The medical term for a side stitch is “exercise-related transient abdominal pain,” and the words tell us as much about the condition as anyone knows. Side stitches occur during physical exertion (usually running or walking briskly). They're transient. They affect the abdominal area to the right of the navel. And they hurt.
Dr. Lewis Maharam, writing in Runner’s World, says that side stitches are likely to be caused by the pumping action of the legs putting pressure on the diaphragm from below, while rapid breathing expands the lungs and puts pressure on the diaphragm from above. This “dual pinching” effect shuts off the flow of blood and oxygen, and causes pain, cramps or both.
Other researchers believe that side stitches are caused by stretching the ligaments that extend from the diaphragm to the liver. When a runner or walker pounds the surface while breathing in and out, he or she stretches these ligaments, and that causes the pain.
A third theory is that eating a lot of food or fatty food, in particular, before exercise may cause stress on the diaphragm.
The truth is that no one knows for sure what causes the pain, but it's real and there are some things you may be able to do about it.
United States
