From time to time if you are a runner you will experience pain and/or some kind of injury. I have been most fortunate to never have a serious injury, but unfortunately I have an on going issue with my Iliotibial Band or as we refer to as an IT Band. This causes a lot of down time from running, pain and irritation and not running is not a happy place.
Iliotibial band syndrome is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The Iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee. and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front of it during the gait cycle. The continual rubbing of the band over the bone, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed or the band itself may become irritated.
The iliotibial (IT) band is often the hidden cause of outer knee or hip pain. Iliotibial band friction syndrome can cause a nagging, dull ache, or flare into a sharp, acute pain felt at a specific spot on the outside of the knee and lower thigh. For some athletes, a tight it band may cause hip pain as well.
The symptoms of IT Band issues can cause you considerable pain and discomfort and cause havoc with your running.
The symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee joint on the outside of the knee or along the entire length of the iliotibial band to swelling or thickening of the tissue at the point where the band moves over the femur. The pain may not occur immediately, but it will worsen during activity when the foot strikes the ground if you overstride or run downhill and it may persist afterward. A single workout of excessive distance or a rapid increase in weekly distance can aggravate the condition.
There are several causes of injury. Running on a banked surface, such as the shoulder of a road or an indoor track, causes the downhill leg to bend slightly inward and causes extreme stretching of the band against the femur. Poor training habits and anatomical abnormalities such as bowlegs or tightness about the IT band can cause issues. Running excessive distances or increasing mileage too quickly can aggravate or cause injury as can inadequate warm-ups or cooldowns.
There are some short term and long term treatments available.
Short Term Treatment
Decrease distance
Ice knee after activity
Alternate running direction if you are running on a pitched surface
Use a lateral sole wedge to lessen pressure on the knee
Stretch to tolerance.
Long Term Treatment
R.I.C.E.: Rest, ice, compression, and elevation is the best way to treat initial IT band pain.
Physical therapy: A therapist may use ultrasound and other modalities to help the injured tissues heal more quickly. A skilled PT can also help you correct any biomechanical or training errors, and teach you how to perform the right flexibility exercises.
Reduced activity: Runners with IT band pain should reduce running mileage and be alert for signs of overtraining syndrome.
Foam roller myofascial release. Using a foam roller to release the tissues may be painful, but many athletes have success with this technique.
Anti-inflammatory medications: These may also be used to reduce pain and inflammation.
Rest and recovery: Rest is an important part of your recovery and should be maintained as part of a balanced training program.
Preventing IT Band Syndrome
The following tips may help you prevent chronic IT band syndrome:
If you are a runner, review how to prevent running overuse injuries. This includes increasing your distance my no more than 10 percent per week, taking a rest day between running days, and building speed or incline intensity gradually.
IT band strengthening exercises include those that target the external hip rotators. One simple way to do this is with the one-leg squat exercise. Perform these in front of a mirror and make sure your pelvis does not drop on one side during the reps.
IT band stretching exercises may help prevent irritation from IT band tightness.
Use the right shoes. The amount of support or cushion in your shoes can either aggravate or alleviate IT band issues, so be sure to choose the right shoes for your sport.
Consider using orthotics or inserts. Some IT band trouble can be helped by using either custom or commercial orthotics, particularly if you have high arches.
Replace aging running shoes. Running in old, worn shoes can increase IT band pain, so switch out your shoes at regular intervals, at least every 400 miles.
Avoid overtraining. Training too much or too often can make any aches and pains worse, so rest and recover after hard workouts.
Cross train. Doing the same thing over and over makes recovery more difficult. Mix up your training to balance out your body.
Get adequate rest and recovery. Frequent high-intensity workouts can do more harm than good. Learn how rest can improve your training.
Try backward running to correct muscle imbalance and reduce pressure on the knees.
Run on a soft, level surface or alternate directions on the road to avoid stressing the IT band.
IT band friction syndrome doesn't have to be a chronic, debilitating problem. A little bit of prevention and careful diagnosis of the cause can lead to a full recovery.
The Good News
Almost all of the runners I’ve communicated with about I-T Band injuries have been able to run during the recovery period, once the healing had started. Many of these folks have continued their marathon training program, after making the adjustments for the injury. Once you’ve determined that the healing has begun, and your training stays below the threshold that could further irritate the injury, you’ll probably be able to continue your running. The first priority, however, is being conservative enough (with slower pacing, more walk breaks, and days off from running) to allow the healing to continue.
