So after too many races and too much training in too short of a time I developed some tightness in my IT band and around and below my knee cap. I have been diligent about heat, ice, stretching, foam roller, etc. and it seems to be clearing up.
Generally speaking, is it safer to return to cycling first as opposed to running?
How about the idea of heating it before going for a ride or a run? Is there any truth to the idea of “warming it up” before going out being beneficial?
Yes you should ice afterwards and stretch. Regarding biking or running first it depends what hurts. I’ve had IT band problems before where it hurt running and not biking and another time where I had fitting issues on my bike so it hurt biking and not so much running. In general though biking would probably put less strain on it.
before - stretch, maybe some lightish stick/roller
after - stretch
never heat
ice - a good thing, perhaps after the post ride/run stretch
daily use of roller/stick/quad baller (tpmassage product)
like forzagto says - run or ride depends on which was the problem activity or hurts now, that’s the one to really ease back into.
orthotics or inserts - very inidividual, has a dr. or pro identified some pronation or similar issue? I ended up with custom orthos for the run shoes, and the heat moldable inserts for my bike shoes for some support (“Sole” I think).
I struggled with it for 2 years. I found that stretching helps, but it was better for me to warm up a little before I started pulling that thing. I would also use some flexall and work that in a bit before I started stretching. The massage and heat seemed to loosen it up quite a bit. The best stretch for me was the cross-legged-touch-your-toes stretch. There’s another one that I’ve seen people do where they put their leg on a bench (ankle down) and stretch the IT band. That one always used to flair mine up so I stayed away from it.
I have had problems for 4 years and have never used heat. Your pain is being caused by a bursa that is swollen from the irritation of the IT band rubbing back and forth on it. Heat will not help the swelling in any way. Now, if you were thinking about maybe heating your hip area or elsewhere where there is some muscle tightness that could be causing the IT band troubles, you might try it. I still stay away from heat most of the time though because most of my injuries involve swelling.
I have been to countless chiropractors, podiatrists, orthopedics, massage therapists, and physical therapists only to end up with problems again and again. You have to find out what biomechanical issue you have that is causing your IT band to not perform correctly. I have finally gone to a doctor who specialized in biomechanics who is helping me out. My physical therapy has been very running specific and unlike anything I have done before. It turns out my right hip turns out when I run while my right ankle turns in. That makes for a super unhappy knee. My physical therapy has included a lot of core work and strengthening my right hip. The idea is hopefully everything will eventually learn to work properly while I’m running.
In the meantime, if it flares up, I use tons of ice (ice massage is best), the foam roller, stretching, and the occasional dose of an NSAID. Also, I wrap an ice pack around my knee on the way to my long runs if I feel like it is going to be a bad day.
Also, I generally don’t have problems biking unless I am already having problems running. Biking on flat roads has never bothered it, but hills can aggravate it quite a bit.
I have never used heat either, just ice to keep down the inflammation. It has helped me to stretch and kind of rub down the outside of leg before a training session to warm up the muscle but in my experience I would be careful in going to aggresive with the roller before workout because the roller is a longer term solution to loosen the IT band but in the short term it can aggrevate it some more with the preasure which might cause pain during training session if it is directly after you roll it out.
Since I had bone surgery and corresponding bone graft in my left distal femur five years ago TODAY which involved cutting about a 12 inch line down where my IT Band runs and pulling the IT Band to one side and clamping it for 4-5 hours while the surgery was performed I’d say I pretty much have the IT Band “pain management” figured out. How’s that for a run on sentence? I’ve had a tight IT Band for five years.
Here is what worked for me:
Before Run - warm up with hot/wet towel - nuke a wet towel in the microwave and then wrap the knee and lower portion of your thigh.
After Run - stretch using a rope
After Run - while showering massage the IT Band with a pulsing/jet shower head - hot water
Night - foam roller, stretch, foam roller, stretch, etc