Run Smart: Preventing and Treating IT Band Syndrome
Calling all runners! It’s summertime– a great time of year for getting off the indoor track or treadmill and onto outdoor running trails or exploring your local surroundings. Running, and any other outdoor exercise, can be fun and vital for improving your cardiovascular and overall health, but it doesn’t come without its risks. If you’re becoming familiar with running-related injuries, you may have heard of iliotibial band syndrome, also known as IT band syndrome, ITB syndrome, or ITBS.
While IT band syndrome is one of the most common overuse injuries among runners, anyone can experience it. Whether you’re a long-time runner, new to the running game, or just experiencing pain on the outer side of the knee, stay informed about this common injury. In the blog post below, Mary Ryan, PT, DPT, CMTPT, of Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin – Shorewood Physical Therapy, is here to describe IT band syndrome and share its common risk factors, prevention tips, and when to seek professional help.
What is IT Band Syndrome?
The iliotibial band is a fibrous connective tissue that runs from your pelvis, along your outer thigh, to the outer surface of the top of your shin bone. Since this structure crosses your hip and knee, it stabilizes your movement. The iliotibial band helps store and release energy during the running cycle.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome is when this iliotibial band becomes irritated – this typically occurs near the lower portion of the band (near the outer part of your knee). The iliotibial band connects via fascia to several muscles in the hip and thigh. When someone presents with irritation to their iliotibial band – it is common to see weakness in the hip and thigh muscles.
What are the Common Symptoms of IT Band Syndrome?
Pain along the outside of the knee is the most common symptom of IT band Syndrome. Symptoms are often described as an ache – sometimes sharp – that occurs during or after activity. Occasionally, this pain can travel up the side of the thigh to the hip. Pain can also occur when navigating steep inclines and stairs, particularly when moving downstairs.
How can Runners Prevent IT Band Syndrome?
Runners like to run! But don’t fall into the trap of avoiding strength training. Focus on the hip abductors, hip external rotator muscles, and core. Strength training can help stabilize your movements and run with proper form.
Additionally, make sure to have properly fitted shoes. Do not exceed 300-500 miles in one pair. Even better – have a few suitable running shoes to keep those feet adaptable. When you get new shoes, make sure to adjust slowly to them. Do not throw out your old pair before you break the new pair in!
Finally, be sure to train at a proper pace. Around 60% of ITB cases are related to training errors. If you increase the amount of loading through the IT band too quickly – whether through increasing running distance too quickly or adding in hill work (downhill in particular) without proper strength/control, you are at risk for developing IT band syndrome.
IT Band Syndrome Prevention Tips:
- Avoid sudden increases in training – pay attention to increases in distance, speed, and hill work
- Strength train! Particularly the hip abductors, hip external rotator muscles, and core.
- Have a professional perform a running gait analysis to see how you can improve your running form
- In general, maintain appropriate nutrition, hydration, stress levels, fitness, and get good sleep!
How to Treat IT Band Syndrome?
If you have iliotibial band irritation as a runner, manage your running load. Did you recently significantly increase your training? Did you start incorporating more hill or speed work? Are you overtraining? These are all vital questions to ask yourself to manage the load on your body. In addition to managing the load, eliminate known aggravating activities to allow tissue healing. Use rest and ice in the acute stages to manage inflammation. You can also complete regular foam rolling to the surrounding musculature: glutes, quadriceps, TFL, and hamstrings.
As previously stated, do not forget to strength train. Focus on your glutes, core, quadriceps, and hamstrings. There is a good chance that weakness in these muscles contributes to iliotibial band syndrome. If strength training is new to you or you’re unsure where to start – we recommend seeing a physical therapist for a detailed evaluation to see which muscles are tight/weak and how those could impact your running form. In addition – a physical therapist will tell you if your foot posture/ footwear is negatively impacting your running form.
Knowledge is power. Don’t wait to find out how your body is moving. The more you know how you run, the more likely you are to avoid injury and improve your overall performance.
Can I still run with IT Band Syndrome?
If you wish to keep running while experiencing IT band syndrome, it depends on the irritability of your symptoms. If you can reduce hill work or mileage and run without symptoms, you can keep going. If you are not already doing so, you should still complete proper strength training to supplement your running to handle increased loading not only on the IT band but on other tissues as well.
If you want to be a better runner – strength train appropriately. If you wish to cross-train by supplementing running with cycling, keep it to a manageable level. Biking can contribute to iliotibial band syndrome.
When Should I Seek Professional Help?
If symptoms persist for over two weeks despite home treatment efforts, seek professional help. Persistent pain or dysfunction indicates that a more thorough evaluation and targeted treatment plan are necessary.
Physical therapists at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin are trained in evaluating and treating IT Band Syndrome, offering specialized care to aid recovery.
To make an appointment with a physical therapist, make an appointment online or call 414-961-6800.
https://www.ohow.com/request-an-appointment/