IT-Band Stuff



H

Hank

Guest
Dear All, Just writing to solicit some advice from some of
you that may have experienced similar problems. I have been
running injury free for a while but recently (starting about
2 weeks ago) had some pain on the side of my right knee that
feels like its an IT-Band problem. It hurts rotating the
knee through about 30 degrees from the extended position and
going down stairs was painful at its worst. I took a week
off an began running again. Little pain during the easy, 20
minute run but the pain after exercise came back again. Took
another couple days off an ran again today. Easy, 20 mins.
And now, pain again, though not as bad as before and now,
about 9 hrs after my run, its basically gone. I should say
that I bought a new pair of running shoes a few weeks ago.
No big changes. Just went from an old pair of Asics 2080s to
some new 2090's. My training loads have been constant over
the past month or two, definitely no increases in mileage or
changes in running surfaces or routes. I've been medicating
as well, therapeutic NSAIDS prn. I'm just afraid that I will
take another few days off and run, and then have the same
problem. I want to address the cause, but its difficult to
discern and it seems like I've attacked all the variables.
I've been stretching extra good too and trying to strengthen
my adductors. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Hank
 
No advice, just here to commiserate. I recently was
diagnosed with the same problem. I had gotten up to 16 miles
in training for a late spring marathon, but the pain
steadily increased, so I had to pull back. I haven't tried
to run in 6 days, per my doc's advice.

I'm also frustrated with all the variables...I seem to have
several of them. My feet are kinda flat, my legs are kinda
bowed, I recently increased my mileage (tho not too fast, I
don't think), etc.

This sucks.

[email protected] (Hank) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Dear All, Just writing to solicit some advice from some of
> you that may have experienced similar problems. I have
> been running injury free for a while but recently
> (starting about 2 weeks ago) had some pain on the side of
> my right knee that feels like its an IT-Band problem. It
> hurts rotating the knee through about 30 degrees from the
> extended position and going down stairs was painful at its
> worst. I took a week off an began running again. Little
> pain during the easy, 20 minute run but the pain after
> exercise came back again. Took another couple days off an
> ran again today. Easy, 20 mins. And now, pain again,
> though not as bad as before and now, about 9 hrs after my
> run, its basically gone. I should say that I bought a new
> pair of running shoes a few weeks ago. No big changes.
> Just went from an old pair of Asics 2080s to some new
> 2090's. My training loads have been constant over the past
> month or two, definitely no increases in mileage or
> changes in running surfaces or routes. I've been
> medicating as well, therapeutic NSAIDS prn. I'm just
> afraid that I will take another few days off and run, and
> then have the same problem. I want to address the cause,
> but its difficult to discern and it seems like I've
> attacked all the variables. I've been stretching extra
> good too and trying to strengthen my adductors. Any advice
> is greatly appreciated.
>
> Hank
 
[email protected] (Hank) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Dear All, Just writing to solicit some advice from some of
> you that may have experienced similar problems. I have
> been running injury free for a while but recently
> (starting about 2 weeks ago) had some pain on the side of
> my right knee that feels like its an IT-Band problem. It
> hurts rotating the knee through about 30 degrees from the
> extended position and going down stairs was painful at its
> worst. I took a week off an began running again. Little
> pain during the easy, 20 minute run but the pain after
> exercise came back again. Took another couple days off an
> ran again today. Easy, 20 mins. And now, pain again

I agree that this is most likely an IT-Band problem. My
advice to you would be to stop running all together for at
least 7-10 days (I know it's hard, but if you want the pain
to stop you have to). If you can, get on a bike during that
time, because that usually won't aggravate the problem.
Avoid stairs and downhills like the plague. After your rest,
you have to gradually move back up to your normal
distance/time. Run 1 to 2 miles slowly, if you feel any kind
of dull ache, or worse, pain in your knee then stop (you can
still bike afterward). Ice your knee, stretch, and take 2-3
ibuprofin when your done. Take a rest, or bike the next day,
then run the day after your rest up until you feel
discomfort (but no longer), rest again the following day.
Each day you run, you should get a little farther befor the
discomfort appears. After a week or two it should be gone
completely. It usually takes 3-4 weeks to completely get
over a case of ITBS. Never run steep or long downhills
during this time and try to avoid running on roads that
slant at the edge. If you can, stick to sidewalks and
running paths.
 
