Runners oft en neglect their backs, but it’s included in a strong core. What can you do to ensure your back stays strong and injury free?

your expert

Sarah Milner is a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist at Pure Sports Medicine (puresportsmed.com) with a clinical interest in sports and exercise medicine. She has just completed a 12-month 5K run streak.

After a run, you may expect to have tired legs and some tiredness. What you don’t often expect is back pain. However, back pain (particularly lower back pain) among runners is common and can be very annoying. It mainly presents in three areas: the upper back, lower back and your sacroiliac joints (SIJ).

The back: what is it?

The spine is made up of bony blocks called vertebrae. These vertebrae sit on top of one another, connected by discs at the front (our shock absorbers) and by (facet) joints at the back. At the lowest part of our back, either side of our spine and just above the buttocks, sit our sacroiliac joints. We often see these as two dimples in the skin overlying the knobbly bits of bone in our lower back. These joints assist in the transfer of load from our trunk into our lower legs.

The term ‘core muscles’ doesn’t just refer to our abs; these are the muscles that wrap around our trunk and support our spine and lower back. The core muscles as well as our hips, glutes and hamstrings work together to form one big stability system.

The back has a big role to play in running. When you run, you have to be vertical. Your back has to work with the rest of your body to keep moving and stay upright.