ITB....HELP!!!!!

[GlockG4]

So a bit of background. My girlfriend injured her ITB on her first marathon (running) in Feb, she stoped running for about 3 months. When she started again it was still sore and could only manage about 2k. After a hell of a lot of money spent on physio and chiropractor she can only manage about 8k before the pain starts to get really bad. She stretches and use a foam roller. Any suggestions please? Whe are going to try and tape the itb band tomorrow, but there are a 100 different ways of doing so, so any advice on the best way would also be greatly appreciated.

[New Landy new life]

Did taping the ITB help ?

 

I am suffering the same due to a broken hip in the past, I run really funny with a limp and causes ITB.

 

I only started putting in some proper distance lately due to upcoming Ultra Triathlon this Sunday (first time) and now the ITB thing is flaring up.

 

Desperate to find a temporary fix besides painkillers on the day

[Reinhardt89]

So a bit of background. My girlfriend injured her ITB on her first marathon (running) in Feb, she stoped running for about 3 months. When she started again it was still sore and could only manage about 2k. After a hell of a lot of money spent on physio and chiropractor she can only manage about 8k before the pain starts to get really bad. She stretches and use a foam roller. Any suggestions please? Whe are going to try and tape the itb band tomorrow, but there are a 100 different ways of doing so, so any advice on the best way would also be greatly appreciated.

I have ITB issues. Still have... but there is no use in waiting for the pain to go away. Foam rolling and stretching might give some relief but it doesn't solve the root of the problem which is most likely weak hip and glute muscles. Strengthen those muscles and it might just work. 

 

Concentrate on single leg exercises like single leg squats, single leg deadlifts. If that becomes too easy do it with weights and by standing on a BOSU ball.

 

I can't give you a definitive answer as I only managed to be able to run about 6km after my initial injury, hence the reason I started cycling.

 

Good luck with it, ITBS is a ruthless mofo.

 

 

[Andrew Steer]

The person you should of seen after the physio is a Bio... physio fixes the injury/inflamation, Bio is the one that helps you prevent it happening again by solving whatever caused it through muscle strengthening/balancing. In most cases your stabilizer muscles are weak and imbalanced... you need to get them strong and balanced up. Core work, one legged squats, glute strengthening etc etc

 

2/3 sessions with your bio to asses you and give you a program to rectify your issues and you should be able to get back on the road.

 

I also got bad ITB after my first marathon, stretching and rolling (which you're doing is crucial to control it), but you need to get those stabilizers strong. You basically balance out your muscles so your legs hold their form correctly through your stride, and then the stabilizers help ease the impact of your strike - basically it kind of feels like you've added shock absorbers to your legs.

 

Good luck, it's a pain, but it's a common injury that many of us have managed to move on from 

[_David_]

Have yo checked her shoes?

 

I'm a severe over-pronator but I can only run in neutral shoes. If I try and run in stability shoes I get ITB problems.

[dave303e]

I had it real bad last year, I was fit and running fine and then had 2 races in 2 weekends(both 200+km with min 60km on foot) and on the long hike second weekend my ITB said NO!

I was very nervous as had a bigger event a few months later, I tried physio for few weeks with no success or even progress, I went to see Ortho and had the surgery to release ITB. 

I had the surgery on the firday morning, was on spinning bike by the following Wed with strict instructions to stop if any pain, did a 60km mtb on the friday(7days post opp) no pain just a lot of nervousness. 6 weeks later raced a 500km adventure race and haven't had a single issue since. My 2c it can probably be fixed by physio better, but it takes ages, I have got a really thorough program to prevent it on other side and have gone and had regular assessments from bio since then. Surgery is never ideal, but it does work if you are in a pickle...

[Face Plant]

I used to suffer chronically from ITB and tried almost all methods of treatment short of going for the operation.

 

The only thing that helped me in the end is a tip i got from a very well known ultra distance triathlete. Its basically the sponge roller treatment on steroids. Believe me when i tell you that it is painful but save yourself a lot of money and try this first before going to a Physio and depleting your medical aid in a couple of months.

 

All it takes is a rolling pin... yes the one you have in the kitchen!! get someone to roll your ITB up and down from the hip all the way down to your knee while you are lying on your side. You are going to cry !! but i put money on it that within 2 weeks of doing this daily your ITB will be sorted!

 

Once you have sorted out the ITB Pain you can start to look at the cause! this may take some time as there are so many causes including pronation, muscle imbalances, Genetics. As a point of interest my was caused by the imbalance between my hamstrings and quads.. this is a very common problem in long distance triathletes due to the seating position on a time trial bike

 

Disclaimer: This treatment works ONLY if the injury is caused by the ITB. There are several other injuries that manifest as ITB.

 

A funny thing about ITB is when it appears while running, it always happens at the same distance... mine was 7-8 kms. that is a good way to know if it is infact ITB or perhaps something else

[100Tours]

My 2c worth,

 

Learn to massage her ITB. This will be wildly painful the first time you do it  , but I've found it to be more helpful for my gf than the foam roller. The foam roller is perhaps a good next step once you've managed to release some of the current tightness.

 

technique (as demonstrated on me by an elderly and very experienced sports therapist)

 

- you're aiming for the muscle on the top of the leg and outside of the knee - the 11 o'clock / 1 o'clock position looking down from knee to hip. get this a little warmed up and well oiled for the next step.

- place your one hand on the inside of her knee, and the heel of the other hand (or your thumb) on the outside of the leg (targeting the muscle above)

- tell her to take a deep breath, and then to exhale slowly as you slide the heel of your hand all the way up her leg to the top of the femur. Imagine you're cupping the muscle as you do so. Be gentle - this will be super tender. The exhaling gives you a sense of how much she's hurting and helps stop the ow's. Go all the way in one go.

- repeat 2 to 4 times, going a little firmer if that's ok - imagine stretching the muscle back up her leg (hope that makes sense)

- don't try this daily, maybe every 2nd or 3rd day. you'll bruise her otherwise.

 

this should provide quite quick relief - i.e. within a week

[tjommies3]

I've stopped running, that solved my problem.

[Stretch]

Glutes exercise i.e. squats etc.....simple.....and as Andrew said..bio

[New Landy new life]

Will try the rolling pin method tonight

 

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[Stretch]

Will try the rolling pin method tonight

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

technically it is not a muscle and rolling will do absolutely nothing. the reason why it is sore is because your band is  taking flack because of other weak muscles (i.e quads and glutes)..strengthen those and your band will ease up

[New Landy new life]

It did however postpone the onset by stretching out the muscle. Went for a short 6 km after and ITB pain was very slight after 5.5 km

 

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[karlito]

I think the problem is that most people who cycle or run like being outdoors, and doing a fun activity rather than the boring, repetitive indoor stuff.

 

Unfortunately injury prevention requires regular strength and conditioning exercises. Go see a bio and actually do the stuff they give you. Most likely muscle imbalance or hip instability that can easily be remedied with a bit of commitment. 

 

Stretching and foam rolling will help a bit but not long term. Keep in mind that the ITB cannot really be stretched as it is a thick tendon as Stretch mentioned.

[s14phoenix]

Seems injury has hit me as well   and I am worried about making it to 947. Seems I have a swollen knee particularly in the ITB area where it passes the joint. Apart from the swelling I do not have any pain really.

 

So now I am doing RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to alleviate the swelling around my knee. I am also on anti-inflammatories to try help the swelling come down.

 

My questions to hub-land is how long does the swelling take to go down. How soon before I can starting turning some cranks?? (even if lightly). I already missed the USN Mtb race on the weekend and quite irritated with the injury (even if it is my fault)

 

Will I be able to ride the Macsteel MTB and road race in 2 weeks? 947?

[Erroli8a8]

I had ITB in my running days.

 

The cause for me was the fact that I over pronated. if you put your shoes on the table and look at them from behind and you see that they lean into each other then you pronate your feet. if you look at the sole and you see were on the outside of the heal and the inside of the toe area you pronate.

 

the solution for me was by the sports podiatrist. he made a custom inner sole that levelled out my feet while running. from the first run after that I no ITB ever again. 

 

ITB is the rubbing of the muscle on the side of the knee joint while you run, stop and walk and the pain goes away.