You don't say how far you run, but it sounds like
you're doing everything you're supposed to do in
combating IT problems.

I struggled through it, but it isn't easy. First, try taking
more than a couple days off .. take a whole week, and be
sure to elevate and ice the area for about 20 mins a day. I
also used Vioxx to help control the swelling (prescription,
but just an anti-inflamatory, so doctors usually even give
you some free samples, it's not a narcotic) .. I also bought
and used a cho-pat, or "pat strap" .. available on the
internet. It's a cloth strap you wrap around your leg just
above the knee, holds the it band in place and reduces
irritation. It worked wonders for me.

And you shoes perhaps just aren't proving enough support.
you don't mention if you pronate or not, but maybe you
should look at the Asics gel foundation or gel mc, both more
of a motion control shoe.

Be patient. Pushing the it too hard and fast just makes it
worse. If you are patient with it and take the time to
address the issue, it will go away.

Good luck!

[email protected] (Hank) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Dear All, Just writing to solicit some advice from some of
> you that may have experienced similar problems. I have
> been running injury free for a while but recently
> (starting about 2 weeks ago) had some pain on the side of
> my right knee that feels like its an IT-Band problem. It
> hurts rotating the knee through about 30 degrees from the
> extended position and going down stairs was painful at its
> worst. I took a week off an began running again. Little
> pain during the easy, 20 minute run but the pain after
> exercise came back again. Took another couple days off an
> ran again today. Easy, 20 mins. And now, pain again,
> though not as bad as before and now, about 9 hrs after my
> run, its basically gone. I should say that I bought a new
> pair of running shoes a few weeks ago. No big changes.
> Just went from an old pair of Asics 2080s to some new
> 2090's. My training loads have been constant over the past
> month or two, definitely no increases in mileage or
> changes in running surfaces or routes. I've been
> medicating as well, therapeutic NSAIDS prn. I'm just
> afraid that I will take another few days off and run, and
> then have the same problem. I want to address the cause,
> but its difficult to discern and it seems like I've
> attacked all the variables. I've been stretching extra
> good too and trying to strengthen my adductors. Any advice
> is greatly appreciated.
>
> Hank
 
Hank <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear All, Just writing to solicit some advice from some
> of you that may have experienced similar problems. I
> have been running injury free for a while but recently
> (starting about 2 weeks ago) had some pain on the side
> of my right knee that feels like its an IT-Band problem.
> It hurts
.....

i had similar problems last year and i wasn't sure if it was
ITB or something else. anyway, i did a lot of stretching and
that seemed to take care of the problem. here's a link i got
from anthony (a r.r. regular) back then:

http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/itb_stretch/

good luck. jobs
 
Are you doing one of the ITB specific stretches? My
experience is if you have an ITB problem and you do one the
stretches you will jump through the roof because of the
sharp pain it causes.

When I had it I rested for a few days and then gradually
brought in the crossed leg ITB strech into my regular
routine. It took about 3 weeks before I could do the stretch
with no abnormal soreness. In the 4 years since I've had no
further problems.

There is a pretty good book on running injuries that
describes symtoms, diagnostic tests and treatment
recommendations. I think it is called "Running Injury Free"
and is less than $15 through Amazon.

Steve W.

> I've been stretching extra good too and trying to
> strengthen my adductors. Any advice is greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Hank
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Steve W.) wrote:

> Are you doing one of the ITB specific stretches? My
> experience is if you have an ITB problem and you do one
> the stretches you will jump through the roof because of
> the sharp pain it causes.
>
> When I had it I rested for a few days and then gradually
> brought in the crossed leg ITB strech into my regular
> routine. It took about 3 weeks before I could do the
> stretch with no abnormal soreness. In the 4 years since
> I've had no further problems.
>
> There is a pretty good book on running injuries that
> describes symtoms, diagnostic tests and treatment
> recommendations. I think it is called "Running Injury
> Free" and is less than $15 through Amazon.
>
> Steve W.
>
> > I've been stretching extra good too and trying to
> > strengthen my adductors. Any advice is greatly
> > appreciated.
> >
> > Hank

ITBS is my biggest challenge to avoid. i went through at
least a couple of layoffs due to the condition. then i
learned about some variations on the basic standing/legs
crossed stretch. i also found that the piriformis was
involved in this problem - for me, anyway, so i learned a
good piriformis stretch too.

