IT band

tracieangeletti
tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What is it and why does it hurt? Anyone have issues with this?? What did you do to make it better??

Replies

  • stratmantl69
    stratmantl69 Posts: 53
    I think this may have what you're looking for:

    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome

    Or else its a band of IT guys who generally play way too loud and not very well................ :devil:
  • rhall9058
    rhall9058 Posts: 270 Member
    Often associated with runners problems. Go to runners world . com (or any other runners forum) and there is a whole section on knee problems and how to properly stretch the IT band so as to not injure yourself. All you have to do is search IT Band in their page and you'll get thousands of results for articles.
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    Connective tissue that runs down the outside of your thighs and connects behind the knee. It hurts for several reasons, but the most likely is over use/under stretched. I'll have issues when I fail to stretch properly after workouts/runs. What do I do to make it better? Stretch and rest as needed. If you've really made a mess of it, you might want to check with a doc.
  • josavage
    josavage Posts: 472 Member
    I had knee pain when running caused by my IT band. I now roll it out with one of those foam rollers and my knee pain is gone. Rolling it really hurts at first but the more you do it, the less it hurts. Here is a web page I found with some good info:

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/kneepainandinjuries/a/IT_Band_Pain.htm
  • sdreed25
    sdreed25 Posts: 208 Member
    Roughly connects from hip to knee, is really leathery and hard to stretch. I hit mine with a foam roller, really painful but does the job, it's a classic runners injury but squats, etc can also cause and aggravate it.

    My left one is always giving me issues
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
    Thanks guys!! Will look up those sites. Used a foam roller on it today for the first time. Thought that would be a nice pain reliever. lol Boy was I wrong!!
  • SummerNights32
    SummerNights32 Posts: 86 Member
    Yup...mine hurts too, and definitely from jogging. I have been more aware of my stretching though, and that has helped. I must admit, I may be buying a foam roller today though! I have heard they are incredibly painful at first, but they get the job done.
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
    Yup...mine hurts too, and definitely from jogging. I have been more aware of my stretching though, and that has helped. I must admit, I may be buying a foam roller today though! I have heard they are incredibly painful at first, but they get the job done.

    Yeah, I was told it might hurt some. Oh my, almost brought a tear to my eye!! I really need to work on my stretching. Probably partly why I have the problem. I know it stems from a knee issue though. It must cuz it's on the same leg as my bad knee.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    Keep foam rolling. The pain from the roller is awwwwwwwwwwwful but it really has helped me.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Recent research has demonstrated that strengthening the core and hips will provide the best benefit for IT Band issues. The band itself is like leather and cannot be stretched. It is the length that it is. The knee pain occurs when the IT Band rubs across nerves in the lower outside portion of the knee. This happens because the knee is flexing outward (away from center) when you run. The reason that this misalignment happens is because the hip and core are not strong enough to keep everything properly aligned.

    My personal experience confirms this after doing the exercises prescribed by my PT.

    Here is a sample of some of the exercises

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njthA4SVOT8
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=jt_ijlAOmwk&feature=endscreen <----what he does starting at 2:30
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdJWjYNxNz4 <---in addition to kneeling, do these while balancing on one foot (the one furthest frm the band).
  • Jett_05
    Jett_05 Posts: 95 Member
    I sound like a broken record sometimes but.... find an awesome massage therapist to work with. :)
  • prjoy98
    prjoy98 Posts: 250 Member
    I was told by the orthopedist that my issues with the IT band also came from pronating my feet when I ran. So in addition to everything everyone else has said...I now run with orthotics in my Asics Nimbus or Kayano's. They are more of a "stability" shoe and I can definitely feel the difference. There are also some standing/sitting stretches you can do and find online. Good luck!
  • LoreleiEvil
    LoreleiEvil Posts: 65 Member
    Connective tissue that runs down the outside of your thighs and connects behind the knee. It hurts for several reasons, but the most likely is over use/under stretched. I'll have issues when I fail to stretch properly after workouts/runs. What do I do to make it better? Stretch and rest as needed. If you've really made a mess of it, you might want to check with a doc.

    This. IT band pain is a nagging one for those of us who pronate when we walk. I wear New Balance shoes with the Rollbar to help with pronation.

    (those suckers oughta pay me!)
  • mrsemr
    mrsemr Posts: 4 Member
    Recent research has demonstrated that strengthening the core and hips will provide the best benefit for IT Band issues. The band itself is like leather and cannot be stretched. It is the length that it is. The knee pain occurs when the IT Band rubs across nerves in the lower outside portion of the knee. This happens because the knee is flexing outward (away from center) when you run. The reason that this misalignment happens is because the hip and core are not strong enough to keep everything properly aligned.

    My personal experience confirms this after doing the exercises prescribed by my PT.

    Here is a sample of some of the exercises

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njthA4SVOT8
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=jt_ijlAOmwk&feature=endscreen <----what he does starting at 2:30
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdJWjYNxNz4 <---in addition to kneeling, do these while balancing on one foot (the one furthest frm the band).

    Yep--I second that! And the foam roller...hurts to the point of tears, but it seems to help my recovery from my runs. I've incorporated these exercises and foam rolling to my stretching after my runs and it's making a huge difference for me!
  • Holly_penguin
    Holly_penguin Posts: 149 Member
    Gentle or Hatha yoga. Specifically the Pigeon poses and C pose work wonders for me. The discomfort is extreme while in the pose, but the relief is heavenly.
  • weightloss12345678
    weightloss12345678 Posts: 377 Member
    I had issues with one of my IT bands at one point while training for a race. First you going to have to rest and invest in a foam roller. then use something like Youtube to find stretches
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    There's a good article about strength exercises that can reduce problems with your IT Band.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/running/strengthening-beats-stretching-when-it-comes-to-this-common-running-injury/article4365074/

    Squats, Hip Adduction, and Hip Abduction are the exercises I think can help.
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    Iliotibial band = EVIL INCARNATE
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
    Wow! You guys ROCK!! Thanks for the info. Going to buy the foam roller today and spend my night searching YouTube for stretches! :-)
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Spend more of your time looking for strengthening exercises, not stretching. Again, it's like a strap of leather. You can't really stretch it. You can only stretch the muscles that it connects too. A better option would be to strengthen them to eliminate the cause of the problem rather than stretch them to eliminate the symptom.
  • gdrmuzak
    gdrmuzak Posts: 103 Member
    Besides the foam roller (which is a little easier size-wise), one can also roll around on a tennis ball on a firm floor. It also works great for the deep piriformis (think deep muscles behind the glutes).
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    Spend more of your time looking for strengthening exercises, not stretching. Again, it's like a strap of leather. You can't really stretch it. You can only stretch the muscles that it connects too. A better option would be to strengthen them to eliminate the cause of the problem rather than stretch them to eliminate the symptom.

    ^^this
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    I've never fixed the problem with stretching.


    foam rolling, mobility work, and a lacrosse ball worked wonders.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I've never fixed the problem with stretching.


    foam rolling, mobility work, and a lacrosse ball worked wonders.

    Yup. Checkout the Rumble Roller if you have a chance. It is even better than a foam roller.

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