Forums >Health and Nutrition>Side stiches
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Generally, side stitches occur in new runners, or in runners that are just starting out after being away from running for quite some time. It usually isn't the first day, or even the first week, but they come early in a runner's training cycle. They eventually go away, and will rarely return. In the meantime, the pain is often relieved (while running) if you suck in your stomache and/or lift your arm (on the offending side) over your head. That has the effect of "stretching" your abdominable muscles, much as you would stretch out a muscle with a cramp. As you keep going on the current run, the pain eventually goes away (and you can let down your arm, btw).