Last year in the outdoor season my IT band was so tight it inflamed the tendion on the outside of my knee. I took off about 3 months from running. Now when I run the tendon clicks when my leg cycles out, is this common? And the area in my knee tends to get tight after running. And ideas?
One word for ya: ICE
Active release, looked into getting that done????
I had horrible IT Band problems. Good stretches helped a little but ultimatley it still lingered. It finally went away when I started running/training in flats. My biomechanics were improved by running on my forefoot- less heel in flats so you helps you stop being a heel stricker.
Isn't this thread about the tight sound of the IT Band music combo? Aren't they a GAP Band tribute band?
Good stretches helped for the numerous hours of air guitar rockin'. My biomechanics were improved by air guitaring on my forefoot- less heel.
another word: massage
Find a chiropractor or PT who does ART (active release technique). It works wonders. Also use a hard-core foam roller or nalgene bottle to stretch the IT band. It will be painful to do it (lie on the roller) but it helps.
With less time and less money, the answer is "FOAM ROLLER!"
Use it 2-4 times per day working the small muscles of the hip/buttocks and down the lateral side of your leg to just ABOVE the knee. It may help to roll both the medial and lateral heads of your quads as well. Also, I would suggest doing both legs, not just the injured one. I have used a roller with great success. Consistency and frequency are keys. Perhaps take some glucosamin as well. ART can work as well, especially to get the process going, but is fairly expensive (70-100/session). Good Luck!
Another thing that works bsides a foam roller (and causes a little less pain) is to roll on a somewhat deflated soccer ball. Still works for massage purposes but won't bring you to tears.
Also train in flats. I did and it helped more than anything else.
Try balancing on each leg. Start with 1 minute and build up to 5. Do this at least 3 times per day. I did this and my IT troubles went away. Hope the same happens for you.
Try balancing on each leg, slowly swaying your body around. Start with 1 minute and build up to 5. Do this at least 3 times per day. I did this and my IT troubles went away. Hope the same happens for you.
Lady Bea wrote:
Another thing that works bsides a foam roller (and causes a little less pain)...
Or for *more* pain - once you can fall asleep on the foam roller, it's become so comfy - graduate to a 2' length of PVC pipe. Cheaper too!
And I agree on the flats. Don't wear them only for races, or races & intervals, wear 'em for some (or all, if you can get away with it) slow daily/recovery runs too.
I use the foam roller these days because it is simply a good leg massage.
I never thought about using a PVC pipe....I'm just going to have to pick one up and try it out.
I was down to about 12 minutes before my IT band would hurt on a run. I've been using a foam roller (actually a 3 foot section of a pool "noodle") for about three weeks. I've run pain free, and this morning I ran 34 minutes with no pain. I've also done some strengthening exercises (leg raises on my side), which seem to have helped. I'm ecstatic (despite the slow, gradual increases in time run) about the lack of any pain--and I was a skeptic about the whole foam roller/leg raises regimen. Best wishes!
did you guys run through ITB or did you shut down?
please provide specific description of how I should be using the foam roller....
help me too wrote:
please provide specific description of how I should be using the foam roller....
Roll back and forth on it, on your quads and your ITB, very slowly. See attached.
i have it band syndrome and am coming off my best summer of training. i have taken 3 weeks off and can also only run for about 12 minutes without pain. i am going to PT 2 times a week and itsnt helping that much. i am going to buy one of those foam things and start to run in my flats!!
good feedback, thanks