CHRONIC PAIN

Hi guys,

Hoping you can gimme some pointers with this one. I’ve a bit of pain coming from my right shoulder and neck area. Catch is, this only ever occurs when I’m running. It comes on when I’m about 3km into my run. It is a dull ache, it isn’t at a level that is stopping me, but I do feel it becoming more of a pain. It generally eases off after about 30 minutes once I stop running and is completely gone again until I run again. I’ve been to physios before for it, they’ve rubbed me out, dry needled my shoulder and sent me for scans - clear. But it doesn’t stop it from coming on. What advice would you give?

(Dara, 24 – Carlow)

Hi Dara,

Hope you’re going well besides this issue. My hunch straight off the bat is that this isn’t actually shoulder/neck issue at all. I’m going to suggest your left hip in some form is the main issue. Especially as you’ve been down the physio route and to no avail when treating the shoulder as the source. It also seems like it is a muscular load or endurance issue .... I know, it does seem a bit out there. The body is an amazing machine. It works in wonders of ways.

If you think of how you walk. In typical gait, as the right arm swings backwards, so too does the left leg. The same for running, even notice how to run faster your arms move faster too. This is a very common pattern of movement. If you have a step counter on, look at the amount of steps you take in a day. Now think of the amount of times you swing that pattern. This pattern is brought about by a particular set of muscles working together in a particular pattern, in our business this particular set is called the “Posterior Oblique Sling”. This sling connects the lower left limb, through the torso to the upper right limb; Vice Versa for lower right limb.

Check out your hips for either tightness through the glutes, or general stiffness. I’d be surprised if your left didn’t feel different to the right.

Now this is just my hunch based off very little info and no movement exam or thorough assessment. My best advice would be to go to a physio/therapist who does gait analysis and biomechanical assessments and to mention your previous failed attempts on physio before. First though, check that left hip ...

I hope this helps. Feel free to shoot me a mail or get in touch on our details below. Kindest regards, Craig @ APC