Alright, for all those out there with the answers…tell me how to finally get rid of my IT band issues. I have been seeing a ART specialist, chiropractor, and just started seeing a masseuse. I also have a foam roller, stick and all of the typical stretches.
Now, I am looking for the magic bullet to get rid of the pain. I took off running for a full month and started back Tuesday with a 3 mile run. Pain came right back.
Help
I took off running for a month (stress fracture) and did the pigeon stretch, been running for 2 months now with no more pain knock on wood. See pigeons are good for something.
dj - you might peruse other IT band threads on ST, there’s a new one every three weeks or so, and you can glean many opinions/facts. Rather than focus on the result, perhaps your attention would be better pointed to the cause. What’s your alignment? What shoes do you use and do you over pronate by a good bit? How about the status of your pelvic musculoture? Have any areas of weakness been identified? Etc. In short, you need an exam by somebody who sees this every day. Ask around for the local runners doc. The guy with a treadmill. The one the others turn to. I’ll bet you get an answer you can work with. Good luck.
Stretching + compression shorts has worked pretty well for me. It’s still there on steep climbs a little bit, but not nearly as bad.
dj - you might peruse other IT band threads on ST, there’s a new one every three weeks or so, and you can glean many opinions/facts. Rather than focus on the result, perhaps your attention would be better pointed to the cause. What’s your alignment? What shoes do you use and do you over pronate by a good bit? How about the status of your pelvic musculoture? Have any areas of weakness been identified? Etc. In short, you need an exam by somebody who sees this every day. Ask around for the local runners doc. The guy with a treadmill. The one the others turn to. I’ll bet you get an answer you can work with. Good luck.
This is the correct answer. I took 1.5 months off running only to have my ITB flare up the day I hit the road again. Then I went to physical therapy and was 100% in about 8 weeks.
I ran through IT issues for most of last season. Finally took off running/cycling in Sept and Oct '08. While off I swam, strength training, foam roller, and finally yoga. Started running again in Dec '08, no issues since. I continue to stretch/yoga and used the foam roller, so far so good.
Good Luck, I know IT problems can be tough.
I didn’t take up running (well ok, triathlon) til 41. IT band issues (among lots of others) as anyone might expect at that age. Didn’t seem like I needed to pay someone to tell me I had poor mechanics, muscle imbalances, inflexible tissue, etc as all were probably true. Eventually simple stretching and carefully pushing through the problem did it. I find I don’t have to do specific IT band stretches anymore. Like shin splints, with regular running the problem just disappeared and never resurfaced. Something to note: the IT band not being soft tissue will not respond quickly to stretching - don’t expect instant results. Good luck to you.
Find an ART guy who is a former calf wrestler. That’s what I did. If you can breathe while he is treating you, he isn’t getting deep enough.
Read, and follow this:
http://www.sgcvisser.nl/images/blessuregids/knie/tractus/Iliotibial%20Band%20Syndrome.pdf
You did the right thing by resting and doing some stretching but sounds like you’re not doing any strength work. Also, have you evaluated your shoes/insoles?
-Scott
Find an ART guy who is a former calf wrestler. That’s what I did. If you can breathe while he is treating you, he isn’t getting deep enough.
I must have had an excellent ART guy by that definition.
He would tell me to move my leg and I could not move it through the sheer pain he was delivering to my leg.
I am now addicted to the TP Quadballer also. Twice a day like clockwork. ITBS gone in under 2 weeks.
Same here. Takes he breathe away but IT doesn’t bother me like it used to.
I feel for you! I struggled with this for months – even years. It’s still a battle, but I’m so much better! I greatly compounded the problem by trying to “train through” the injury which set me so far back in terms of the seriousness of the injury.
In terms of HEALING, the best technique I found is called “cold laser therapy.” I had a P.T. who used it on me and also a chiropractor. It is a godsend! It promotes healing at the cellular level and was the first step in getting me back on the road – even after MONTHS of complete rest, stretching, strengthening, massage, accupuncture, etc. this was the first thing that helped.
Then in terms of PREVENTION of future injury, I would second the advice for the TP (TriggerPoint) Roller. It is awesome!
Straight-legged dead lifts and walking lunges. I can’t even explain why, other than the fact that the IT Band tracks from the glute region all the way down the leg. Strength and flexibility in the entire area is essential.
Study your feet. I discovered that I was a slight under-pronator. I got the appropriate shoes and that was a big help, too.
Come back gradually. Don’t be afraid to do a quick walk/stretch break at various intervals when you start to increase the distance of your runs.
Don’t give up hope. I love running & tris, but I had reached the point where I seriously thought my running days were over. They weren’t. Don’t give up!
Ray