My IT band flared up two weeks ago and despite resting, icing, stretching and rolling, it has still not cleared up.
I have spent the last 8 months painstakingly rehabing my Achilles, working my way up from .5 miles to 8 miles, a 1/4 mile at a time. Speed has also ever-so-slowly been increased as well (although still slow).
Tried to run a couple times this week while on Spring Break and could not get more than a mile before stabbing pain set in.
I have been targeting an OLY tri in June as my first race after my Achilles injury, but it all seems to be in jeopardy at this moment. I have read that a cortisone shot can help and was wondering if anyone on ST has had any experience using it to treat ITBS. I would continue the stretching, rolling, strenghtening, etc after the shot to help strengthen the hips / glutes to better correct the issue long term.
Any advice appreciated. (Note - NSAID’s are not an option for since I am on blood thinners).
Yes, I went to an ortho about two weeks ago and i got a shot of cortisone. I then waited two days and ran 3 miles with no issues during the run but I started feeling some minor aches afterwards. He also recommended I see an ART (Active Release Technology) specialist which I did. To me the ART thing is magic. My aches seem to flare up after prolonged sitting. I went to see the ART guy with this mild ache, he treated it and by the time I left his office i was fine. Today I ran 11 miles for the first time in a very long time. Needless to say I will be going back to mr ART (who reminds of the karate kid when he was injured and the older chinese guy rubbed his hands together, touched his injury and the kid was ready to fight again). I have also gone to physical therapy so i attacked this IT issue from all fronts and it looks like i might be winning. Tomorrow I will try a brick and see how it goes.
Glad to hear you are making progress. I’ll definitely be following up with ART. The PT I was using during my Achilles rehab did ART on it and I am planning on using him once I get a scrip from the ortho. I have an appt with an ortho on Tuesday, but I leave for a week long trip to China on Wednesday. I really don’t want to take a complete week off from training (the bike is obviously out, although I can use the hotel pool for some swims).
I’m considering a cortisone shot so I can continue training while in China and keep working at addressing the muscular imbalances through ART / PT and strengthening exercises. Good luck with your continued recovery!!
I had a cortisone shot in my right knee a couple of weeks ago, in an attempt to treat and diagnose a problem that has been bothering both knees for the past 5 months. The ortho said that if my problem is with the joint then the cortisone shot would help it, but if it is a tendon or muscle problem then it should not help. So he thought the shot would help to identify the source of the problem. I was surprised at this, but he seemed confident, and at this point I’m willing to try most anything. Of course, what has happened is that the knee has improved, but only partly, so I’m still somewhat in the dark. Like one of the other posters, my symptoms seem to be worst not during exercise, but when I have been sitting for a few hours after exercise.
I had a cortisone shot for ITBS 3 weeks ago after struggling to overcome this injury for 6 weeks following a short break.
So far, so good. I have been able to run 4 x 30min runs p/week until my legs get back use to running. I think the key is to work out what is contributing to your ITBS to avoid it coming back. There are so many variables to look at from shoes, road camber, cleat position. I would also think back to see if anything has changed in your gear/training etc that may have brought it on. You could consider aqua running in the mean time, and gym work to strengthen any muscle imbalances. This was the key for me.
Good luck, its a very frustrating injury but never ever give up mate.
X2. Find the source of the ITBS, which is usually a symptom of something else. That is where a good ART practitioner can help. For me it took about 8-9 visits in total to work through my issues and get rid of ITBS. It was mostly an ankle thing for me, but that had lead to adhesions and scar tissue all up my leg. The Dr (he is my chiro) also gave me loads of good exercises for at home, most of which are to strength the weak areas. Worked a charm, but did require some work. And I have to keep doing my stretches and little workouts to keep my legs strong and flexible enough not to have future flareups.
Thanks for the feedback. I am definitely looking to resolve the actual cause, not just mask the symptoms. I’m pretty sure it is a muscle / strength imbalance. The ITBS is in the same leg as my Achilles injury and I pronate as well.
