As one of the most common overuse injuries experienced by runners, you’ve probably heard of iliotibial (IT) band syndrome before but you may not know exactly what it is or how to treat it effectively.
You might have hip pain or thigh pain but the most common symptom of IT band syndrome is pain on the outside of the knee. A quick look at the anatomy and location of the IT band explains why:
Your IT band runs down the side of your thigh from your hip to the outside of your knee, helping to stabilise your pelvis and knee joints when you move. If the IT band becomes tight then it can rub on the thigh bone where it wraps around the side of your knee. This friction causes inflammation and leg pain.
Early treatment for IT band friction syndrome
- Don’t ignore the early warning signs of aching, this condition can become quite severe. The first line of treatment is to cut back on all activities that make your symptoms worse to a point where they are comfortable. For some activites, this may mean temporarily stopping altogether. This doesn’t mean doing nothing at all though … you can cross train in the short term to keep up your fitness levels. Swimming is ideal.
- Try gently massaging the painful spot with an ice cube in small circle for about 3 -5 mins to relief pain. Stop when the area goes numb to avoid an ice burn.
- Use a foam roller to massage and encourage better movement of the IT band:
Don’t bother trying to stretch your IT band, it’s not designed to lengthen like a muscle does. Stretch out around your hips instead for better results.
Exercises to help the IT band recover and to prevent recurrence
If your buttock muscles (glutes) are weak, smaller muscles around your hips have to work harder than they should. One of these small muscles – Tensor Fascia Lata (TFL) – attaches directly to the IT band, so if it is overworking this causes tension to build up in the band itself.
So to treat the underlying cause of IT band friction syndrome you have to strengthen your glutes while trying to keep the work for TFL to a minimum. Here are a few of our favorite exercises to achieve this.
Side-lying leg lifts
Side lying leg lifts are the most effective way of targeting your outer glutes, without firing up your TFL. It’s ideal for early stage rehab when your knee is still sore and it looks easy but lots of people don’t do this exercise correctly. Getting your leg in exactly the right position is the key:
- Lie on your good side.
- Straighten out your top leg and press back slightly, so it’s in line with your body.
- Imagine you are lying with your back against a wall and that you are sliding your leg up the wall as you lift it. Hold for 5 seconds and lower again.
- Repeat until fatigue
Single leg bridge
Single leg bridge is another great way of strength and conditioning exercise for runners:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and lift up your pelvis
- Keep your pelvis level and straighten one leg. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat on the other side
- Lower and repeat 8 times
Standing side-steps with elastic exercise band
As soon as you are able, without causing any pain, it’s important to move on the strengthening your glutes while you are on your feet. Try side stepping into a resistance band:
- Tie an elastic exercise band round your thighs just above your knees
- Sink down into a mini squat position and slowly side step
When you’re pain free during all normal daily activities again, you can start to build up your running again. You’ll need to start at a comfortable level and increase things gradually. Interval training can be helpful initially.
