Jan 14

Written by:
Thursday, January 14, 2010 

Unfortunately, you are not happy about it. Iliotibial Band Pain - words that runners do not want to hear! Your iliotibial band (IT) is a long, non-elastic connective tissue structure that starts from the outside of your hip, goes down the outside of your thigh, and attaches to your thigh bone, knee cap, and shin. It basically is the link between your pelvis, upper leg, and lower leg.

Runners usually suffer from this pain, but it can also be found in hikers and walkers. Causes can include worn shoes, over-training, excessive downhill running, not enough stretching, or tightness of the IT band. Anything that causes that iliotibial band to start rubbing against your thigh bone (femur) as it runs along the knee joint will likely be the start of a dull ache that soon turns into pain during a run. That pain stops after running, only to return later and is often severe enough to make running difficult, if not impossible.

Smart runners stop running if the pain is severe. Stretching, massage, icing, and a gradual return to running is the norm for self-treatment. Pool running is a good alternative exercise substituted for running. However, if there is no improvement after a couple of weeks, you probably want to consider medical treatment. Anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, foam rollers, or ultrasound treatment may be necessary.

If self-massage is not working for you, your massage therapist can help. First, your therapist will warm up the tissues in that tight IT band area. Some slow work needs to be done on warm tissues to avoid unnecessary discomfort for you. Massage will be focused along the length of your IT band area, but avoiding the knee. A variety of techniques, including friction to help break up adhesions, will be used. Communication between you and your therapist is key so your pain threshold is not exceeded.

Tough work, but if you need some help getting back to what you love doing....