IT Band Issues with knee

[doc holiday13]

check out Squat University on YT.. He has LOTS of exercises to help improve strength in areas of weakness. Do Yoga or find a 20-30 minute full body stretch routine.
Also work on flexibility. It will take 1-2 months of near daily stretching to start seeing the benefits. Strength and flexibility are both attainable but you have to commit to it.. They are equally important especially as you age.

 

[Stocky]

check out Squat University on YT.. He has LOTS of exercises to help improve strength in areas of weakness. Do Yoga or find a 20-30 minute full body stretch routine.
Also work on flexibility. It will take 1-2 months of near daily stretching to start seeing the benefits. Strength and flexibility are both attainable but you have to commit to it.. They are equally important especially as you age.

Too clarify I don't think I said anywhere my age but I'm only 28 people but I've started a strengthening program primarily body weight as well as some targeted stretching to try gain some mobility and release a fee tight muscles that are clearly guarding.

One thing my PT noticed I'd that I definitely walk with my quads primarily so consciously trying to walk with my glutes is something something I can do during the work day.

 

[Stocky]

Also thanks for all the content in this thread people. I'll try and perfect a routine that works and that's sustainable as I'd like to start future proofing my mobility as this is a bit of wake up call I'm not 20 anymore and I'll have to work to be able to do the stuff I do.

 

[doc holiday13]

Too clarify I don't think I said anywhere my age but I'm only 28 people but I've started a strengthening program primarily body weight as well as some targeted stretching to try gain some mobility and release a fee tight muscles that are clearly guarding.

One thing my PT noticed I'd that I definitely walk with my quads primarily so consciously trying to walk with my glutes is something something I can do during the work day.

Flexibility is still important at 28. If you're not flexible you can get injured just as easily as someone who's flexible but not strong. they are equally important and it sounds like you're not flexible. Even at 28 you need to have a full body stretch routine you do at least 1x or 2x a week

 

[Stocky]

Flexibility is still important at 28. If you're not flexible you can get injured just as easily as someone who's flexible but not strong. they are equally important and it sounds like you're not flexible. Even at 28 you need to have a full body stretch routine you do at least 1x or 2x a week

Oh I'm not arguing that its definitely important and starting to form the habit now before it become even more important. I was more joking around that a few posts that sounds like they thought I was much older. Clearly it matters at my age as its started causing me issues.

 

[eli425]

Skimmed through the thread and seems most recommend stretching and rolling. Like someone mentioned, IT band pain comes from weaker supporting muscles. They tighten up and squeeze on that band, causing it to have less room to move around, and it pulls from under your knee where it connects Ive personally dealt with IT band issues and helped 10 other guys in my unit.

The stretching and rolling will help but technically you arent even putting a dent into your actual band but into the muscles surrounding it, hoping for it to ease up.

Continue with the stretching and rolling, BUT religiously work on these exercises daily. I had good luck with a session in the AM and in the PM.

Get a Small band that isn't too strong for starters
1. put both legs into it, keep band ankle high. knees bent at roughly 45 deg, and take 10 steps to the left and 10 steps to the right. Known as monster walks I believe.

2. Lay on the unaffected side, knees together, and with the band around your ankles. And lift your top foot up against the band. 10-15 of these. Known as a reverse clam.

3. Lay on the unaffected side, knees together, ankles together, band around your knees. Lift your top knee while keeping ankles together. 10-15 of these. known as the clam.

4. lay on unaffected side, no band. Hang your top leg slightly behind yourself. Use your heel of the top leg to write out each letter of the alphabet in the air. Your whole leg should be moving around/floating as your work through it. This one gonna get you the most.

Do 3 sets of this in the AM and PM.

For the exercises where you lay on your side, make sure you are laying on your hip and not slightly facing up. Your body needs to lay perpendicular to the floor. Don't cheat yourself.

For numbers 2-4 i recommend doing the other side too for balance.

Im not a doctor, pt, or anything. Just the team medic back in the day and struggled for a good bit with this problem. This regiment was legit the only thing that helped. I even had my IT band scraped at one point and while it did help initially it all came back shortly after wards. This program was the only solution that gave lasting results. Within a week was feeling better and after a month or so, everything was completely gone. No drugs, medications, etc.