I don't have any experience with ITBS (knock on wood..) but my pretty stubborn PF went away with wearing a hard-shell boot while I slept. It was the only thing that really really really made a difference for that.

I can't imagine how frustrated you must be. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!!

---

KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

mercedsem,

I would posit this..... both your ITB and PF issues would be helped greatly with consistent, frequently changing/challenging hip stabilizing work - specifically glute medius and adductor. The thinking is this; everything we do as triathletes is straight forward and back (in the sagittal plane). While some muscles get super strong the hip stabilizers get crazy weak. That puts a lot of emphasis on the ITB, achilles and PF. It seems like an indirect approach to your issue but I'm sure it will be effective.

Ian

---

Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Agree with Ian on hip stability. I would also add that single leg calf raises with controlled up and down helps me manage my pf. 2 sets of 30 for each leg a few times a day until pain goes away. I do 2 x 30 as maintenance every other day now.

Good luck!

As the posters above me indicated, what is your hip/butt strength program like? You should be working on them at least once a day, even more if you're rehabbing. Also, are you carrying any extra weight? Third, how is your cadence? Have you tried changing your stride to quicker steps / landing softly? I fixed my gnarly IT band issues by addressing all 3 of those.

I’m no expert, but my experience tells me the issues may be related. The fascia from our feet to our hips is all connected in one way or another. A tight spot or imbalance in the chain stresses the whole system.

I’d seek out a good chiro / therapist specializing in soft tissue manipulation and functional movement.

Scott

Move your insoles into your everyday shoes and see if that helps. That helped me get rid of PF issues that I had for YEARS as a kid/teenager. I never wore my inserts in my running or soccer shoes. Just wearing orthotics in my everyday shoes reduced the overall daily stress on the tissue.

As for the ITBS, lots of clamshell exercises and side leg lifts got rid of mine. I agree with Ian that strengthening/stabilizing your glutes/hips might solve both your issues.

If you went out and got decent supportive custom or semi-custom orthotics and just ran in them cold turkey, your experience is what I’d predict. You’d want to walk in them for a few days first. I’m surprised you made it a mile.

---

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I definitely agree with Slowman on the orthotics comment. I have some ligamentous foot issues also (Morton's), and actually the only thing I have to do to keep them from flaring up when I run, is to wear the orthotics during normal daily activity and then remove them when I run. I don't exactly understand why that works, but it does for me. But I also walk a lot during the day.

Regarding the ITBS (since you didn't specifically mention what you do to combat that), the single thing that I need to do to essentially eradicate mine is to aggressively stretch the tensor fasciae latae. It is really difficult to isolate, particularly if your quadriceps and other hip flexors are tight, but this stretch alone, performed several times per week, has completely cured my ITBS. Of course, I went through the entire gamut of physical therapy and their stretches, massages, rolling and strengthening exercises, but I just happened to stumble upon this particular one by luck. Please give it a shot.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

Yep, this was my exact comment.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

The best response from most the people I've worked with focus on these things:


More strengthening work: ITB (Glutes, glute meds, piriformis, inner thighs, i.e. variety of squat types and walking lunges, lateral lunges.) Evaluate your running form besides from over pronating. Over/under pronating is how the shoe store sells you a pair of shoes, not necessarily make you a better runner. Over-striding, however, kills your running and is hard on the ITB, so if your reaching out too far in front with your foot the IT may start to complain. Plantar F strengthening calves (getting a good deficit from steps) and anterior tib (duckwalk), towel grabs and curling with the toes. If you can find a foot therapy/ balance pad (kind of a soft but responsive pad) and do double and single leg balance work on it.

Generally not a big fan of insoles in running shoes unless there is a long history of problems. As slowman suggested move the insoles to your walkers, run with the insole that came with the shoe. Unless you feet are totally wreaked and has been a long-term development, get a shoe that is comfortable from the start, if you have to replace the insole to make it comfortable then its not the right shoe. In the end if you find the insole helps, use it.

Remove shoes immediately when you do not need to wear them. Walk around barefoot as much as possible in and around the home. Wear thick socks or a light sandal if you need some padding.

Less long static stretching and more dynamic stretching, for both issues. Also don't become a roll-aholic; rolling too much or too hard, or all the time can make things worse. Gentle rolling, for a few minutes is usually sufficient. For PF, pointing toes up and down, holding each position for a second or two, several times before getting out of bed, standing up, etc. can help with those initial steps.

Hope this helps,

Good luck.

---

Matt Leu, M.S. Kinesiology
San Pedro Fit Works, Los Angeles, CA
Endurance Athlete and Coach
Consistency/time=results

Thank you all for your input. I really appreciate your responses and advice. I have been doing glute med/adductor and quad strengthening exercises 3 times a week, which is what ultimately dug me out of the IT band pit of despair. I had also increased my cadence significantly over the past few months, so hopefully that will pay off. I will start doing some single leg calf raises and stretch my TFL. The advice about the insoles was very helpful - I'm glad to hear that others have had success from wearing them in their walking shoes and haven't had to use them while running. I will do the same.

Thanks again!!!

What TFL stretch has been so helpful for you? Any chance you have a link to a video or a description with pics? Thanks!

Start with this. TFL stretch. I modify it slightly, in that I lean with my torso in the opposite direction of the stretch. So stretching right TFL, keep very straight torso alignment and posture and lean slightly back and left. As he says in the video, it can take some time for the TFL to bear the brunt of the stretch, particularly if the quads and other hip flexors are tight. And they likely are. Additionally, it generally takes me two or three repetitions of these before I feel the stretch in the TFL. After I feel it, I'll do three each leg for about a count of 30sec. Let me know if you have any other questions. I've found this to be very helpful.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

I'm a moron. I forgot to mention the most important and significant difference between what I do and the video. With the opposite of arm, I'll pull the foot of the tfl being stretched up toward my butt. Make sure the hip flexors are moderately stretched before raising the foot. Sorry I forgot that.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm