Hey everyone i did a sprint race this past sunday and i have been having some IT band issues i believe for about the last month or so. Well its thursday now, i have done anything besides walk to classes, i’ve been icing and stretching and it still hurts when i bend my knee.
Should i be worried about it being something worse then IT band??
Grant
“How long should ITband hurt after race”? Ideally, it shouldn’t.
But, pain after 4 days doesn’t mean you should be worried it’s something worse than IT band, rather maybe that the IT band issue you are having won’t get better with only ice and rest.
I would recommend seeking a professional opinion though, rather than seeking advice on an online forum.
I wouldn’t worry that you have something worse than ITBS, it can be bad enough. Do a search on here or google and you will find a wealth of information. I’ve been battling it for 12 years, usually keeping it at bay but can usually “feel” it.
Are you getting popping of the ITB over the knee because it is so tight? Ice, Rest, Roller, DTM, ART . . . repeat. Find out the cause - there usually is.
The only reason i am moderatly worried is because a few weeks ago i hit somewhere around for miles and instead of just starting to hurt i had a sharp pain right away. Also what i have read is that your LCL is more likely to get injured if you have or had other knee issues and i have a “loose” knee from a PCL injury a few years ago from hockey.
Grant
Are you getting popping of the ITB over the knee because it is so tight? Ice, Rest, Roller, DTM, ART . . . repeat. Find out the cause - there usually is.
Its not “popping” i can just feel that side of my knee when i move it. the thing is if you feel both my IT bands neither seem tight.
Grant
massage - go see a good massage therapist who can get in there…
foam roller - I do not know how I lived without this thing.
The foam roller works wonders however it didn’t fix the problem. Its actually hurting more towards the front of the knee now. I go in for an MRI tommorow morning to see if its my patella tendon or my acl that should be fun.
Grant
Gee, I can’t think of anything more serious than IT band problems. It took me 8 month to recover from ITBS. Foam roller didn’t fix the problem, only gave temporary relief.
See a professional. Good luck, I don’t wish ITBS on anyone.
Chris
Gee, I can’t think of anything more serious than It band problems.
Cancer? AIDS? Decapitation?
I can think of a few 
Frequent ITB victim here:
Lesson #1: You MUST let the inflammation/irritation go away. Give it
a week or two. Don’t roller it. Don’t irritate it. Ice & Ibuprofen.
Lesson #2: If it doesn’t bother you when walking, on stairs or
short runs, then start therapy. This can be roller, massage, small
dancing horses in tutus…
In my experience if you don’t let the inflammation die down, #2 won’t
matter.
To reduce the chance of recurrence:
N=1. YMMV. IANAMD.
-Jot
I don’t think cyclonehockey’s head is going to fall off b/c his knee is hurting. But if it does, I’d like to know about it.
Perhaps you should finally take a look at that bike position you are riding…not everyone can be Bjorn Anderson 
.
There are two different types of ITB issues: you can have a contracture, which is when the ITB is actually ADHERED to your vastus lateralis muscle. Typically that pain is more of a dull ache. OR you can have the friction syndrome (which is more common for runners/cyclists). This is more of a bursitis issue and you would be feeling the pain at the front of your knee or slightly lateral. It can be seriously debilitating, so don’t underestimate it! Everyone here who said to give it some rest is right. It’s the last thing you want to hear or do, but it’s really the only way to help your cause. I also recommend massage, but it needs to be really focused on your lateral leg- ITB itself (getting it loosened up and off of that vastus muscle), as well as tfl, glute medius/max… anything that attaches to it or has anything to do with it’s action. It’s gonna be painful, but worth it.
But, I guess you have to see what the MRI shows!
Good luck!
Perhaps you should finally take a look at that bike position you are riding…not everyone can be Bjorn Anderson
YEAHHHHHH since its the first time i’ve had knee problems in 3 years of racing, and it doesn’t bother me biking and i have never changed my position… that makes sense… lol
If its anything that has to do with my acl or patella which i think it does. I think its because there is significant for play in my knee from when i tore my pcl in high school. Now the real question is why now after 8 years when i haven’t been training enough to over train it and i haven’t bumped up my mileage so much that there should have been a problem from a quick ramp up.
Grant
Ahem…fair enough. Here’s the advice you’re likely seeking in that case, as I was put out from an IT band injury last season I think I learned quite a bit from the experience. I agree with the majority of what people have replied earlier in this post.
The first rule is do NOT push it, it’s likely not going to get better in a few days, and you’re lucky if a few weeks. I know that’s really hard to accept, I couldn’t, so I did everything possible to try and get it better ASAP (ice, ibuprofen, roller, stretching, hip strengthening exercises, massage) as it occurred right before racing season (and I, like you, had not dramatically upped my volume or intensity, it just came out of no where). The problem might be occurring in your knee but it’s likely resulting from weakness in your hip flexors. Just give it some time off till it completely stops hurting, then wait a few more days, then go to the track and run 800m on the grass next to the track and see how it feels. Avoid hills at all costs, perhaps even on the bike if your training allows it.
If you’re really killing to run you can try pool running to see how it feels, but I gurantee if you keep pushing it trying to come back and run too quickly it’s gonna be nagging you for months…ruined my season 
Good luck.
I wish i could think about pushing it but i can’t and where its hurting now and everything we are really doubting the itband part of it. Its really hard to explain, basically when i run this could happen within any time frame but i haven’t made it further then 3 to find out. the front of my knee will start hurting, then the sides then it will lock up to a point where i can’t push off anymore and walking is hard. at some points knee will give out. I know people love to scream IT band here but i think something is worse.
Also in the pool some days i wont have any strength to kick with the lower part of the leg it feels like the tendon isn’t able to pull my lower leg… really wierd feeling p.s.
Grant
If you’re really killing to run you can try pool running to see how it feels, but I gurantee if you keep pushing it trying to come back and run too quickly it’s gonna be nagging you for months…ruined my season
.
good luck; mine’s been off-on too - acted up a bit last week… I’ve an appt with my orthopedist today too.
stretching it while it’s inflamed will only make it hurt for longer
.
YEAHHHHHH since its the first time i’ve had knee problems in 3 years of racing, and it doesn’t bother me biking and i have never changed my position… that makes sense… lol
just cause it doesn’t hurt while biking, does not mean that’s not where the problem is. speaking from experience.