Running: ITB tips

raspberriliana

Hello, fellow runners,
I was supposed to be doing my third half last week, but my IT band has been acting up, so I missed it. I don't want to run before it has fully recovered and I'm trying to stay patient and do hip and glute stretches everyday. My questions are:
1) Do you agree that foam rolling is a bad idea? I usually love it, especially after long runs, but I've heard opposite opinions on using it for ITB recovery.
2) Can you recommend some specific strenghtening exercices? I know that I have to work on strenghtening the muscles around the knee, but can't think of anything except for glute bridges, single leg squats and donkey kicks?
3) How much time off did you take, if you've had a problem like this before?

funjen1972

Following this...

BrianSharpe

Luckily I've only had one real problem with ITBS years ago when I foolishly ran a half marathon a week after riding a metric century, it's humbling realizing that I need more recovery time now that I'm an old geezer....

I missed about 6 weeks of running and tried foam rolling, stretching, exercises and nothing really worked until I started seeing a massage therapist. It felt like I'd been hit by a truck but she had me running again relatively quickly and so far so good.

VioletRojo

Foam rolling helped me and was recommended by my doctor, but I found that stretching helps even more. You might want to be assessed by a PT to determine any muscle imbalances. My problem is that my posterior chain is too tight, so I'm always stretching.

dewd2

Foam rolling at my hip (where the IT Band starts) seemed to help me. That and rest. It didn't fully respond until I took a couple weeks off. I tried to run thru it and it backfired big time. I ended up walking the last 6 miles of Pittsburgh Marathon before I learned my lesson.

lkpducky

I have found pigeon pose (yoga) to be a huge help with my IT bands.

RubyDarling

I've struggled with ITBS for years, I feel your pain (quite literally, every day for like 7 years )

I guess it all depends on where your weaknesses are, but currently my physio has me doing:
- single leg calf raises (my dodgy leg tends to roll out and I tend to push through my pinky toe, not my big toe - gotta focus on driving through my big toe instead)
- a mindfulness exercise where I try to activate my VMO first before the rest of my quad (while sitting down with leg fully extended)
- barbell hip thrusts

Foam rolling has never made a marked improvement for me, unfortunately.

raspberriliana

Thanks for the advice, everyone! The stretches and exercices are helping a lot. I'm also foam rolling a bit, but not directly on the IT band.
Tough part is, I have to wait more than I'd like to and constantly tell myself not to go for a run before it's recovered

RunnerGirl238

Have you been formally diagnosed with IT band issues? Could it be piriformus?(spelled wrong, I'm sure) Or a muscle imbalance? Have you tried strengthening other parts- hip flexor, etc?