As chiropractors in a sporting city like Leeds, we have seen our fair share of sporting injuries. Anybody who has played any kind of sport for a period of time, especially runners of any shape, will likely have struggled with their IT band.
IT Band Syndrome, commonly called ITBS, is the bane of many runner’s lives, in fact it is estimated that 12% of all overuse injuries runners suffer from are attributed to ITBS – with 8% of all runners suffering from it at some point. Thankfully treatment can be simple, and more often than not you can get back training in a week or so.
What is The IT Band?
The IT band is a thick strong length of fascia that runs from the outside of the knee to the hip (it originates as the tensor fascia latae muscle that merges into the ITB as it courses down the side of the leg and inserts on the lateral tibial platuae (Gerdy’s Tubercle) to be exact.)
The IT band is extremely tough, and can be difficult to stretch, if possible at all.
What Does ITBS Feel Like?
The pain from ITBS is usually felt above the outside of the knee. It is a sharp pain and worsens when running/walking downhill or when getting in and out of a car, for example. There is actually some dispute over what actually causes the pain when suffering from IT Band Syndrome. Some professionals feel that the pain is caused by the tight IT band rubbing across the femoral condyle. Others suspect it is caused by compression from the underlying bursa, and other such structures. However, these are both symptoms of the underlying length of the IT band being negatively affected.
What Can You Do About It?
Thankfully, treatment is simple and can often be dealt with at home.
- RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression Elevation and avoid the activities which cause you pain while also reducing inflammation.
- Foam rolling – roll out your quads, glutes and IT band itself as often as you can. Rolling out the IT band is uncomfortable, but you’ll benefit from it in the long run.
- Strengthen – one cause of ITBS is instability in the hips and glutes – work to strengthen these areas with squats, lunges and glute bridges.
- Stretch – stretching the IT band is difficult, but you can benefit greatly from trying to do so. Try the stretch in this video.
If the pain persists then you may be suffering from something else, or there may be underlying issues causing the pain. In either case we recommend that you seek professional help immediately, to stop the issue getting worse and prevent further, more extensive damage.
To book an appointment with Morley Chiropractic Clinic just give us a call on 0113 2383693.
