How did your IT Band Syndrome Heal - gradually or immediately?

I had terrible hip pain after training for a half marathon. I took a couple of months off and got back into running with no pain. Then my hip pain came back, this time in a different location and it was way worse than before. Went to see a sports medicine dr. and he gave me stretches/exercises to do. I think I got pregnant before I got back into running again - I was running a little bit, but nothing like I was before.

I took 6 years off from running (3 pregnancies).

I am back in it now and very aware of injuring myself. Any sign of pain in my hip or knees and I'll be treating it immediately. My goal isn't long distance anymore - 3-5 miles is my max.

I don't run much for this very reason. When I ran more back in the day, I had to spend a ton of time rolling out my IT bands...eventually it just wasn't worth it and I just pretty much went full cyclist...and I swim a little. I do have aspirations of doing a sprint triathlon though so one of these days I'm going to just have to suck it up. I was usually fine so long as I was foam rolling religiously...but I was seriously having to roll for like 20 minutes after every run to keep things loose.

Pfft, if you started having problems in May and you're already running 3.5mi, you'll be fine.

A few years ago, I wound my IT bands (both of 'em) up so tightly and pushed through the pain for so long that one day I couldn't even *walk*. I was curled up on the couch, sobbing on the phone to my mommy. I spent about four months in physical therapy, doing flexibility and strength work like you are. (And electric stimulation/TENS--that stuff is SORCERY). There was absolutely *no* chance of me running during most of that time. I swam a little. I had to wear those IT band support wraps under my pants just to get through the days without gritting my teeth in pain constantly for at least the first couple of months.

Well, I stuck with most of the exercises. Fast forward a few years, I ran a marathon. Currently training for another.

ITBS is wretched, but it *is* curable. You just need patience and a stronger butt.

This is going to sound very simple & obviously may not work for all but I finally found the cure for mine.
I had IT band issues that started in my hip during my first 1/2 marathon training. It was sooo awful. I stopped running for awhile. When I took it back up (I LOVE it too much to stop!!) the pain was back with a vengeance. I decided that I probably just needed to be done. I did some final research & found some stretches that seemed odd but decided to try them. I seriously have little to NO pain now. Apparently it was my inner hip flexor (I have no idea if that is the technical term it is just the best way I can describe it) that tighten up when I run. Doing butterfly stretches are my favorite & seem to do the trick. You just sit or lay back with your knees bent all the way up & lay them open. I usually fall forward over them to get the best stretch but I had to work up to that. There are other (more awkward) stretches that work well too. If you look up "hip opener stretches" you should find a few. I usually do these stretches right after a run & then if I'm just sitting around watching TV.

I hope it works as well for you all as it did for me. It's an awfully painful injury to contend with.

I had issues that showed up during the last few miles of my first HM as hip pain, and they started again once I began doing 10+ mile training runs again after that. I found exercises to work on hip flexors, core and glutes and just did those religiously for a while. The problems have since gone away until very recently after I skipped several weeks of those strength sessions. Needless to say I am doing those again and have been pain-free since (with some added help from my foam roller).