IT band not healing, roller not helping

I got my ITBS about the same time as you.  It took me six weeks and it was gone.  Probably the most intense pain I've ever been through.  I have a couple of suggestions. 

One don't foam roll prior to exercise, do it post.  Then use RICE protocol for recovery.  I also had to take 4 weeks off of running period to start over.  Two have you had your run gait analyzed to make sure you are in the right shoe?  I'd also look at maybe getting a second opinion.  I got luck and my doc in conjunction with my physical therapist nailed it the first go round.  Maybe a fresh set of eyes would help. 

Gook luck.  I hope everything heals up soon enough.

I dealt with this a few years ago.  It started bothering me a the end of half marathon training, but I ran the 13.1 anyway (dumb idea).  Here is what got it better:  no running, no biking, no elipitical (no kidding!),  rolling with a "stick" (i felt like I had more control over the pressure than trying to balance on a foam roller), IT band stretching four times a day (even behind the desk at work when people are looking at you like, what the ?? are you doing?), and turmeric (get it at a health food store-it has anti inflammatory properties and I have had good results with it for these chronic "just won't get better" injuries).  One of the previous posters also had a good point.  When you address IT band issues you have to treat the whole length, not just the insertion by your knee.  The gluteal stretches and foam rolling are just as important.  It only took a few weeks of this (like 2-3) and I was better.

IT Band issues can be a real problem.  The advice that I have is typical of the responses above.  Rest is best, but as an athlete you may not have that option.  Dial back on your mileage.  You may want to think of serious cross training as repetitive stress will not speed your recovery at all.  In terms of treatment an extended warm-up and cool-down is needed for sure.  For warm-up, make sure all surrounding muscles are ready to go.  Rolling with The Stick will give you more accuracy and control like Guppie mentioned.  Roll the insertion and and origin of the IT band as well as the length, but don't over due it.  For Cool-down and recovery, go ahead and roll out my aggressively.  Remember you don't need to roll out for a long period of time to get results.  Icing will help too as well as compression when you are real sore.

Best of luck!

I've always had problems with one side, now, after stating 2 weeks ago, that I feel great going into my final month of HIM training, my other one is acting up!

I will say, that in my experience, the roller actually seems to irritate it more. I see a chiropractor who does ART and lots of stretching. 

How much have you rested it?  IE not done anything but routine walking etc. 

thanks, folks.  i have been completely off it for 1.5 wks now and it isn't much better than it was 4 days after the triathlon.  i looked into ART but the closest place is like 2 hrs away.  doc renewed my Rx on the anti-inflammatory which i believe will take the pain away so i can heal while i'm taking this time off.  i am going to get back into aggressively treating this with the stretches and strengthening.  i have had a bad week for doing anything of my "normal" routine.  i'm considering some deep tissue massage or rolfing.

i am in the correct shoes, same ones i've worn for 1.5 yrs now, 3 different pairs.  took me through 13.1 training just fine.  we have a great shoe / running sports store in town and i was analyzed for this show via slow-mo camera and heel strike.  but it's a good point that maybe my stride has changed.  i actually have better form now, i think, than when i was analyzed, but not sure if that would change my pronation.  i should go see the guy.

so two things I'm hearing hear i should try more of:  1) better warm ups pre-workout, and 2) only foam roll post workout, 3) continue the rolling but focus more on upper thigh as well.

how about warm ups?  what is a warm up really?  i generally have done just a little stretching.  a lot more now focused on the IT band region.  so for a run, what is a good warmup, how long, what intensity or special exercises-- leg kicks or what?  i usually just start out slowly for about 3 minutes, increast intensity for 2 more and go hard after 5.  bike rides are usually in a group and we just start out at a moderate pace.  maybe i should arrive early and do some slow riding, high cadence, low resistance for 5-10 mins prior to group rides?

thanks!

don't do static stretches as part of your warm up.  Static stretches should only be done when your muscles are already warm, so post run.  Here is a link to some dynamic stretches

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-287--13442-0,00.html

I dealt with ITBS for 6 months.  Maybe longer, but I actually took 6 months off of running almost completely (occasional short barefoot runs on the beach).  It was miserable, and really made no progress.  I also had 12 treatments of ART and Graston technique; no improvement.  My coach recommended this place called the Egoscue Clinic.  They deal with postural muscular imbalances, but at a very deep level.  After seeing them, I was actually running pain free in two weeks!  The downside would be that you really have to put in the work.  They give you an extremely detailed workout plan that you need to do every day, and it is usually about an hour or more.  But it was worth it to me, and I feel your pain, so I bet it would be worth it to you as well.

I really don't live close to a clinic; closest one is nearly two hours from me.  After speaking with the doctor on the phone, we agreed that I would make the drive once so he could get a good analysis of my posture, and then all subsequent visits were over email.  It is definitely worth checking out.

