[Closed] Iliotibial band syndrome

I had persistent crippling pain outside my knee for a year or more, I rollered it once, it immediately went away for 6 months, I rollered it again, it went away for 6 months again.

I've no idea what syndrome it was or what was hurting, or if rollers fix ITB pain or not. However it was definitely worth a £15 gamble.

Rollers categorically definitely 100% work for me.

- Molgrips Scientist, MPhys Hons non-snake oil consumer.

foam roller and some stretching worked for me.

Bear in mind you cant "stetch" your ITB as it is adhered to the bone!

The issue is due to inflamation of the ITB where it moves over the bony spur at the side of your knee. Its inflamed so it brushes against the bone causing pain. You have to remove the inflammation and stretching and foam roller etc may feel that you are doing something but there probably of little benefit. Rest, ICE and Anti inflammatories will help you may want consider your shoes etc whilst I believe people adapt if you are using say a "control" shoe this may have a negative impact same if you are using a very light or flat shoe etc. It may be contributing factor as may be weak Gluteus medius muscles.

[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/itb-pain-advice-did-fixing-it-hurt-much#post-5663945 ]Done on a number of occasions[/url]

I had persistent crippling pain outside my knee for a year or more, I rollered it once, it immediately went away for 6 months, I rollered it again, it went away for 6 months again.

I've no idea what syndrome it was or what was hurting, or if rollers fix ITB pain or not. However it was definitely worth a £15 gamble.

Rollers categorically definitely 100% work for me.

- Molgrips Scientist, MPhys Hons non-snake oil consumer.

I have suffered with ITB, trouble for years, Pain in hip mainly and sometimes in the knee.

I was getting a massage after the Fred Whitton a few years ago and the masseur, said that a she could feel scar tissue gathered around my ITB, she massaged it and the pain went away ( for the first time in years) when it hurts now I massage the scar and the pain goes away for a long while. The scar is from when I cut my leg, when I was about 9 years old ! ( It's a big bugger mind) Why I had not thought of this I do not know.

Perhaps you have something similar ?

i have had bad knees and crippling pain for over 14 months and have accumilated various other conditions as a result. I am now seeing the best people about it but it has really made my life hell. Can I presume you have knee pain and give you my advice? I think you are referring to the stanford report about hip abducter strength? You prob can't do anything about that in 5 days. Everyone agrees to ice them i think. My suggestion is that you do not aggravate the itb as it hits the knee. so if you get a foam roller, don't go that far down your leg when rolling, stay half way up. another thing that might take the strain off and prevent further aggravation is to do things that will keep that itb uncontorted. maybe adjust your cleats so that you are slightly 'duck'?

when you get around to seeing a phsyio and undertake treatment, be very wary and conservative.

Perhaps you have something similar ?

Who knows. I read so many theories online that I couldn't come to any kind of conclusion about what was actually wrong with my knees (it happened to both btw - first the right then if I pressed on, the left).

Rollering definitely worked for whatever my problem was though. Very sharp local pain in one spot just near the top of my tibia.

Buy the roller. If it's what I had, it'll fix it instantly.

EDIT I am talking about running btw. Never had an issue of any kind on the bike.

so if you get a foam roller, don't go that far down your leg when rolling, stay half way up

this. the problem isn’t in your knee, it’s further up the chain in your glutes/hip

I was running yesterday when it came on suddenly. The bike doesn't seem to bother it but I have heard people say that the bike causes it, the running shows it. However, given how little people seem to actually know about itb issues, I'd have to say must be purely speculative.

The pain was in the knee after about 90 minutes although the IT band did feel sore when I got home.

I did find an ebook for $20 that promises to be the most complete reference on the subject but I do wonder if that's just milking people's desperation as the internet seems to be full of long drawn out horror stories.

I had it something chronic when I was a runner, and in the end I went to a podiatrist. I apparently underpronate something rotten. For sports I now have insoles to force the foot into a proper place and it has gone.

Yep, had orthotics for a couple of years now. Without those, I wouldn't have got this far.

I'm not qualified, but seems to me there are two issues - how to make it stop hurting, and how to stop it hurting again.

If you haven't already seen someone qualified, go and see a physio - they will determine what is actually causing the problem, and then decide how best to deal with the two issues.

In my case, the pain was taken away by acupuncture - think of it as very localised massage or rollering. Amazing results. I don't care if the medical evidence doesn't support it, so don't bother arguing with me about it. It really worked.

Stopping it coming back has been a bit more trial and error - I have weak glutes, a damaged hip rotator and a tendency to have lower back problems, which in turn triggered the ITB problem.

I now have a half hour session with an osteopath every six weeks, after a series of crippling back pain episodes this time last year. He also gets me to do the fairly regular types of stretching for my lower back/hip/glutes.

Not only has the back pain gone, but my ITB hasn't played up at all in the last 12 months. Not cheap, but I haven't gone 12 months without a back episode for about 10 years before this, which means I can ride bikes, play with the kids and avoid sickness absence meetings at work, all of which means a lot less stress in my life.