It band syndrem

Joined
Apr 4, 2019
Messages
622
Location
WI
My it band has fired up and im looking for any insight on what has worked for you guys fixing it. Im looking for runners/ultra guys input since thats were im coming from. Im new to the long long running. I did my first marathon last year and first 50k april 1st.
The root of my problem i would guess is overtraining. Then my diwn hill form is what made my it band fire up. I did a marathon, 2 50k’s and a marsthon in a 4or 5 week span. A 50k and a marathon 5 days apart when it started.
So from my research it looks like i need to focus on strengthening my glutes with stuff like single leg squats keeping my knees over my toes. I think my knee goes inwards on the down hills. Also stretching my tfl seems to be a problem i need to address. Any itger tips from guys who have gotten over this. Also pavement running hasnt seemed to bother it much at all. so would you think id be fine doing that at a reduced milage just to not completely stop? Thanks for any help!

Edit: i also noticed i dont stay square going down hill. On stairs its easier to notice that i lead with my left leg/hip forward a bit more and my right leg has the issue which is were form is the issue i believe
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 17, 2016
Messages
89
Strength and mobility above and below the IT band is the ticket. Sounds like you’re on the right track with your research into KOT type exercise. A more boring approach is the Myrtl routine, which is pretty much all your tedious PT exercises—and they work if you do them consistently. You can get away with running as much as doesn’t cause you inflammation. Good luck, I’m periodically in the same boat!

 

sacklunch

WKR
Joined
Dec 12, 2022
Messages
412
Rolling above and below followed by targeted stretches (hips/quads/hammies) are what helped me last time mine gave me grief.

I didn't stop running, I just cut back the mileage a bit for a couple weeks.
 
OP
WI in the west
Joined
Apr 4, 2019
Messages
622
Location
WI
Im haply to hear you just cut back a couple of weeks cause june 10th im suppose to do a nightime 38 mile run to help any 100 mile runners finish the race iw as super excited for
 

JP7

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
132
Location
Wyoming
Do some direct strengthening work for your glute medius. Doing so has really helped my IT band and knees.

Banded abductions, weighted abductions, clamshells and the like.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

P Carter

WKR
Joined
Nov 4, 2016
Messages
679
Location
Idaho
This may save you weeks or months of wasted effort: go see a good physical therapist. Best if it’s a sports focused one, or better yet, a pt that is also a runner. A good PT will run you through a series of tests to find your weaknesses, give you exercises to do for a few weeks, then see you after to see if the exercises help, then send you on your way with permanent exercises to do. Pay out of pocket if you have to; a few hundred bucks is worth it in the time saved.

My two cents: strength. I’d bet that your hip complex on the *opposite* side of the IT band issue is weak or not moving right. This can cause overcompensation on the other side, that causes inward collapse of knee and resulting IT band issues.

Runners have notoriously weak/dysfunctional hips, hamstrings, and glutes.

And yes, it does seem that you overdid it. Ramp way down, find out what’s wrong, and do the exercises till it’s better.

Good luck and report back!
 

*zap*

WKR
Joined
Dec 20, 2018
Messages
7,667
Location
N/E Kansas
the first thing to do in order to address an injury is stop doing what caused that injury for a bit and evaluate. but first you need to decide if your injured or just hurt a little.
 

feanor

WKR
Joined
Aug 15, 2018
Messages
1,205
I thought I had a tight IT band for a number of years going into my late twenties. It was really discouraging. Turns out I needed to stretch my hamstring REALLY well. I had neglected basic stretching for a while. Haven’t had a problem since. Could be something to look at.
 
OP
WI in the west
Joined
Apr 4, 2019
Messages
622
Location
WI
This may save you weeks or months of wasted effort: go see a good physical therapist. Best if it’s a sports focused one, or better yet, a pt that is also a runner. A good PT will run you through a series of tests to find your weaknesses, give you exercises to do for a few weeks, then see you after to see if the exercises help, then send you on your way with permanent exercises to do. Pay out of pocket if you have to; a few hundred bucks is worth it in the time saved.

My two cents: strength. I’d bet that your hip complex on the *opposite* side of the IT band issue is weak or not moving right. This can cause overcompensation on the other side, that causes inward collapse of knee and resulting IT band issues.

Runners have notoriously weak/dysfunctional hips, hamstrings, and glutes.

And yes, it does seem that you overdid it. Ramp way down, find out what’s wrong, and do the exercises till it’s better.

Good luck and report back!
Funny you say that about the opposite leg being weak, i just got some bands an hour ago and was doing the side steps across the yard and thought it was strange my left glute was feeling the burn much more then my right.
But i have tried to stretch somewhat regularly. Not as much as i shpuld but i always steetch out good a few times a week.
But yeah im ramping down since i have a real good base and im focusingon recovering a few weeks. I just dod a 6.5 mile road run with out much issue. Which makes sense my form goes to crap on down hills on trails is what im thinking and then causesing the inflamation to start. Im really trying to focusimg on staying square going down the stairs cause thats were i noticed my crookedness
 

P Carter

WKR
Joined
Nov 4, 2016
Messages
679
Location
Idaho
Funny you say that about the opposite leg being weak, i just got some bands an hour ago and was doing the side steps across the yard and thought it was strange my left glute was feeling the burn much more then my right.
But i have tried to stretch somewhat regularly. Not as much as i shpuld but i always steetch out good a few times a week.
But yeah im ramping down since i have a real good base and im focusingon recovering a few weeks. I just dod a 6.5 mile road run with out much issue. Which makes sense my form goes to crap on down hills on trails is what im thinking and then causesing the inflamation to start. Im really trying to focusimg on staying square going down the stairs cause thats were i noticed my crookedness
One diagnostic is to step as slowly as possible—literally, it should take like 60–120 seconds—down off the last stair. Weak hips will burn and your knee will collapse inwards. Try this on both legs and I’d bet your opposite hip is weaker…

In any case, do the band exercises and hang in there!

What worked for me is as follows…I’ll try to describe. Wrap the band around a solid object, leg of a couch or something. Put the other side around your ankle as low as it will go. So three sets of ten of each of the following, sloowwwlllyy: foot pulling straight sideways away from couch. Foot pulling 45 degrees in front of you and away from couch. Foot pulling 45 degrees behind you away from couch. Switch foot and repeat. The foot with the band around it is the outside foot, I.e., you stand on the foot nearest the couch, stretch the band across you to the opposite foot. It burns.
 
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