
diaphragm, causing pain. So the cause of a side stitch during hard
running is a stretching of the ligaments that hold the liver to the
diaphragm and the cure is to relieve the stretching of the ligaments.

When you get a stitch, stop running and press your hand deep into your
liver to raise it up against your diaphragm. At the same time, purse
your lips and blow out against the tightly held lips as hard as you
can. Pushing the liver up stops stretching the ligaments. Breathing out
hard empties your lungs. The pain is relieved immediately and you can
resume running as soon as the pain disappears. The pain usually will
not go away unless you stop running long enough to raise your liver.

That's real interesting. For years I've repeated wrong information.

rundmb said:

[censored]! your punctuations as bad with your ???

Huh???

Thanks for posting this stitch information! I also had the wrong idea
(thought it was diaphragm cramping up). Who would of guessed we need
to cram our livers back up???

Teresa in AZ

Quoted message said:

Mike said:

This is the best explaination I have seen, from ww.drmirkin.com:

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a
side stitch. Suddenly a runner develops pain in the right upper part of
the belly, just underneath the ribs in the front. With each step the
pain worsens. Doctors proposed all sorts of explanations for side
stitch and most were nonsense. A stitch is not caused by gas in the
colon because it is not relived by passing gas. It is not caused by a
liver swollen with blood during running, because the liver has a very
distensible capsule and the liver does not enlarge that much during
exercise. It is not caused by cramps in the belly muscles because the
belly muscles are not held rigidly when you have a side stitch, and it
does not hurt when you push on the belly muscles. Lack of oxygen to the
diaphragm doesn't cause them because blood flow to the diaphragm is not
shut off by running. They are not caused by trapped gas in the lungs
because gas does not get trapped in the lungs during exercise.

Then along came Dr. Tim Noakes, a medical school professor from South
Africa, who offered the first reasonable explanation and a successful
treatment. Thick fibrous bands called ligaments extend downward from
your diaphragm to hold your liver in place. When you run, your liver
drops at the exact time that your diaphragm goes up, stretching the
ligaments and causing pain. Humans have a fixed pattern of breathing
when they run. They have a two to one breathing ratio, breathing once
for each two strides. Most people breathe out when the right foot
strikes the ground. When you breathe out, your diaphragm goes up, and
at the same time, the force of your foot strike causes your liver to go
down. This stretches the ligaments that attach the liver to your
diaphragm, causing pain. So the cause of a side stitch during hard
running is a stretching of the ligaments that hold the liver to the
diaphragm and the cure is to relieve the stretching of the ligaments.

When you get a stitch, stop running and press your hand deep into your
liver to raise it up against your diaphragm. At the same time, purse
your lips and blow out against the tightly held lips as hard as you
can. Pushing the liver up stops stretching the ligaments. Breathing out
hard empties your lungs. The pain is relieved immediately and you can
resume running as soon as the pain disappears. The pain usually will
not go away unless you stop running long enough to raise your liver.

Mike said:

ligaments and causing pain. Humans have a fixed pattern of breathing
when they run. They have a two to one breathing ratio, breathing once
for each two strides. Most people breathe out when the right foot
strikes the ground. [...]

When you get a stitch, stop running and press your hand deep into your
liver to raise it up against your diaphragm. At the same time, purse
your lips and blow out against the tightly held lips as hard as you
can. Pushing the liver up stops stretching the ligaments. Breathing out
hard empties your lungs.

So, to prevent stitches, I breathe on every
third (or fifth) foot strike. Left (breathe),
right, left, right (breathe), left, etc.
Ever since I started doing that, I've never
gotten a stitch.

-- Anita --