I had IT band issues after my first marathon in March.  I had a little case last year during some spring workouts, but it went away on it's own and I didn't worry about it.  The last few miles of the marathon it flared up and it was probably some of the worst pain I've felt in a while.  I ran through it and finished, then figured it would go away with some rest.  I took a week off from running and felt fine, but then when I tried running on it, it got bad.  I'd then take another week off and try again, same issues.  Then I started having calf issues because the ITBS would cause my stride to get all crazy.  Finally 4 weeks of this and I got a foam roller and after using that just a few times, I'm back up to running 6 days a week.  There is still some tightness after longer runs, but it's very minor.  I only roll after running, not right before.  I'm still taking NSAID's for inflamation, and I ice a lot.  I'm also having my personal trainer focus on getting my hips/legs stronger.  I tend to have weak hips and some muscle imbalance. 

My pain only occured during running, I could bike and elliptical without issues.  But when it was bad, it was bad.  I couldn't walk off of a curb nor could I walk stairs when it was flaring up.  Good luck with it; this was my first real experience with ITBS and it was frustrating.  Then I gained 5 lbs in a month because I couldn't really run which made things worse.

I had issues with ITs esp. left leg. The only thing that helped me: rolling on a paint roll. It's smaller and harder then a foam roll, but after 15 minutes on each leg the results were amazing. Apparently running on same side of the road could be the root of the problem: the road slopes and that makes one leg move differently from another. Don't know if that's the case.

Another thing I do when the legs are tight: yoga. 10 minutes in a downward dog gets rid of a lot of lower back pain for me.

Don't like using meds, in fact I avoid pain killers like a plague after popping few advils during Boston and right kidney balloning as a result.

Don't give up and keep biking and swimming.

This. I missed a HM, tooks months off did RICE, rolling etc. 2 sessions with an ART chiro and I was good to go and haven't had an issue since.

This is my own experience: I found the roller better as a preventative.  Once my injury had occurred, the roller seemed to aggravate it.

I tried all the usual things.  It would seem better after a couple weeks and then flare right back up again when I started running.

I finally decided to stop running for several weeks (6 or 8?  can't remember) and not mess with it.  Basically hands-off to let it calm down and avoid anything that would trigger inflammation.  I used some ice but no rolling.

I did some walking just to stretch out a bit.  The bike didn't bother me, but it does for some people with ITBS so be careful with that.

It felt better after a couple weeks (as it usually does) but then I doubled that to be on the safe side.  When I started running again, I kept the distances low and used the foam roller after the run, like others have mentioned on this thread.

It is a frustrating injury and it can take a lot of time to recover.  It's hard to get away from the "must workout" mentality and let it heal.  Swim or bike focus might make it easier

i am just reporting back in here.  i think i am on the healing path.  i have been going to a rolfer for therapy once a week the past 3 weeks.  i think that is helping some or maybe a lot.  the guy turned me on to barefoot running and i got some vibram fivefingers.  i have not ran up to 2 miles non-stop in them without IT band pain!!  i almost cried when i first ran a mile in them for the first time in over 4 months without IT band pain.  WOW.  i have also resumed biking in the past 2 weeks also pain free up to a 31 mile ride this last Wed.  i can still feel the tightness and i know if i were to run in my normal mizuno shoes that the IT band pain would return.  i can feel that i am not fully healed yet.  but to be able to run again and resume some normalcy of training is incredible. 

the barefoot thing i'm still getting used to.  i was hobbled for about 4 days after the first 1.5 mile run followed by 3.5 mi walk.  my calves and lower leg were KILLING me.  so i'm going to take it easy.  i may be able to do a 5k in them in about a month.  i will probably have to skip a sprint tri I had planned on making but a week later in June there is one more local i refuse to miss.  i think i'll be okay so long as i can do it in the barefoot shoes.

doing dynamic stretches only now, and rolling only after a good warmup.  also doing more of a warmup before any kind of exercise

Glad to hear you're feeling better - my two cents after a bout with ITBS a few years ago is not to rule out areas of your body other than your IT band that need strengthening and stretching.  Everything in your body is connected and usually ITB pain is the last signal for your body to tell you something is wrong - even if it comes from your hips, back, etc.  I had a great PT who used both massage techniques, stretching and strengthening moves to help me address the imbalance in my low back aggravated by weak hips ... there was a whole causal chain that I addressed aside from foam rolling and initial releasing techniques. 

It took some time to be totally pain free - probably 7 months or so but that was back in 2007 and aside from the occassional twinge I haven't had a peep from my ITB.  very

Wanted to throw in my experience with the IT band here...

I had major issues with mine for over 2 years, unable to run more than .75mi before pain.  In my pic you can actually see my big knee brace (which I later found out was a complete waste!)

In addition to the stretches and foam roller mentioned numerous times above, I saw a chiropractor who specialized in ART (active release techniques).  After about 5 visits I am MUCH better and my running gets stronger every single time.  I haven't worn the brace since.  Look for an Ironman network provider who does ART.