Itb

[thatgnarlyguy]

Anyone ever had iliotibial band syndrome? I think that is what I have... I got back into running and went full into it with 5 mile runs 4 times a week on concrete. Anyway the outside of my left knee kills me after 2 miles into a run now. I have been told ice and stretch. Anyone know better?

 

[TheBubba]

Have it chronically... stretch and ice is all you can do.

 

[Pags]

Take some motrin to keep the swelling down. And don't ramp up a running program that quickly.

 

[gaijin6423]

Some rugby pals from college who went SeALs like to refer to it as the "I Tried Buds" band. Might want to look into one of those snazzy bands people wear on their legs to relieve pressure on said band. Proper warm up, stretching, shoes, and training techniques will prevent most injuries like this*. It's not good practice to just start serious running mileage all of a sudden, especially as your body ages. Eventually, it hurts longer and more often, and that just plain sucks. Or, if you prefer the more colorful analogy of a certain Marine aviator on last saturday: "Marines, eventually you reach a point in your carreer where you'd rather be violated in a prison camp than run 3 miles on a saturday morning."

*--I'm not a doctor, physical trainer, or even that smart, so do your own research before you start taking my advice on this. But I'm right.

 

[gtown99]

Dude I was so there. Went to phys therapists, everything. Love to run, hate having a problem. The stretching, google itb syndrome and it'll give you some stretches, any trainer can too. BUT what was doing it to me was SHOES. I went to a top notch running place. I was wearing a shoe for a pronator, which I'm not and so my shoe was causing the problem, causing my thigh to tighten because of biomechanics. The problem is totally gone now. Check with your shoes. I had it BAD and its perfect now.

 

[TheBubba]

gtown has a good point there... mine is due part to shoes, part to bad ankles and part to a previous knee injury.

After getting a better pair of shoes and inserts, my IT band problems started to go away.

pags is also right about the motrin... it's been a life saver of sorts. Once it starts to get better, stretching it out will help prevent further injury/flare-ups.

 

[Marine4life]

Stretch your hamstrings and the tensor facia lata muscles (look it up on the web) as well as your IT Bands. Tight hamstrings are the main reason people have problems. The best way to stretch your hamstring is to lie on your back, keeping one leg flat on the floor, and pulling the leg you are stretching toward your chest with a belt. You should wrap the belt around the arch of your foot and pull towards you. Make sure you keep both legs as straight as possible. Do 4 sets for 30 seconds, 3 times a day. Make sure you warm up before you stretch or it won't benefit you.

 

[gtown99]

Ghost119, for what its worth. I lived in Memphis TN where I ran xc. Well, after school was practice - humid as hell bc of the mississippi bordering the city, and about 104 heat index every day. In college in Memphis, I wanted to run xc but knew the horrible butterflies before practice, b/c I feared the cottonmouth, and the way I would hurt in that heat would screw with me mentally. So before my soph year of xc, I ran in 100, 95, 94 degrees every day at noon, one or two, and learned to love it. Fast forward, today I am out booking along on a run at about 2pm in texas, listening to the radio and the weather guy said its 100 degrees - couldn't tell it was that hot at all. I think part of the reason I love that now is because I had to work to love it when I used to get weak and tired in it. I wouldn't necessary recommend going out tomorrow in 100 degree heat, might need to start slow on that.

 

[gtown99]

BTW, I hope when you said concrete in that first post you meant asphalt. Never run on a sidewalk or concrete if you ahve a choice. Asphalt "gives" and concrete doesn't. NEVER on concrete.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Did they give you the exercises to strecth it? Stretching your hams does nothing... I got it during TBS, thought it was nothing. Long story short - it locked up and I couldn't flex my right leg during a movement to contact. It's just like most tendinitis - ice massage, and stretch. However, you MUST stretch like they teach you or it does no good... Also, don't let it go - or you haven't seen the worst yet...

 

[Brett327]

Dude I was so there. Went to phys therapists, everything. Love to run, hate having a problem. The stretching, google itb syndrome and it'll give you some stretches, any trainer can too. BUT what was doing it to me was SHOES. I went to a top notch running place. I was wearing a shoe for a pronator, which I'm not and so my shoe was causing the problem, causing my thigh to tighten because of biomechanics. The problem is totally gone now. Check with your shoes. I had it BAD and its perfect now.

Bingo! Look for motion control shoes.

Brett

 

[dvl_dog_2531_90]

Get a foam roll ( http://gymball.com/foamrolls.html ) and stretch the IT band that way.

Lie on your side with the foam roll under your body around your upper hip so that your body is facing the wall. Using your hands, slowly pull your body forward until the roll is around your knee. This will be very painful at first so you can lighten the pressure by displacing some of your body weight by making upper body contact with the floor.

 

[Marine4life]

Did they give you the exercises to strecth it? Stretching your hams does nothing...

Stretching the hammys helped me out a lot. I was/am extremely tight in that area. I saw 2 physical therapists and they both said the same thing in my case.

 

[Schnugg]

BTW, I hope when you said concrete in that first post you meant asphalt. Never run on a sidewalk or concrete if you ahve a choice. Asphalt "gives" and concrete doesn't. NEVER on concrete.

So flight deck is okay? ...3" steel decking
Be careful not to trip on a tiedown chain or the non-skid will do it's work on you.

Got to run when and where you can sometimes.