What are the biopsychosocial risk factors associated with pain in postpartum runners? Development of a clinical decision tool

Key Points

1. 538 postpartum runners were surveyed and the results from runners with and without pain were compared.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

The first few months after having a baby are an amazing and yet challenging time for women, both physically and mentally. Many women want to return to sport, including running, and yet there is virtually no guidance from the research on how to do this safely and effectively. Recent work (1) has combined expert opinion from several specialist clinicians working in this important field to provide guidance, but there is a lack of quality evidence to support this.

Pain during running is common in postpartum women, so one key area to understand is what the risk factors might be for women returning to running post-pregnancy. This study sought to answer this question and provide information on what areas we may be able to address to reduce injury risk and facilitate a successful return.

Many women want to return to sport, including running, and yet there is virtually no guidance from the research on how to do this safely and effectively.

It has been recommended that women wait until 12 weeks postpartum before starting a return to running program. This period can be an opportunity to address some of the risk factors identified in this paper.

METHODS

Postpartum runners who had at least 1 child aged 36 months or less, who ran at least once per week or were unable to run due to pain were recruited for this study. In total 538 runners were included and

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