I dealt with it when I was big into trail running. Fo me to his was strength in my hip. Stretching it didn't do anything for me as when it came to recovery ( not saying this is the case for you). It deff took a while to go away and I remember getting quite frustrated. Maybe up your swimming to keep your fitness up.

It's funny, ITBS affects so many different people in so many different ways for so many different reasons. My case flared up when I started doing speed work for running to soon- biking was the only thing that I could do that didn't hurt and cause my knee to blow up like a balloon. Two months. And I'm just getting through it. Foam rolling, stretching, and strengthening. Also time off plays a role too.

Had it.
The solution was to strengthen the glutes.
Squats, deadlifts, bridges and abductor/adductor machines at the gym.

I have issues with both legs over the last 4 years. Nothing to the point where I had to completely stop training but had to ease up to get back to normal. Foam roller, and massage worked okay but the thing that really seemed to work for me was ART technique. Find someone who is certified in that and give it a shot, after the first time I had really positive results.

I guess what i'm not understanding is how strengthening will help. it's not like i've gotten weaker, which makes me think i need to be focusing on loosening those muscles up?

This has been over a month, no major pain, but enough to get in the way of my training schedule. How long did you guys all take to get over it?

Normally after getting ART performed there has been zero tightness the next day. It feels extremely loose and I have been able to resume full activity. Other times when I have got a normal massage or spent lots of time on the roller it has taken up to 2 weeks to resume full activity and that's keeping the stress very low during the two weeks that I am babying it.

The IT Band is fascia. Many, including Dave Scott, believe that the foam roller is not good and may be bad for ITBS. Indeed, it just irratated mine. Roll the quads, hamstring, calves, flutes, lower back. Lots of good stretches out there too.
Moving my cleats outward cured my ITBS almost instantly. It may be something to check.

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Team Zoot So Cal

For me I do standing hip openers before every run or ride. I also try to do some glute activating squats to wake things up before putting in any work.

In between I roll my glutes and abducters on a lacrosse ball. It has been magical.

I used to try and do hip extensions, one leg deadlifts, lunges, etc... to try and strengthen and eliminate muscle embalances. It provided some relief, but in the end I have been much better off just warming up before any effort.

Good luck!

What modalities are your PTs using? You may also have some greater trochanteric bursitis going on. I was just at a course this weekend and ITBS came up. The hip bursitis is an underlying cause sometimes but you just get the ITBS diagnosis. If you do have the bursitis going on, they may be missing an important variable of your symptoms.

Although, treatment is similar for each. Mostly strengthening, stretching, and modalities.

http://www.moveforwardpt.com/...e2-b2b2-3a3e67e4233d

Second this!!

If you ask 100 people about ITBS you'll hear 100 different responses. If you want to understand ITBS, read this article:

https://b-reddy.org/...t-band-stretch-ever/

IMO stretching will help to address the symptoms but strengthening will help to address the causes. And the big elephant in the room that people rarely talk about is running gait.

Even subtle changes in your form can significantly shift the recruitment of the different hip muscles. If you run with a slightly closed hip angle (a.k.a. with your ass-in-a-bucket!) as is common in triathletes who are used to a closed hip-position from the bike, your glutes will just switch off, your TFL will be doing tons of work and you'll soon find yourself with ITB issues; try to run with a more open hip angle by pushing your hips forward and you should feel your glutes engage and ease the burden on your TFL.

Oh right. Exactly. Forgot to mention that I changed my foot placement in my run and brought it more under my hip.