IT Band Syndrome/Bursitis

So, lets hear more about what they said when you were diagnosed. Did they say it was because of a condition (I.E. high arches, uneven leg size, improper gait, ...etc.) or was it just because of tight Iliotibal band and maybe some inflammation in the foot?

Did they offer you any stretches? Did they at least give you the RICE procedure for it?

If there wasn't a specific causality associated with your diagnosis, I would have a few things checked out. Namely your leg size, your gait, your arches...etc.

and take heart, there are a lot of stretches that you can perform that can help to mediate any pain, perform these stretches, and make sure to Ice and elevate the leg when you do feel pain, and you should be able to get rid of it in a few months.

I have lived with Moderate IT Band problems for years, and have pretty much eliminated them (except when I do legs and core and forget to stretch after. )

It is manageable if you find the cause and stretch liberally every day.

one other thing to keep in mind, the lower back muscles can also be a cause of IT band problems, as the lower back (l4, l5 disks) are where leg pain originates in the spine, weak muscles in that are can cause rubbing and disk bulges, which can feel like stabbing pain in the outside of the leg all the way down to your toes. My wife had that (bulging disk) and it's very debilitating. The only cure (besides serious surgery), that I've heard of is building up your core muscles.

I have the same problem. It's dormant for the most part, but when my bad ankle (on the same side) flares up, it flares up as well. I used to see a physical therapist for my back, knee and ankle they would sometimes do STEM and ultrasound and it would help. Also, they recommended I get a foam roller and work it out and that definitely helped me out. Loosening it up with the roller hurts quit a bit, but the more I did it, the less problems I had with my IT band. I would suggest picking one up (they're around $20) and trying to loosen it up.

So, if you have 'flat feet' who should you see as a professional? A pediatrist or physical therapist?

Sorry I have no advice but I'm curious.

I have been diagnosed with flat fleet and I have been wearing insoles with arches to correct this but it seems to be getting worse everyday. I have tried the roller but it made it hurt worse so I only did it that once...should I keep doing it or will it just aggrivate it more?

Yeah, the foam roller hurts like a mutha the first few times you do it, but it does work after a few weeks.

And yes, for a while you're orthotics will make the IT bands hurt more, but once your feet start to adjust, that will get better, if you google hip flexor stretches and hip abductor stretches, you will find stretches that are GREAT for the IT band. Also deep athletic massage works for it too (but beware, an athletic massage aka deep tissue massage, is not the relaxing calming massage that you think of when you think massage, it's usually a little painful, and very disruptive, but after you're done, man do you feel great!)

So, if you have 'flat feet' who should you see as a professional? A pediatrist or physical therapist?

Sorry I have no advice but I'm curious.

No easy answer to that - a podiatrist will be able to assess the feet in a more complex manner, but on the flip side may not assess how foot position is impacting the whole body - they might *only* look at the feet.
Not all physiotherapists are trained to assess foot position - if you can find one that does then i'd say that's the best solution as they'll be able to look at the situation as a whole, but at the end of the day anyone who can do it competently is a step in the right direction.

Hope that's helpful

So, if you have 'flat feet' who should you see as a professional? A pediatrist or physical therapist?

Sorry I have no advice but I'm curious.

No easy answer to that - a podiatrist will be able to assess the feet in a more complex manner, but on the flip side may not assess how foot position is impacting the whole body - they might *only* look at the feet.
Not all physiotherapists are trained to assess foot position - if you can find one that does then i'd say that's the best solution as they'll be able to look at the situation as a whole, but at the end of the day anyone who can do it competently is a step in the right direction.

Hope that's helpful

Agreed here, you almost want to see a spinal doctor on this, as this is closely related to nerve issues. What I would do is see a podiatrist, then bring their results to an orthopedic doctor to check out your overall posture and gait, either one of those specialists by themselves might misdiagnose and mistreat, but if the ortho has the podiatrists results, they may be able to really help you out.

Thanks for the info! I've been postponing seeing anyone for fear of (like many other doctors) hearing, "Your feet hurt cause you're fat". It's extremely frustating to get off the treadmill because my feet hurt as opposed to feeling satisfied with my work out. :frown: