Iliotibial Band syndrome
What is IT band syndrome?
The iliotibial (IT) band is a thick tissue that runs from your pelvis/hip to your knee. Repetitive bending and straightening of the knee causes constant rubbing of this band over the bony parts on the outside of the knee. This can cause the IT band to become inflamed, resulting in pain along the outside of the knee.
The iliotibial (IT) band is a thick tissue that runs from your pelvis/hip to your knee. Repetitive bending and straightening of the knee causes constant rubbing of this band over the bony parts on the outside of the knee. This can cause the IT band to become inflamed, resulting in pain along the outside of the knee.
Common causes
- Long distance running (especially uphill and downhill).
- Walking long distances.
- Repetitive jumping/hopping.
- Other activities that involve repetitive bending and straightening of the knee; rowing and cycling.
- Starting a new exercise program that involves a lot of bending/straightening of the knee, and progressing too quickly to allow the muscles to adjust to the new demands.
- Being knocked kneed or bow legged.
- Muscle imbalances; tight IT band and/or weak muscles on the inside of the knee/thigh.
- Long distance running (especially uphill and downhill).
- Walking long distances.
- Repetitive jumping/hopping.
- Other activities that involve repetitive bending and straightening of the knee; rowing and cycling.
- Starting a new exercise program that involves a lot of bending/straightening of the knee, and progressing too quickly to allow the muscles to adjust to the new demands.
- Being knocked kneed or bow legged.
- Muscle imbalances; tight IT band and/or weak muscles on the inside of the knee/thigh.
Signs and Symptoms
- Diffuse pain to the outside of the knee with repetitive bending and straightening of the knee, especially when weight bearing; i.e. walking, running, going up and down stairs.
- Tenderness along outside of the knee.
- Diffuse pain to the outside of the knee with repetitive bending and straightening of the knee, especially when weight bearing; i.e. walking, running, going up and down stairs.
- Tenderness along outside of the knee.
Treatment
- Take a break from the aggravating activity (i.e. running) to prevent further irritation.
- Ice the sore painful area for 20 minutes every 2 hours.
- Once pain free and returning to running/exercising, do so gradually! Too much too soon will re-aggravate your IT Band.
- If you are a runner, try trail running. Running on a flat surface such as a treadmill or the road causes your leg to bend and extend in the exact same way over and over again. Running on a varied surface mixes things up, decreasing the repetitive movements at the knee.
- Always make sure you do a good warm up before you exercise. Warming up the IT band properly can prevent pain and stiffness during your activity.
- Stretch your IT band daily, especially after you exercise. Make sure you hold each stretch for 30 seconds and repeat at least 3 times.
- Take a break from the aggravating activity (i.e. running) to prevent further irritation.
- Ice the sore painful area for 20 minutes every 2 hours.
- Once pain free and returning to running/exercising, do so gradually! Too much too soon will re-aggravate your IT Band.
- If you are a runner, try trail running. Running on a flat surface such as a treadmill or the road causes your leg to bend and extend in the exact same way over and over again. Running on a varied surface mixes things up, decreasing the repetitive movements at the knee.
- Always make sure you do a good warm up before you exercise. Warming up the IT band properly can prevent pain and stiffness during your activity.
- Stretch your IT band daily, especially after you exercise. Make sure you hold each stretch for 30 seconds and repeat at least 3 times.
- Roll out your IT band daily especially BEFORE you exercise. You can use a foam roller as shown in the first picture, or a rolling pin as shown in the second picture. Roll out from just below the bony prominence on the outside of your hip to just above the knee. This will decrease the tension in your IT band, hopefully reducing pain during your activity.