: to the future (real-life solutions) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain-free Curls and superheroes : back-strengthening exercises Useful contactsBackCare; a national charity aiming

clunk on the osteo’s table every now and then to sort it out,” he says. Backs: to the future. (Real-life solutions) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain-free Curls

. Avoid bed rest. Movement, even crawling on hands and knees, is better than inactivity. Backs: to the future. (Real-life solutions) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain

When your lower-back muscles are weak, you are more likely to suffer from nagging pain, bad posture or below-par running. To keep this critical ‘core’ area strong, you need to strengthen and stretch the erector spinae muscle group. The following

Back pain might keep you from running from time to time, in which case you might benefit from some preventive strengthening and stretching exercises. We’ve listed two old favourites for each below, but if you do suffer from a back problem, check

) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain-free Curls and superheroes : back-strengthening exercises

Learning how to manage injury – and the threat of injury – is an unavoidable side-effect of being a runner, but how can you tell whether the sudden onset of pain will pass in a couple of miles or is a sign of something more serious? Is the only

for prolonged periods aggravates your pain. This is known to increase the pressure on the back. Raise these points with a chartered physiotherapist, and if indeed it proves to be nerve- or back-related, they will show you nerve stretches and establish why

, particularly during faster sessions. For days afterwards the area is painful, even to gentle massage. I only use the ‘traditional’ rugby stretch of one foot back with my heel to the floor. Is the problem caused by my changed running surface, or could it be my

to almost any injury. If the pain hasn’t disappeared the next day, don’t try to run on it. The only time it can be beneficial to run through pain is during rehabilitation when you may need to overcome a little initial stiffness to regain the muscle