i have found through experience that simply keeping ALL leg
muscles loose and in good shape is the key. it's not easy to
do that, but i make sure that i stretch and ROLL all areas
of the legs after every run, and after a cycling workout, or
any activity that leaves my leg muscles feeling tight. it
seems to be the imbalances that occur through running...
those in varying muscle strength gained by different muscles
and in the amount of tightness that occurs in them.

oh yeah, and that Running Injury Free book is a good one...
i swear by it, too. i have permanently bookmarked several
pages in it.

so take the time off NOW to recover from this, then learn
and do lots of stretches and roll the tight muscles (deep
massage) daily. this can ward off the ITBS. you may have
little bouts with it, but the worst of it can be kept at bay
if you are diligent. and FWIW, i also do some light
stretches of the ITB and piriformis plus the large muscle
groups PRE-run.

hope this helps,

Cam
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (MB) wrote:

> No advice, just here to commiserate. I recently was
> diagnosed with the same problem. I had gotten up to 16
> miles in training for a late spring marathon, but the pain
> steadily increased, so I had to pull back. I haven't tried
> to run in 6 days, per my doc's advice.
>
> I'm also frustrated with all the variables...I seem to
> have several of them. My feet are kinda flat, my legs are
> kinda bowed, I recently increased my mileage (tho not too
> fast, I don't think), etc.
>
> This sucks.

on the subject of mileage with this, i find that mileage
doesn't really play a role for me. even a 6-10k run can do
it sometimes.

for me, it's all about keeping the muscles loose, and
avoiding muscle strength imbalances that start to tighten up
the ITB, etc, which in turn aggravates the knee.

Cam
 
After a few months, here's what's finally helped me (use at
your own risk)... The IT Band connects at the top to the
Tensor Fascia Lata muscle. Take a tennis ball, and lay
sideways on it, with the ball between the top of your
thighbone and your hip (kind of a meaty place). That's the
TFL. Slowly move around on the ball until you find a spot
that hurts; that's most probably a spasm that is tightening
the TFL and pulling on the IT band. Stay on the spot for
about a minute, applying as much pressure as you can stand,
and you should feel it eventually start to release. Repeat a
couple times a day, lightly stretching the IT Band/TFL
afterward. If there is a spasm, stretching without releasing
it won't really help, and will probably just tear more
muscle fibers. I learned this from "The Pain-Free Runner",
and it really helped after 3 months of no progress at all.
Good luck.

Hank wrote in message ...
>Dear All, Just writing to solicit some advice from some of
>you that may have experienced similar problems. I have been
>running injury free for a while but recently (starting
>about 2 weeks ago) had some pain on the side of my right
>knee that feels like its an IT-Band problem. It hurts
>rotating the knee through about 30 degrees from the
>extended position and going down stairs was painful at its
>worst. I took a week off an began running again. Little
>pain during the easy, 20 minute run but the pain after
>exercise came back again. Took another couple days off an
>ran again today. Easy, 20 mins. And now, pain again, though
>not as bad as before and now, about 9 hrs after my run, its
>basically gone. I should say that I bought a new pair of
>running shoes a few weeks ago. No big changes. Just went
>from an old pair of Asics 2080s to some new 2090's. My
>training loads have been constant over the past month or
>two, definitely no increases in mileage or changes in
>running surfaces or routes. I've been medicating as well,
>therapeutic NSAIDS prn. I'm just afraid that I will take
>another few days off and run, and then have the same
>problem. I want to address the cause, but its difficult to
>discern and it seems like I've attacked all the variables.
>I've been stretching extra good too and trying to
>strengthen my adductors. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
>
>Hank
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Hank) wrote:

> Thanks to all for all of the great advice. I have
> committed myself to taking some serious time off. This
> was something I had been planning on doing anyway, just
> because I'm coming off 2 marathons since October and
> I'd like to get some rest in before starting summer
> training for another October 26.2. Initially I took
> about 6 days off before running again. Maybe this
> wasn't enough. Of course I've been icing and stretching
> the hell out of the IT Band, and I just started getting
> into the gym to strengthen my adductors. I'll let
> everyone know how its going.
>
> Hank

careful not to OVER stretch, too. every day is good... just
watch that they are comfortable, not painful stretches.
rolling/deep massage can work out the toughest knots.
 
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