I have been having some problems with my ITB. I have been doing the stretches, ice, and rest thing for a while now and I still have pain. I ordered one of those straps that goes above the knee called a “Patt-Strap.” It did not come with many instructions so I was wondering if anyone had used one and could offer some advice. Like, do I wear it all the time or only when I run, how tight is it supposed to be, etc. Also, has anyone had any luck with one? Thanks
There seem to be two extremes of opinion on this… one is that the strap will hold the ITB in place and prevent it from rubbing over the boney, outside part of the knee.
Another group of people seems to suggest that it may actually aggrivate the injury by making the ITB tighter.
Wear it only when you run. Make it as tight as you can without having it too tight (if that makes sense).
I have one for ITB. It didn’t do a whole lot for me, but I ordered in on the recommendation of several others who said it worked wonders for them.
(It turns out my problem is more TFL related, which is closely tied to ITB pain.)
Hope it works… take care of the cause, too, not just the symptoms (e.g., worn out shoes, lack of flexibility, strength imbalance, etc.)
God bless,
Ray
Same results for me…the strap didn’t help at all. I had great results laying on my side on the floor and doing “Jane Fonda” leg lifts. I also read a tip from a web-site that seemed to help, but I have never read this in any of the IT literature: I placed an extra insole in the shoe of my GOOD leg, which effectively raises that hip and thus lowers the hip of the bad leg, thus slightly shortening and taking some stress off the bad IT band. Seemed to help me.
The strap is crap! I threw mine in the next garbage I came by on my run.
Try doing the roller thing… some massage… lots of rest for healing. No hills for a while, strengthen the area… Crab Walk… and start looking at the way you run. I have been working on lighter feet and quicker cadence.
Think being light on your feet… Also do some barefoot running on the grass.
All this after you have rested it and feel no more pain.
Thanks for the info. I have to agree about the strap. I used it this morning and I still had plenty of pain. Strap = crap. I will try the other suggestions. Thanks again.
I’ve had a different experience with the innocuous looking Patt-Straps. A little background: several years ago I set out to try to crack 20 minutes for 5K. Hooked up with a running club, which included a guy who can run 5K in about 17:00 when he’s so inclined. Started out on a favorite course with these guys on a cool winter evening, and had to walk the last 1/3. Big ITB inflammation.
Observations: /Start Whack on Head don’t run fast without warming up. /Stop Whack. Keep the shoes fresh – if the cushioning is shot, so could your ITB be. So I got the little straps, and wore them religiously BUT it took most of two months before I could run at all without pain. So I didn’t run. I spent the time in the pool, or lifting weights. It was torture, but not like the ITB pain. Eventually I got back to running, and have run marathons and lots of other shorter races since.
Recently, I asked my local running store to put me in some lighter weight trainers because I was planning on a half marathon. I had always used heavy-duty motion control shoes, based on the advice of a different running store. I managed to run myself into exactly the same kind of ITB problem on a 12 miler, even with my straps. Again, I had to walk it in. So, back to the shoe store I went, and got the lighest serious motion control shoe they had. I took anti-inflammatories, stuck to the pool for a week, and tried the new shoes with the little straps.
From all this I conclude that the straps DO help me – something about that tightness about 3-4" above the knee seems to help. And you gotta wear the right shoes. I would also suggest that ‘right’ changes over time depending on the flexibility of your tendons. I’m headed toward 50 and I just don’t heal like I used to do. You may be a young pup, but you still have to listen to the signals.
Good luck with your recovery – the ITB was a very discouraging problem for me, but I figured out how to manage it.
P.S. – don’t forget to look at Slowman’s ITB notes on the main Slowtwitch site. He went through the wringer with the same problem.
Thanks Bikestooslow. I had lost all faith in the strap until I read your post. I will stick with it for while now. I guess it can’t hurt anyway. Your right I am still young (26) and have been doing endurence type training for about 5 years now. I have never had any injuries until now. I will try anything to get rid of this problem. Thanks again.