General Discussion Triathlon Talk » IT Band Recovery Experience Rss Feed  
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2013-10-29 9:32 AM

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Subject: IT Band Recovery Experience
I'm sure this has been talked to death on here but the IT Band bug finally hit me. I think I ramped up a bit too quickly for my first HM a few weeks ago and had pain on the outside of my left knee that lasted about 4-5 days after the race. I took 2 weeks off and tried an easy jog only for the pain to come right back. I went to an ortho just to rule out anything serious and he quickly confirmed IT Band Syndrome. He recommended stretching, foam rolling and an additional 2-4 weeks off followed by an ease back into running.

Looking for any experience and other general advice on recovering from IT Band Syndrome... Thanks in advance!

-Bryan


2013-10-29 9:52 AM
in reply to: swimbikerun81

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
The first time I ever started to build up my running mileage was when I went through my bout with ITBS. That was in 2009 and despite my stretching and foam rolling I still ended up suffering through a fall half marathon with it. After that it was the off season and the down time really help me heal. I'd have to double check my logs but after a week or two off I was just maintaining 12-15 miles per week through the winter. This seemed to help as it went away and I continued to foam roll and stretch for another month or two.

I haven't had any IT band issues since and I no longer foam roll (or stretch ), but I do try to keep a decent running base which seems to keep that injury from reappearing.
2013-10-29 10:05 AM
in reply to: swimbikerun81

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Had it and it's very treatable. Main thing for me was the REST. Then, i started back slow. Ice, Foam rolling and stretching/strengthening is a must and I still do it to maintain. My recovery was more like 6 weeks. If you must run/train during that time, there are some really good neoprene type straps that you wrap around the area to immobilize the IT band and help with the pain; however, this is a bandaid fix and not a cure. Amazon has some cheap ones. I did a Tough Mudder with the thing on and it helped.
2013-10-29 10:09 AM
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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience

- double post -



Edited by brucemorgan 2013-10-29 10:09 AM
2013-10-29 10:09 AM
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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience

My first experience with IT band problems was during the training for my first marathon in 2004, training with Team-in-Training.  The coach said "no way you can fix this on your own and still make the marathon, see a physical therapist now".  So I did, and the PT cured it enough for me to finish the marathon.  I still had problems, but I didn't DNS/DNF it.

Since then I've had several bouts with IT band issues and when it's flared up bad enough to hurt, I see a PT.  I've had great luck with ART ("active release therapy") trained therapists.  Check out http://www.activerelease.com/ (disclosure: I have no affiliation with these folks, just good results from them).  I've never seen results from just resting.  I've tried it a few times, and it just comes right back. My opinion now is that you have to just treat it "right" or it will just come right back.  Darn things are pesky that way!

To keep healthy, generally I roll with a foam roller and do various IT band specific stretches taught to me by various PTs. 



Edited by brucemorgan 2013-10-29 10:11 AM
2013-10-29 10:35 AM
in reply to: swimbikerun81


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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
I'm literally just coming back from IT problems that have lasted 6 months. About 200m into the run of the East Coast Tri in April it felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to the outside of my knee. Being the genius that I am I finished (can't have a DNF on my mind)!! It took over a week before I could walk properly again. I was sleeping on the sofa because I couldn't get up/down the stairs.

Long story short I had stretching and strengthening exercises given to me by the physio in July and yesterday I did my first race pace run (albeit only 1.5k) since April. That is the first step back on the long road of tri.

Stick to it and recover strong.


2013-10-29 11:54 AM
in reply to: swimbikerun81

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Strengthening my hip flexors and glutes is what worked for me. A few different workouts that I did every day and used some resistance bands a couple times a week, per the advice of a close friend who is a personal trainer. She recommended doing these exercises for 6 weeks before getting back in to running. Worked like a charm.
2013-10-29 4:05 PM
in reply to: swimbikerun81

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
short version of my response: do all that other stuff, but get a massage too.

long version: rolling, icing, stretching, and alleve have all worked well for me. but the one therapy that had the biggest impact was a massage. i first had ITB issues last year after jumping into a marathon training program too soon after my first HM. The ITB nagged at me all summer, and I treated with rolling, icing and stretching and that all worked well enough (although I wouldn't say I ever got back to 100% -- it would flare up from time to time, and I was always "conscious" of it, but it was totally manageable).

About a month ago I started a marathon training program too soon after a my first HIM, and my ITB flared up really bad on my first long run. It hurt in both the knee area and the hip area, but mostly the knee. I didn't take any time off but did add more rest, increased my icing and rolling and stretching, and generally took my runs easy. Then I got a massage from a massage therapist who works with athletes and it was the best. the massage loosened up my ITB so much. I felt absolutely nothing on my next several runs. It's almost like it never happened. I say almost because I think I'm getting tight again and I feel a little achy in the hip, but it's not bad. My knee area has been fine. My plan (in addition to continuing to ice, roll, and stretch) is to get a massage once a month until my marathon.

I also advocate strength training, and plan to work some into my schedule. I find I usually stay injury free when I'm lifting some. This year I lifted until about June when my HIM got really heavy and I needed the extra rest and recovery.
2013-10-29 4:55 PM
in reply to: buckeyeguy77

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Originally posted by buckeyeguy77

Strengthening my hip flexors and glutes is what worked for me. A few different workouts that I did every day and used some resistance bands a couple times a week, per the advice of a close friend who is a personal trainer. She recommended doing these exercises for 6 weeks before getting back in to running. Worked like a charm.

Ditto (well, the glute weakness anyway)...I lost many, many, months to IT band pain....I'd rest, do the roller, had torture sessions at PT, then go back to running and make it 6/10th's of a mile and get a stabbing pain....was frustrated to the point I quit swimming and cycling. Went to a different PT and in a matter of 15 minutes told me my butt was weak and gave me 3 glute exercises to do. I did them daily, maybe only 15min/day for 3 weeks, then tried running. Did 2 miles. NO PAIN!!! If I got lazy, it would flare up again, but I could do the exercises and not lose time training. She told me, and I was surprised to hear, that despite the cycling and running, she finds many triathletes with weak glutes. (Now to be more faithful to those exercises so I can get back to training again, but that's another post....coming in a day or two)
Hope the OP gets past this!!
2013-10-29 5:58 PM
in reply to: #4887167

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
The one and only time I had this was with my first marathon. It was horrible and I wanted to never get it again. For me the key is keeping a good solid running base and making sure my long run is only 30% of my weekly volume. Also cross training, stretching, foam rolling, chiropractic visits and massage.
2013-10-30 1:01 AM
in reply to: miamiamy

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
I used to have a lot of trouble with IT band issues. What I found was
1) If you have pain, stop. Don't run until you don't have pain because you will prolong the process significantly
2) Watch out for increasing your mileage too dramatically or suddenly adding in hills or tilted pavement.
3) Once it doesn't hurt I do these strengthening exercises to keep it from flaring back up. Mostly I do the side leg lifts regularly. I haven't had IT pain for years, (until Sunday, when I ignored #2 above at Austin 70.3!)
http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/stretching-and-strengt...


2013-10-30 9:32 AM
in reply to: swimbikerun81

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2013-10-30 9:47 AM
in reply to: tkos

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Dealt with it on and off for years. My experience from many years of PT:

Thing to remember is the ITBand is a band of fibrous tissue that doesn't really stretch. The best thing to do for it is foam roll, massage, ART or other manual therapy that can break up any adhesions/scar tissue that develops within it.
Stretching and strengthening the muscles surrounding it helps too. And go to a good PT to find out why the ITband is irritated/hurt in the first place.

Typically when our glutes (specifically glute medius) are weak, the muscles don't fire properly, which leads to more stress on the ITBand and having it do something it isn't meant to do = pain.

Also, running on a banked surface (sloped on way or the other i.e. side of the road) will irritate the hip and cause ITB pain as well. Worn shoes, poor running gait etc etc...lots to look at to find the cause.

Just my .02

Hope you find some relief and heal soon!
2013-11-01 7:46 PM
in reply to: swimbikerun81


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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Here is an article I wrote on ITBS http://www.irepathletics.com/Articles_and_Resources.html

Feel free to ask any questions

Best in Health,

Scott Proscia, BS ATC M.Ed
Head Performance Coach
www.irepathletics.com
2013-11-01 8:48 PM
in reply to: Rad-Onc PA

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Originally posted by Rad-Onc PA

Originally posted by buckeyeguy77

Strengthening my hip flexors and glutes is what worked for me. A few different workouts that I did every day and used some resistance bands a couple times a week, per the advice of a close friend who is a personal trainer. She recommended doing these exercises for 6 weeks before getting back in to running. Worked like a charm.

Ditto (well, the glute weakness anyway)...I lost many, many, months to IT band pain....I'd rest, do the roller, had torture sessions at PT, then go back to running and make it 6/10th's of a mile and get a stabbing pain....was frustrated to the point I quit swimming and cycling. Went to a different PT and in a matter of 15 minutes told me my butt was weak and gave me 3 glute exercises to do. I did them daily, maybe only 15min/day for 3 weeks, then tried running. Did 2 miles. NO PAIN!!! If I got lazy, it would flare up again, but I could do the exercises and not lose time training. She told me, and I was surprised to hear, that despite the cycling and running, she finds many triathletes with weak glutes. (Now to be more faithful to those exercises so I can get back to training again, but that's another post....coming in a day or two)
Hope the OP gets past this!!


x3. Good luck!
2013-11-02 2:48 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Scott Informative read.... many thanks for posting.

Edited by triosaurus 2013-11-02 2:49 PM


2013-11-03 1:00 AM
in reply to: tkos

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Subject: RE: IT Band Recovery Experience
Originally posted by tkos

That is what your ortho said? Well ITBS is usually the signs that there is a muscle imbalance and a weakness somewhere. No one is symmetrical, but the closer you are the better.

ITBS will keep showing back up if you don't address the imbalances. So you really need an assessment that shows you what is weak and how to deal with it. It is almost always a glute issue by the way.

If you could find a PT that deals with runners and can give you a full range of motion assessment and a series of exercises to strengthen your problem areas, you will be a better runner.


^This! I had left leg ITBS myself and my body is indeed a bit asymmetrical. I saw a running doctor who analyzed me and confirmed ITBS and then sent me to a PT. She also analyzed me and gave me a ton of hip, glute, inner and outer thigh exercises.

It took me 6 months to conquer it. Now I can run comfortably w/o ITBS as long as I keep up with the exercises 2 to 3x a week.

Add to that daily good foam rolling and stretching. Stop running and and see a doctor and PT!!!
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