Anyone had IT Band surgery in the past few years? How was your recovery? Any info is appreciated.
Anyone had IT Band surgery in the past few years? How was your recovery? Any info is appreciated.
My friend had the surgery done about a year ago and is running great now. As you probably know, most docs won't perform the surgery unless an individual has had IT problems for at least 6 months. As far as recovery time, it depends on the type of surgery being performed and how quickly the person heals. As far as I know, recovery can be anywhere from a week or two to months. By the way, have you tried iontophoresis? It's a process which uses a mild electrical current to push anti-inflammatory medicine to the band. I have heard good things about it. Hope this helps...I wish I could be more definite about the recovery time.
My son had the surgery in late May. He can run, but still has a lot of pain and stiffness (from the surgery-not the IT Band). The surgeon attributes it to scar tissue. Hopefully, this will break up. He is really discouraged- expected to be back full-bore by now. He had 9 months of no improvement doing every possible type of treatment, exercise etc. before the surgery.
I had the surgery done 1.5 years ago, and was able to start running just 10 days after the surgery....I had 4 months of no improvement prior to getting the operation. I am sorry the surgery is not working out for your son.
I've had the release surgery done on both knees over the past two winters, and everything has worked out great. Some advice, be very cautious in how quickly you start running following surgery. The first time I came back too quickly (tried running in two weeks) and it backfired. After surgery I'd suggest two weeks of nothing, a week of very easy cycling on an exercise bike to loosen things up & get the range of motion back, a week of more 'intense' cycling, and VERY easy running on a soft surface after 4 weeks.
i had the surgery done 3 years ago after almost a year of IT band problems that kept getting worse until i was unable to walk without crutches. it was a last resort after multiple doctors told me i would probably never competatively run again. i'm running great now, but it was a long road to recovery post-op and i dont think i'd get it done again. i had terrible scar tissue problems on my knee and couldnt exercise for 5 months after the surgery. it look aggressive anti-inflammatory treatment including cortisone shots to calm the area down and break up the scar tissue. i still don't know whether i would have just gotten better on my own if i had taken all that time off without the surgery. even after the surgery i am still plagued with IT band problems, though i havent had to take any significant time off. make sure you find a good doctor who has had previous success with the surgery.
IT Veteran- Besides the cortisone shots (son had one last week), what else did you do to deal with the scar tissue? Did you do a regimen of ibupropen or anything? PT?
Thanks.
i would mention that i have seen some solid results from a few weeks of ART therapy after suffering for a couple of months, including one month of absolutely NO activity at all which did not improve my ITBS.
something to look into that might help avoid surgery, which sounds like it can be hit-or-miss.
Make sure you don't have a femural fracture. I had ITBS for about 6 months and wouldn't go away so I finally went to the doctor, and lo and behold, I had a fracture that was incurred from a fall on a trail run. Something to think about.
I hade the surgery in May '06. I spent three weeks or so getting back to walking and regaining flexibility, as well as restrengthening my quad, which had atrophied a lot. I swam and biked through June and started to run in July, gradually building up mileage and intensity. I'm now at around 80-85 a week and have just ran big PRs in the 3k and mile.
I'd recommend getting on rehab as quickly as possible, and make sure the rest of your muscles don't sit around and atrophy.
I have not had IT band surgery, but I'm currently undergoing problems with my right IT band, on the outside of my knee. I've been out of commission for 3 weeks now and it only hurts when I try to run. I take ibuprofen 3 times a day, and have a prescribed ibuprofen infused ointment called Ketoprofen that I massage the tendon with 3 times a day. If anyone has any tips or tricks they used to ease the pain and get back running, I would appreciate it.
There have been several good threads on IT Band problems. Do a search. Things to try are ART, the IT strap, the exercises that you can find by doing a search on the web, using a foam roller or nalgene bottle to self-massage and stretch.....
Surgery is after ALL of these things fail for longer than 6 months or so.
My son had this surgery and it took 4 months before he was permitted to do any running. He plays soccer and wants to have the other knee done this summer. The day following surgery was not to bad, his pain was minimal and tolerable after 3 days. If you have this issue, it is worth the short inconvenience of not being able to run. Just make sure your doctor knows what he is doing. Good luck.
If I may ask, did he get any faster? Sorry to intrude, but I am also a runner who hasn't improved over a year, and I have this surgery in 14 days and I'm worried that it won't help me get faster.