So if you are like me you will never stop running, you will just keep trying to figure out this IT Band issue thing and work at making it a happy band to create a happy run.
Source: Goggle Image
My woman must stop her race for this problem, and with some good exercises of stretching, for give more power and flexibility to this part of the body, with one month and half restart to race.
In Italy this kind of problems have the common name of "Problem of Tapascione", like Tapascione means a runner that have a low velocity, with more contact on the earth, exsuse me for my english, i try to make more in the next time, thank you very much for all, and i think that this is a very good post
Hello mad-runner. Thank you very much for stopping by. I am understanding your words so it is OK. Yes it is a problem for lots of people even for people who do not run. Hope to connect again soon...Happy Running
I will add that a cause can be lateral hip motion (rocking or swaying side to side), which can result from the core not being engaged while running. The pressure is high in the it band where it is larger and less prone to strain and pain, but it also puts more strain down where it attaches to the knee, so it feels like a knee issue when it’s really a hip issue. By keeping the pelvis level and the core engaged by staying in a slight forward crunch position, the hips can still rotate around the axis, but they are locked from moving side to side.
That actually could be more of the exact problem than any of the other aforementioned issued. I thank you for that and will pay more attention to running/hip/core posture.
Sounds painful. I remember getting shin splints and I hated those so much. Now my knee is giving me problems from my soccer baseball episode lol
you might need to go and get it checked out, or try some type of exercises. or therapy. Always a good idea to know first what it is before treatment starts.
You know I'm not going anywhere lol :)
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, glad that we do go somewhere or we actually would not be here. :)))
thanks
Good post. I've experienced something similar that you are describing. What I concluded, It happens when I am unprepared to long distance run. For example, after 2 weeks of pause, I got back straight with 11km training, that made me feel something was happening around the knee (under, on the outer side pain), hip (very mild pain), but also on my toe (cuboid bone). It wasn't much painful, but when one starts to hurt, it is like a chain reaction.
And about the hip, sometimes after long-run day, I feel popping sound somewhere in the hip but is also somehow connected with knee, depending on the move I make. I feel that's connected, but I cannot specify where exactly, and what exactly makes the sound. It feels like at the same time in the hip and knee..
I am very cautious about that, and, luckily, the pain is so mild and is fading. Only the sound is annoying, as I don't know precisely what makes it. My physiotherapist told me (while I had another injury) the popping sound is only air between tendons.
Glad you enjoyed the post. Nice to meet you on this platform. I have this problem all the time and I go for regular physio and have to do all sorts of stretching and things. Good luck to you. Happy Running. :))
Quality post. Guys, this is such important information if you are an avid runner or active person in general. Don't ignore chronic pain just for the sake of "toughing it out", because you will end up injured and out of commission if you don't monitor the situation. That's not to say avoid running, in fact you will likely be healthier if you do run consistently. The point is to be proactive when it comes to your health and be safe. Upvoted!
Yes. very true. I am always on top of this situation trying to figure out how best to handle it so that I am never too long without running. Thanks for stopping by
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Healthy is the most important thing for humans lifes ...so this post will help us to keep health ....
Thank u @marionbowes you remain me to do a treatment for being healthy ..
I am so glad you stopped by and enjoyed my post. Please come by anytime and good luck for you here on Steemit.
Great post! I had issues with my IT band when I first started running. The big issue for me was over training, not doing enough mobility work, and the wrong shoes. Luckily I haven't had any issues since then as long as I keep doing the right things to keep my body and hips healthy!
Thanks for stopping by. It is an on again off again issue with me. It s combination of things for me, always working on it and striving to be my best. I wish it was only one thing, it would be so easy. It is such a common issue even for non-runners. Happy Running.
Chronic issues are definitely no fun. While I have my IT band under control, I'm fairly tall so I get really tight through my psoas and the front of my hips. I have to do a lot of work on that part of my body to keep from having low back issues. I would definitely rather have to do the work to counteract all the running and other physical activity than have to do it because I sit all day, though! I wish you many healing thoughts as you continue to get your miles in! :)
Interesting you said this as my issues are really tight psoas and front of hip more so on the right. when then just aggravates itself into IT band, glues and then of course the knee. I also live on the East Coast and all we have are hills. I am hard pressed to find something flat to run on. Off i go now to physio and then tomorrow a run. aha thanks BTW I am also a RHN..happy running