Been doing assorted exercises to work on the hip muscles and stretching. Should not be a cleat issues since I have run the same position for years and it isn;t road camber since I have been doing almost all my runs inside (combination of Chicago weather and rehabbing the Achilles).
I’ll check into the “light therapy” as well…hell, I’d rub chicken bones over it if I thought it would help. Just really frustrated…seemed to have overcome the Achilles issue and now this. Meh…
So my plan is the following:
See ortho on Tuesday. Get a scrip for PT /ART and discuss orthotics and hopefully get a cortisone shot.Continue stretching / strength exercises while in China. If I get the cortisone shot, hopefully resume some light running on the treadmill while there.Start PT when I come back next week
We’ll see…
I got a cortisone shot for ITBS prior to IMLP a few years ago… I was able to do the race without knee pain and actually have not had a significant issue with the IT band since then… At the same time I was attacking the issue using many of the typical tools, as well (PT, stretching, rolling , icing, NSAIDS), so it’s hard to assess the specific impact of the cortisone given the other stuff I was trying… but it seemed to work for me. Good luck… I know this is frustrating.
Sounds like I am leaning more towards trying to get the cortisone shot, especially since NSAID’s are out for me. I gotta find some way to get the inflamation down…
Has anyone tried this strap? If so, what were your results? I bought one at the local tri shop today out of desperation.
I have also tried using kineseotape on the knee and hip but have not had much success with it so far.
Be careful with the shot. Cortisone will mask the pain and force the inflammation to go away, but it will also mask the pain of continued damage. So if you correct the issue, the shot can be wonderful, as it can take months for the IT band to naturally calm down to the point that you can run without worrying about it flaring back up. However, if the issue isn’t fixed, you can do a lot of damage to the tissue without feeling it that can lead to a chronic problem. I would hold off on cortisone until you start making progress with PT so you have some confidence that the issue is being corrected.
I’ve had fantastic luck with kineseo tape for correcting PF pain, but considering nearly every muscle from the hip down can influence the IT band, it would take a hell of a lot of tape.
I use a strap similar to the one pictured and it works wonders as it seems to trick the IT band into thinking the hinge point is further up your leg. I was having pain where my IT band and knee connected. Be very careful of any squats, lunges, etc…where your knee bends more than 90 degrees. Good luck with it!
Thanks for the feedback on the strap. I had tried one of their Achilles straps in 2009 and it did squat. Hoping this is different…but I’m not gonna try running for at least another week either way.
@ VO2Matt - the plan is absolutely to fix the cause. I am interested in the cortisone simply because it seems to be the best option for me to reduce the inflamation. The only other option for reducing inflamation that I have found, and that is compatible with Coumadin, is to take Cox 2 inhibitors.
Thanks for the feedback on the strap. I had tried one of their Achilles straps in 2009 and it did squat. Hoping this is different…but I’m not gonna try running for at least another week either way.
@ VO2Matt - the plan is absolutely to fix the cause. I am interested in the cortisone simply because it seems to be the best option for me to reduce the inflamation. The only other option for reducing inflamation that I have found, and that is compatible with Coumadin, is to take Cox 2 inhibitors.
The strap is good. I was using Cho-pat braces on both legs and they worked but are a bit too bulky for me. My last major flare up came with whip kicking so I could not run for a while because the pain was beyond belief. The roller and stick were not doing squat so I used the TENS machine on it for two hours a night for a few nights and the pain is gone. I do feel it slightly after a bike ride but once on the treadmill, I am good to run slow and steady miles.
I got one before Placid last year and it didnt do anything for me. They have to inject it in the right spot. Make sure you roll your whole leg not just your IT band. That helped me a lot.
I just got one of those straps last week and it actually works. I did a marathon a couple of weeks back and it caused a flare up. It was so bad that I couldn’t walk down stairs, curbs, or anything. Some of it went away on it’s own, but with the strap, I can actually run on it some.
