That Painful Side Stitch:

We've all experienced it every now and then. I know I sure have. Yes. That painful side stitch. I knew the name of that painful pain in the side that I got sometimes during a run, but I didn't know what caused it or how to prevent it. So what is it? A side stich is actually a muscle spasm of the diaphragm. The diaphragm separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and assists in breathing. Spasms may occur when the internal organs, particulary the liver, bounce up and down when running, thus lowering down and straining the diaphragm as it moves up while exhaling. The liver is located on the upper right side of the abdomen, which is why most people get stitches on the right side. To prevent those painful stitches, breath deeply to allow the diaphragm to fullly lower and reduce stress on it, and avoid eating within one hour of running.