Running does wonders for your body—it strengthens your heart, reduces stress, helps with weight management, and boosts overall well-being. But for many runners, it also comes with an unwelcome side effect: lower back pain.
While running itself isn’t bad for your spine, your form and mechanics can have a big impact on how your back feels. Unfortunately, many runners—from casual joggers to marathoners—experience back pain. The good news? Small adjustments to your running technique can make a big difference.
If you’re feeling discomfort during or after your runs, your body might be telling you something. So, let’s take a look at some common form issues that could be contributing to your pain—and how to fix them.
Issue #1: Overstriding and Heel Striking
One of the most common running form issues contributing to lower back pain is overstriding—landing with your foot too far in front of your center of mass. This often results in a pronounced heel strike that sends impact forces jarring up through your skeleton and into your spine.
When you overstride, your body essentially creates a braking effect with each step. This deceleration forces your lower back to absorb extra shock that would otherwise be naturally dampened by your foot, ankle, and knee. Over many miles, this repeated jarring adds up, potentially irritating spinal joints and surrounding tissues.
The natural spring-like action of your lower body depends on landing with your foot closer to your center of gravity. A midfoot strike allows your ankles, calves, and knees to act as shock absorbers, significantly reducing the impact that reaches your lower back. Watch elite runners, and you’ll notice they typically land with their feet almost directly under their hips, not extended far in front.
Shortening your stride length and focusing on increasing your cadence (steps per minute) can help correct overstriding. Many running coaches recommend aiming for approximately 170-180 steps per minute, which naturally prevents excessive reach with each stride.
Issue #2: Poor Core Engagement
Your core muscles—including your abdominals, obliques, and the deep stabilizing muscles of your spine—serve as the control center for your running mechanics. When these muscles are weak or not properly engaged during running, your lower back must compensate by taking on extra stabilization work it wasn’t designed to handle.
Many runners make the mistake of focusing solely on leg strength while neglecting core development. Without proper core engagement, your pelvis may tilt excessively forward (anterior pelvic tilt) while running, which increases the curve in your lower back and places additional stress on the spinal joints and discs.
This excessive lordosis (inward curve) of the lumbar spine during running is often associated with both immediate discomfort and longer-term wear and tear. Your spine is designed to move through a natural range of motion during running, but repeatedly exceeding that range can lead to tissue irritation and potentially more serious issues.
Thus, learning to maintain a neutral spine position through proper core engagement while running doesn’t mean running with a flat back—it means finding the natural, slight curve that allows optimal function without excess stress.
Issue #3: Pelvic Drop and Rotation
Watch a runner from behind, and you might notice that their hips don’t stay level—one hip drops lower than the other with each step. This phenomenon, known as pelvic drop or hip drop, often indicates weakness in the hip stabilizers, particularly the gluteus medius.
When your hip drops on one side during your stride, your pelvis rotates, and your lower back compensates with a lateral shift to maintain balance. This side-to-side motion places rotational stress on your lumbar spine, potentially irritating facet joints and creating asymmetrical pressure on spinal discs.
Closely related to pelvic drop is excessive rotation of the pelvis and lower back during running. While some rotation is natural and necessary, too much twisting motion can stress the structures of your spine. This often happens when runners overly rotate their upper bodies or have weak oblique muscles that cannot control pelvic rotation during the running stride.
Over time, even small movement mistakes add up. When you repeat the same improper motion thousands of times during a run, it gradually puts more and more stress on your spine, eventually leading to discomfort or even injury.
Issue #4: Footwear and Surface Considerations
Your running mechanics don’t exist in isolation—they interact with both your footwear and the surfaces you run on. Running shoes that don’t properly support your specific foot type or running style can alter your entire kinetic chain, ultimately affecting your lower back.
For example, shoes with excessive cushioning might feel comfortable initially but can actually promote overstriding and reduce your body’s natural proprioception (awareness of position and movement). Conversely, transitioning too quickly to minimalist shoes without proper adaptation can place increased demands on your legs and back.
Similarly, the surfaces you run on play a significant role in spinal impact. Consistently running on concrete or asphalt provides little give, forcing your body to absorb more shock. Cambered roads (higher in the middle for drainage) can also create functional leg length discrepancies that stress your spine asymmetrically over time.
If you’re curious to learn more, your Montrose chiropractor is here to help. At New Life Chiropractic, we can help you get the most out of each run! Contact us today to book your appointment.
