Neck Pain

[barefootn]

I haven't seen this discussed on this forum, so I am hoping it is not a common complaint among BF runners.
I have had some neck pain for years, however, I remodeled my basement about four months ago and then was unable to turn my head for several weeks. My doctor said it was muscular-skeletal and there was no nerve problem. I now have almost full range of motion, but I still have constant pain and stiffness. During the last year I have increased my BF mileage to over 1000 miles. Today I was at a race and there was a chiropractic booth there. The Doctor said that he thinks there may be something going on with my neck which may be running related. Has anyone found a connection between BF running and neck pain? Should I try chiropractic or go back to my general practitioner and maybe do physical therapy?

 

[barefootn]

I'm trying to self diagnose. Is running the problem? This morning I went to the track. I wanted to see if there was more of a shock transmitted thru the spinal column when running BF as opposed to wearing the old cushioned shoes. I put on my Mizunos (I haven't worn them in over a year). I put noise blocking ear plugs in my ears and ran one lap, listening to the internal sounds of the foot strike coming thru the spinal column. Then I kicked off the shoes and continued running listening to the sounds. It was immediately obvious that the sound coming thru the spinal column was significantly louder when running BF. After three miles, my neck pain was somewhat more noticeable. I do run with a so called midfoot strike (someone noted that the midfoot does not actually impact the ground). I tried landing just forefoot and the sound of the foot strike was much less. I am not able to run landing on my forefoot for long.
I know that Dr. Lieberman believes that barefoot running is better for the joints, however all of his tests measure the force of landing on the foot.
http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/4BiomechanicsofFootStrike.html
I would be curious to see how this compares with impact at the upper part of the body.

 

[Hobbit]

Hi barefootn,
I'm not a doctor, but I'm very interested in this subject, as my husband (very occasional runner with minimalist shoes, never BF) suffers with a similar problem.
What does "I remodeled my basement " mean? (I'm not a native speaker)
Does it have anything to do with atlas correction or manipulation of cervical vertebrae?

 

[barefootn]

Hi Hobbit, thanks for the interest. I apologize for being too brief.
When I decided to remodel the basement, it involved a lot of work such as putting up a dry wall ceiling and installing floor tiles which meant bending my neck in ways that I am not used to. I have had some neck pain for many years, but it was not a problem. The basement project put me over the edge I couldn't turn my head at all. Now I am wondering if my Barefoot running is excerbating the problem. I have been running for thirty five years, the last two mostly barefoot. I am hoping people will respond with encouragement, or ideas that help. Thanks again.

 

[spoonerweb]

I had neck soreness the first couple weeks because I was looking at the ground in front of me too much. Are you bending your head too much? If so, try just using your eyes instead of your neck to see the ground at your feet.

 

[Dr Emily Splichal]

Hi Barefootn -

I am going to defer this question to one of the Chiros on the Ask the Doc board. I do know that there are less ground reaction forces with a midfoot strike pattern - you just need to make sure you are doing it properly! If you've never had your running gait assessed, I would recommend this.

I hope you get answers to your questions!

 

[barefootn]

Thanks Dr. Splichal, I may not be running properly. I can tell you that my foot plant makes enough noise that people can hear me coming. I just run the way that feels most economical and natural.

 

[Backfixer]

I haven't seen this discussed on this forum, so I am hoping it is not a common complaint among BF runners.
I have had some neck pain for years, however, I remodeled my basement about four months ago and then was unable to turn my head for several weeks. My doctor said it was muscular-skeletal and there was no nerve problem. I now have almost full range of motion, but I still have constant pain and stiffness. During the last year I have increased my BF mileage to over 1000 miles. Today I was at a race and there was a chiropractic booth there. The Doctor said that he thinks there may be something going on with my neck which may be running related. Has anyone found a connection between BF running and neck pain? Should I try chiropractic or go back to my general practitioner and maybe do physical therapy?

Thinking outside the box on this would be beneficial to you. The most common reason for neck pain and stiffness is in the lower back. In my book, Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain, I discuss a condition called tortipelvis. The most common reason for this is body asymmetry. Typically, you are born this way and activity will aggravated it, running included. Since you found that after doing work in your basement the neck stiffened up and was unmovable, it is important to understand that most neck motion comes from the mid and lower back, and if the legs are tight, this will further restrict the neck with tight myofascia.

Running will aggravate it, even if you run barefoot. Barefoot runners have a shorter stride which is going to aggravated the tortipelvis less, however, you will will tighten up afterward.

What works:

Fascial release, active release technique, Graston Technique, chiropractic Manipulation, foam rollers (as long as you understand what is tight and why).

What doesnt work

Addressing the neck as if it is the problem.
Stretching
Rest

I hope this helps. You can purchase Cheating Mother Nature on Amazon.com and I believe you will find it helpful. You can also visit our youtube link through our web site backfixer1.com (on the bottom right side of the site are the icons for our links) where we offer different core strengthening regimens and capsule stretches which may also be helpful.

 

[Backfixer]

I haven't seen this discussed on this forum, so I am hoping it is not a common complaint among BF runners.
I have had some neck pain for years, however, I remodeled my basement about four months ago and then was unable to turn my head for several weeks. My doctor said it was muscular-skeletal and there was no nerve problem. I now have almost full range of motion, but I still have constant pain and stiffness. During the last year I have increased my BF mileage to over 1000 miles. Today I was at a race and there was a chiropractic booth there. The Doctor said that he thinks there may be something going on with my neck which may be running related. Has anyone found a connection between BF running and neck pain? Should I try chiropractic or go back to my general practitioner and maybe do physical therapy?

I forgot to leave my name and credentials on the last post.

William D Charschan DC,CCSP
The Body Mechanic
www.backfixer1.com
www.njrunningdoc.com

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Dr. William, please feel free to add your book's Amazon link to your signature.

 

[Backfixer]

Dr. William, please feel free to add your book's Amazon link to your signature.

thanks for the suggestion

 

[barefootn]

Thanks Doctor,
In the past I have had lower back problems L5-S1 area due to a heavy lifting injury. This responded well to chiropractic treatment.
I will look for your book on Amazon.