Just started creeping up after 3 miles into every run. No matter how hard/slow I run, around three miles, outside of my right knee starts to get painful. I stop before it hurts, I don’t want to push it.
What can I do to make this go away? I’ve been stretching (right foot on left knee, lean forward and squat). No luck.
Anyone have any suggestions? I’ll take a week off for christmas (grrrr) and see if that helps.
This sucks. The run is the best part of the triathlon for me. I guess it’ll force me into the pool…
#1 - Don’t stretch it while it’s inflammed. Tension on the band is only going to press it against the lateral epicondyle of the knee = OUCH!
#2 - Don’t run if it hurts. Generally, it takes a couple of miles for the band to get so inflammed that it rubs. You are fine to run up to this point, but as soon as it hurts even a little, STOP. Therefore limit your runs to a short loop that you can stop at any time.
#3 - As many times as possible each day, roll your TFL on a frozen waterbottle. The TFL is a muscle at the very top of your hip on the outside. Roll from your iliac crest (the bony part adjacent to your belly button) down to the greater trochanter (the first bony lump at the top of your thigh).
Synergistic dominance of the TFL is a primary cause of ITB tendonitis. If you numb this muscle up, it lets your other lateral stabilizers (glute med/min) fire during gait.
Hope this helps,
Alan Couzens, CSCS, PES, ASCA Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Have you recently altered your riding position?
BTW, I know you said running
No, I haven’t. I haven’t changed anything, which is the annoying part… I have been doing more miles on the treadmill, but I’ve been doing treadmill milage all year, at least once a week.
As much as it sucks, I would lay off of doing anything for 2 weeks to get the inflammation down. Ice, Ibuprofen and stretching are paramount after that point. Think about if you have changed anything (shoes, bike position, etc.) You may need time to adjust to those changes or to ramping up training too much. After the inflammation is down, you need to begin strengthening the surrounding muscles (lots of posts on ST about this) and go from there. I also suggest the PT strap (basically a neoprene band that goes around your lower thigh to stop the rubbing) because it works wonders for me to prevent the IT band rubbing on the eipcondyle. But different things work for different people.
Again, it may not be what you want to hear, but you have to rest now to get teh inflammation down and manage it. Otherwise it will only get worse.
This is great advice. I’ve been struggling with this stuff for years and have always been told to concentrate more on the section between knee and hip. Foam roller session here i come. Thanks.
*Hey I have this also and the thing that has helped me the most has been using a 6” x 36” long foam roller. You put the roller on the floor and roll back and forth on it from you’re hip to you’re knee on the out side of your leg/on your IT bad. This really works and it’s from a good friend who’s a PT. * http://www.amazon.com/x36-Full-Foller-Foam-Roller/dp/B0006OH4WC/sr=8-1/qid=1166638154/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-6499894-9604935?ie=UTF8&s=hpc This is one and you have to stay with it, my PT friend tall’s me it’s very common with runner and cyclists. Dan…
I tend to stay away from the ITB itself (between the knee and the hip) when it’s inflammed.
When the inflammation goes down, it is good to roll the whole band, as it has a tendency to develop myofascial adhesions to the surrounding muscles, which brings it closer to the epicondyle of the knee.
In the inflammatory phase though, I would avoid anything that’s going to put tension on the band (e.g. stretching, rolling the band etc)
Cheers,
Alan Couzens, CSCS, PES, ASCA Strength and Conditioning Coach
I have the foam roller next to me and can actually feel some release around the knee from working the section you mentioned for a few minutes (although tough with a belt and slacks on).
Question: do I want to be more on my butt, more towards the Quads/Thigh or really on the bony side (feels a bit akward).
By slightly forward, I mean the top hip is slightly in front of the bottom hip. Hope that makes sense.
Once you don’t feel anything on the foam roll, it’s time o graduate to a tennis ball. Much easier to really get in there to specific points with a ball.
I ran into IT band problems training for my first marathon…a long run on a crowned road did it…I rested but it creeped back during the marathon itself and I had to walk the last 8 miles…it went away after a few months of rest…a friend of mine had problems and found that an orthopedic pad in one of his shoes did the trick…turns out one leg was a little longer…most important thing is not to run through the pain…
Do the foam roller massage as suggested. Also try this stretch: lie on back with legs straight; loop a cord or towel under one foot and then lift that leg over and across your torso; keep your back flat–don’t roll. As you pull the leg up & across you’ll the point where you stretch the band.
