itbs - help and advice

Please help,

I was out on my LSR two weeks ago today 13/3/11 and found I was having throbbing pain in side of my right knee, this irritation started at 6 miles but silly me carried on to 19 miles until pain became so uncomfortable that I could not straighten leg !! Once I finished running the pain stopped.

I did a little research and diagnosed myself as suffering ITBS, anyway seen a physio the two days after injury, and he diagnosed the same he ultrasounded massaged and manipulated leg, pain did not go away. Anyway I have had another 2 physio sessions, foam rolled 3 times a day for the past two weeks and had massages every other day. I have tried a ITBS strap no joy I have had feet analysed and changed my feet to a more suitable trainer but still no joy !!

Please could somebody help, II have been training since November for VLM and have done a 15, 16, 16 and 19 and 19 mile run and do not want to give up anyone got a magic cure for this ?? Cortisone injections or so on ?? What about training until the day ? Should I be replicate what I was running on cross trainer etc .. as this does not hurt knee !! If I do not run until the day will I be able to wing it on the day ??

Hiya,

I had ITB a couple of years ago, but mine was higher up the band i.e. nearer the hip.

 My physio did a load of deep tissue massage and kept making me do a oad of stretches which lenghten the band. Also he advised me to keep running.

 After a couple of weeks of the streches my pain had completely gone which I think was down to the stretches.

 Yours may be different though as your pain is nearer your knee.

Hope it all works out and good luck with the FLM.

Trev.

Been there and the only thing that sorted my knee out was rest, i did try nearly all the other things you mentioned and had no joy,  training till then..maybe swimming.

Wing it on the day? you prob could but it will not be pretty and i doubt you will enjoy it but i understand your desire to run....think about your long term health though and consider the dirty word "deferring" till next year.

Trevor Griss 2 wrote (see)

Also he advised me to keep running.

Never heard that one before but hey i'm no physio

I suspect he told me to keep running as it was higher up the leg nearer the hip. I think it was just a rubbing of the band on the hip.

 To be honest when I ran the pain went after a few minutes. It was always more painful when I wasn't running.

Hi i have spent quite a few months trying to deal with with physio and regular stretching when i saw a podiatrist and he advised some orthotics and one other thing he suggested was a Mueller ITBS strap which has been a god send.  I am also running VLM next month and this has meant i can train with no pain.  Don't think it has gone completely but if wearing this gets my through the day then i am all for it.  For £20 it might be worth a try.

 http://www.return2fitness.co.uk/Supports_And_Braces/Knee_Supports/ITB57927

 HTH

I think I may have had something similar today. About 4 miles into my long run it felf like my left knee cap was coming off. Had to stop as couldnt run at all.

 The pain seemed more around the knee area rather than the left hand side (which is where the IT band is I think) any ideas anyone?

I also did a new extension to my route which has a couple of steep climbs very early on and I probably didnt warm up enough so this might also be something to consider

I too have the same problem, and I too and training for the VLM next month. However mine has been too severe to push past 14 miles as yet. I did this on Saturday but it took just under 4 hours because I kept having to stop, stretch and rub the band to get more out of it.

I've seen a physio and he has diagnosed that this is due to some pelvic asymmetry and has given me some stretches to do. I've done these every day (as well as foam rollering) and things aren't getting any better.

I've really worked myself up into a stress about things now because I will be devastated if I can't take part in the marathon. I'm going to go back to the physio again this week, so I hope that will continue to help things.

Good luck though!

Guys I've just spent three months trying to run through ITB pain and all it's done is make a mess of my season so far. Rest now becasue it'll only get worse if you don't and you could put yourself out for months and months. Give yourself at least two weeks complete rest, stretch, ice and neurofen and then see where you are, you'll have lost a little fitness but have given yourself the best chance of finishing the course.

I have the same problem and due to run the VLM in 4 weeks. I had ITBS months ago and managed to cure it with the Walt Reynolds ITB special - it's a great stretch... google it!

It then came back as I got slack and I got to 20 miles in training and can now not run 1 mile due to pain in knee.

I have not run for 10 days now, I rested for the first 4 days completely apart from doing core work, iced, had ultra sound treatment and lightly stretched. I went spinning today which did not aggravate it so enjoyed that, it actually felt good after. I've also been foam rolling, stretching 3 times a day.

I'm going to hopefully try and run at the end of this week but to be honest i think it may just be cross training until the big day. I'm still getting a clicking feeling when I bend my knee, the ITB flicking over the bone or muscle - so I know i'm not ready to run yet.

Good luck guys, I'm praying for myself as running it i a good time means so much to me!!