Why do my ribs hurt after running? 4 potential causes

Exercise can benefit both your physical and mental health. For many people, running is a fun and effective way to work out or part of playing a sport. But it’s also possible to feel the effects of the physical strain after you stop running.

Running can release endorphins, which are neurotransmitters in your brain that improve your mood. But what if instead of a euphoric feeling after running, referred to as a “runner’s high,” you can only focus on your ribs hurting? We’re here to talk about the possible reasons behind the pain. 

We’ll talk about possible reasons that your ribs hurt after running and how a physical therapist can help reduce it from recurring in the future.

4 potential causes for your ribs hurting after running

Running is a common activity in an active lifestyle, whether that means jogging around the park or running while playing sports. But if your ribs hurt after running, it can make you lose motivation to continue your health and wellness journey. 

By learning about the possible reasons that your ribs hurt after running, you can determine the best ways to reduce the pain and prevent it from being a regular ache. Some are temporary, while others are injuries that need to be properly addressed.

Here are four potential reasons that your ribs hurt after running:

  • Side stitch — One of the most common reasons for rib pain from running is a side stitch, which refers to a diaphragm spasm. It’s described as a sharp, localized pain. Even though it mostly occurs during exercise, such as running, it can be painful enough to make you stop your workout, with the pain continuing for several minutes afterward.
  • Poor posture — Your posture refers to the positioning of your body during every type of movement, including running. If you’re bending your body forward as you run, or your shoulders are slouched, you’re putting excessive strain on your rib cage with every step.
  • Intercostal muscle strain — While you’re breathing, there are muscles located between your ribs to stabilize your rib cage. When these muscles are overused, they can be torn or overstretched, resulting in pain and soreness. It can be caused by improper warmups or rapidly increasing your mileage. It can cause pain as well as tenderness and a feeling of tightness in the muscles.
  • Stress fracture — When you fracture a rib, the pain tends to worsen gradually over several weeks, but it commonly flares up during exercise, such as running. You may also see bruising or swelling. A stress fracture on your ribs occurs when there is too much stress on the muscles due to repetitive movements. It can also stem from trauma, such as a sports injury, car crash or fall.

Physical therapy can help if your ribs hurt after running

While there are some causes of rib pain that are temporary and can be brushed off, such as a side stitch, it’s still important to learn how to prevent them from being a recurring issue so that you can continue running without feeling pain afterward. If you have an injury that caused your rib pain, like an intercostal muscle strain, there are pain management techniques that can speed up recovery. Physical therapy can help with both.

If your ribs hurt after running, a physical therapist can help you reduce the pain while increasing the strength of the affected muscles. Here are a few ways that physical therapy can help rib pain after running:

  • Manual therapy — If you’re feeling rib pain due to injuries like a muscle strain, a physical therapist can use manual therapy techniques to alleviate the ache. They can use their hands for soft tissue mobilization, which involves them using their hands in gentle massage-like movements to release the tension.
  • Posture correction — Posture plays an important role when you’re doing repetitive movements like running. If your ribs hurt after running due to poor posture putting excessive strain on them, a physical therapist can help you make corrections. With postural adjustments, you can reduce the pressure placed on your ribs while exercising.
  • Breathing exercises — If you’re not able to properly maintain your breathing while running, you’re likely to feel a side stitch during or after the exercise. A physical therapist can teach you how to control your breathing while exercising to reduce the risk of rib pain.

Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation can help if your ribs hurt after running

Running can offer many benefits for your overall health and wellness, so you shouldn’t let rib pain get in the way of that. If your ribs hurt after running, a physical therapist can help you determine the likely cause as well as design a personalized treatment plan. Not only can they help your current rib pain, but they can help you reduce the chance of feeling it again in the future.

Contact our team today to discover more information about all our PT services or to set up your initial appointment with us.