How do you know its ITB?

I have chronic ITB. My PT always told me it was okay to cycle because mine was caused by bad running form. And no whip kick in the pool. I was slowly able to get back into running but I was banned from running outside for a year.

have you guys tried the roller? its magic on ITB

Hi there,

ITBAND SYNDROME is:

Excessive friction between your Iliotibial Band and your knee (or hip) bone.
This causes a sharp pain at either the side of your knee or the side of your hip.

Usually caused by increasing your running or biking too fast and/or with bad form.

But is also associated with weight-lifting (standing squats), court sports (raquetball, tennis, handball, etc) and even pregnancy.

The most common causes :

Leg length differences
Road camber - running on a slope for a long time
Foot structure
Excessive shoe breakdown - particularly it the outside of the heel
Training intensity errors - increasing mileage or intensity too fast
Muscle imbalances - particularly quads versus hamstrings
Run/gait style factors - e.g. bow-leggedness, knock knees, etc.


Treatment:

Immediately

STOP RUNNING to prevent further inflammation, don't just ease off

RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Ice - 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off, 3 times a session, twice daily. Be careful not to freeze the skin, especially if you use commercial ice packs, some of which freeze at a lower temperature than water.

Anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, you may find natural products such as Glucosamine and Condroitin Sulfate work for you),

Stretch ITB at least twice a day, 30-60 seconds each side, using at least 2 different stretches. Don't bounce, don't stretch till it hurts (i.e. too hard).

Self-massage of area, across the thighs and calves (sideways, not up and down).

I hope that it was of some help. Some more on ITBS next time.
Cheers

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I'm suffering from ITBS brought on by a long training run on a crowned road (left leg was down leg running against traffic). It sucks and is depressing.

I am seing a PT and having ASTYM done. It is a technique that breaks up the adhesions/knots in your tendons and muscles using these plastic comblike things. So far, in just 2 treatments, I am noticing a lot less pain and the ability to run further before the pain becomes too bad. The nice thing about ASTYM is that you are supposed to keep running/training. You keep training to "retrain" those tendons and muscles to work and heal properly. ASTYM hurts like crazy, especially when he hits areas where there is tighness and adhesions (apparently my hamstring insertion point is way tight because it makes me want to cry when he's ASTYMing that area).

He told me that riding my bike and running were okay (as long as there was not too much pain), so I would say you would be okay to ride. I would get to a PT and see what he says, though. At the very least, he will give some good stretches, analyze your gait to make sure that's not what's causing the ITBS (bring your running shoes), do some ultrasound with cortisone and maybe something like ART or ASTYM.

You also might want to see a sports med doctor that can give a script for a heavier duty anti-inflammatory. I've been using the 500mg Naproxen (Naprosym) and that really seems to ease the pain. It's hard on your stomach, though.

Yes, you can. But, never ride so hard that you can't roll your IT bands afterwards. All your easy rides should be to get nice and warm so you can roll your IT bands. Stay hydrated all the time. Talk to whoever diagnosed this about your kneecap tracking, and whether your VMO are are being recruited both running and riding, and if the VMO need to be strengthened. I hate adhesions too. When I asked an expert in ART how to avoid them he said,"Keep moving!!". In my mind that makes easy riding a good idea.

the rule of thumb for injury rehab is: if it doesn't hurt, do it..
I've had bouts of ITB from running several times, always cycled/swam through it with no pain at all.

Hi All-
Being the one who was sidelined the most with ITB- can anyone beat 21 mos- I agree with most of the posts except I would say that until your ITB gets better you should not build you bike and even your swim. I made the mistake of building the other areas going with the philosophy "if it doesn't hurt you can do it" but thats not necessarily true since it can keep those glute medius muscles tightened. I would also really caution you about running until you "feel the pain" I did the same thing running until I felt it and then icing it but if you flare it up you have to calm it down again. I ended up with chronic inflammation with scar tissue that surgery finally had to take care of. After surgery, I started back running 1 min x 4 and building from there. I would agree with the other posts of RICE, foam roller and PT but in addition I would get a proper bike fit, stay away from the aero position for a bit, and keep your other disciplines steady and not build.

Just be smart with it- I was under the idea that more was better and couldn't fathom taking time off and I watched my injury go from 2 weeks after marathon to 21 mos. Good news is that now I am up to 55 miles on the bike, running 11 miles, and 2 mile swims with no pain. Good luck and just go easy!

---

COtrimom

You asked if anyone had suffered longer than 21 months. Here's my story and solutions. 19 years ago, I got ITband syndrome that lasted for several years!!! I had been a three times a week runner ( 5 - 10 km) and woke up with it one day after jogging from my first job (as a bank clerk) to my second job (catering attendant) in my pumps (I was late leaving my first job and needed to run across the university campus to start my second job which was about 2 km away). I actually passed another jogger while I was wearing a skirt, long winter trenchcoat, and carrying a backpack, briefcase and unbrella and as i said earlier my high heeled shoes.

I don't remember being diagnosed with ITB, but from that day on couldn't run more than 5 km. About three years later i found i was able to play soccer and then football. i guess the short sprints were okay but i was disabled with anything longer. Needless to say, rest did not help either.

10 years ago, i started training for a 1/2 marathon and was then diagnosed with ITB. I did the ITB stretches and found they didn't help at all. I continued to run only to the point that i could feel it and slowly built up my mileage. A few years later of running when i could and not when i couldn't i finally found that quad stretches and some hamstring stretches helped the most. So for several years of having ITB i found i was able to run, and when my itb bothered me, i would stop and stretch my quads and could continue on. I spent several years using orthotics and slowly built mileage and now can run fairly consistently. I've long since abandoned the orthotics. I did two marathons last year with no issue, but did find the muscle to the back and underneath the itb - toward the hamstring - will cramp up if i run on a bad camber.

My solutions
I found the explanation given with The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook - Claire Davies - available on-line to be most helpful in getting this turned around.
Gradual increase in mileage
no high heels (i think it shortens the muscle above the knee and on the outside??i'm not a physio, but have a tonne of experience with this affliction)
Vary the terrain - some hills, some camber (not too much) and course. I will go to the track or treadmill to get some camber free running in. Reverse direction at the track every 2 km. On an out and back, I'll try to run on the wrong side of the road on the way back to even the camber. Avoid a route if the camber is too severe.

One new exercise i was given by my massage therapist also helped me strengthen the muscles to handle the camber. With feet pointed out at 45 degrees and heels close together, bend the knees slightly) - maybe there is a pt or massage therapist that can describe this exercise better. Helped me out a tonne.

I was running so well last year, i had the confidence to sign up for IMC. I've since had a heel problem, which i think i now have under control, but the it band is so much better.

Belinda