Side stitch during exercise
Understand exercise-related abdominal pain, simple adjustments to discuss and symptoms that should not be dismissed as a stitch.
Severe or persistent abdominal pain, pain at rest, fainting, chest pain, breathing difficulty, fever or vomiting needs medical assessment. Call 000 for an emergency. Do not assume unfamiliar symptoms are a routine stitch.
What people mean by a stitch
A side stitch is a localised pain, often beneath the ribs, that appears during activity such as running or swimming and usually settles when the activity stops. Its precise mechanism is not fully established. A description that fits a common stitch does not exclude other causes of abdominal or chest pain.
Adjusting the session
Slow down or stop when the pain appears. Some people find that controlled breathing or a comfortable change of position helps. Avoid forcing a stretch through sharp pain. If pain does not settle as expected, seek assessment instead of repeatedly trying to train through it.
Looking for a pattern
Note meal timing, drink quantity, intensity and the type of activity. Large meals or large amounts of fluid close to exercise may be relevant for some people. Trial sensible changes to timing while maintaining adequate hydration and nutrition. No single posture correction or treatment can guarantee prevention.
When to discuss it with a clinician
Recurrent symptoms that limit exercise, change character or do not reliably settle deserve a discussion with your doctor. A sports clinician can also help review training demands once other causes have been considered. Keep a short symptom and activity record to make that assessment more useful.
Make your appointment useful
Bring a brief history of the symptoms, relevant reports and your medicines list. Explain which activities matter most to you and what you have already tried. Ask what diagnosis best explains the findings, what would change that diagnosis and how you will measure progress.
Agree on what to do between appointments, how to adjust activity if symptoms change and when to review the plan. Tell your practitioner if treatment causes a new problem or progress stalls.
Finding care in Melbourne’s north
People in Epping, Mill Park, Lalor, Reservoir and surrounding northern suburbs can contact Muscle Joint Bone about an appropriate appointment. The clinic is at 26 Childs Road, Epping. Confirm the relevant practitioner’s scope and current availability when booking.
Sources and further reading
General education, updated November 2026. This information does not replace an individual assessment.
