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Knee pain is one of the most common aches that runners will likely experience at some point throughout their lifetime. In fact, if you get any group of runners together, there’s a high chance that at least one of them will say they’ve had or currently have knee pain.
IT Band Syndrome Explained, Including Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment runner’s knee, there’s another common running related injury that can could be to blame: iliotibial band syndrome a.k.a. IT band syndrome.
The iliotibial band, or IT band, is a thick band of fascia, or connective tissue, How to Master the 5k hip to the outside of the knee. It can easily become inflamed with a repetitive activity like running, and when that happens, it is called iliotibial band syndrome or ITBS.
As the iliotibial band reaches the knee, it narrows, and rubbing can occur between the band and the bone, which causes this inflammation, according to Jordan Metzl, M.D., a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
If you’re experiencing aches while you run and suspect you might have IT band syndrome, here’s everything you need to know about the injury, including symptoms, treatments, and tips for prevention.
What are the symptoms of IT band syndrome?
The most typical and notable symptom of IT band syndrome is pain on the outside of the knee. Because of the location of the pain, many runners mistakenly think they have a knee injury, like a lateral meniscus tear, says Metzl. But a knee injury like a tear will usually swell, so if you don’t have any swelling, and you’re consistently experiencing pain about five to seven minutes into every run, you likely have IT band syndrome, Metzl explains.
A meniscus tear also usually causes pain during many daily activities, not just running. Another way to differentiate a lateral meniscus tear from IT band syndrome is that you’ll experience a clicking sensation with a tear.
If you want an official diagnosis, it’s best to see a doctor, of course, but you should know that an MRI can only sometimes confirm a meniscus tear or ITBS, says Susan Paul, a running coach and exercise physiologist. An X-ray cannot always show ITBS, while the MRI might show a partial thickening of the band, which results from inflammation.
So, if you want to quickly self-check whether you might have IT band syndrome, look for these symptoms:
- Pain on the outside of the knee
- Pain that kicks in about five to seven minutes into a run (but not during other activities of daily living)
- No swelling or deep clicking sensation
What are some common causes of iliotibial band syndrome?
IT band syndrome can result from any activity that causes the leg to turn inward repeatedly. For example, wearing worn-out shoes, running downhill Advertisement - Continue Reading Below track workouts in the same direction, or simply running too many miles without building up slowly can all increase your risk of IT band syndrome. Weak glutes IT Band Syndrome.
Unlike many overuse injuries, Three Injuries That Plague Runners beginners.
However, IT band syndrome is more common in women, possibly because they tend to have wider pelvises than men. “A wider pelvis means a greater degree of rotation when running, meaning more stress is placed on the IT band,” Paul explains.
If Do you frequently run downhilly of these ITBS symptoms, ask yourself these questions:
- Strengthening, Not Stretching, to Deal With Iliotibial Band Syndrome arch support?
- Do you frequently run downhill?
- How to Master the 5k?
- Do you need to focus on glute and core strengthening?
How can you treat IT band syndrome?
ITBS can become chronic rest—which means fewer miles or no running at all for at least a couple of days. For the majority of runners, resting immediately will prevent pain from returning. If you don’t give yourself a Beating the Band, ITBS can become chronic.
While you’re backing off on your mileage, considering cross-training Summer Running Gear rowing are all great options and will help you maintain your fitness. You can also use this time to figure out what might have caused ITBS for you and how you can avoid it when you get back into running.
To stave off aches, targeted stretches How to Master the 5k, Gender-Specific Injury Prevention, and ibuprofen may help. With the assistance of a doctor, you may also get an ultrasound or electrical stimulation with topical cortisone (a classic but less utilized treatment).
If your IT band problem doesn’t get better, it’s definitely a good idea to see a physician or sports-medicine professional. You may need a cortisone injection to break up scar tissue and help speed healing, Metzl explains. Be aware that cortisone presents its own risks because it can weaken ligaments and tendons, which is why doctors don’t immediately offer them as a solution.
A doctor may also recommend an ultrasound-guided iliotibial bursa injection, which basically involves a steroid injected into the space between the IT band and underlying edge of the femur bone. The ultrasound allows for a more precise injection.
The last resort to treating IT band syndrome is surgery to release and mobilize the IT band, but this is very rare and for severe cases.
How can you prevent iliotibial band syndrome?
There are many things you can do to prevent IT band syndrome. The first: Train smart and consistently. Meniscus Tears Treatment and Recovery, P.T., D.P.T., a physical therapist at RunLab in Austin, Texas, tells Runner’s World that Do you frequently run downhill strengthen your IT band if you Health & Injuries. That’s why if you do start to feel the telltale IT band syndrome symptom of pain outside of your knee, you want to decrease your mileage or take a few days off.
The golden rule for increasing distance? Most experts recommend following the 10- to 15-percent rule. That means, only increase your mileage every week by 10 to 15 percent.
A few other strategies may help you prevent IT band syndrome. For starters, warm up with a short walk of a quarter- to half-mile before you run. This will get your blood flowing and loosen the IT band.
Foam rolling every day for a few minutes on each side is another great way to sidestep IT band pain, Metzl says. However, avoid foam rolling any area that hurts (i.e. at the knee) and don’t roll the joints. Instead, roll out the muscles and tissues around those achey areas, particularly at the hip. You want to roll slowly from the bottom of the hip to top of knee along the outside of the leg.
Metzl also recommends Download Your Training Plan and core to help take the load off the IT band.
Remember, you can’t stretch or strengthen your IT band, but you can take care of it by making sure the muscles around it are strong, as well as flexible.
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John Vasudevan, M.D. is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. He is a Team Physician for UPenn Athletics and medical director of the Broad Street Run and Philadelphia Distance Run, and previously for the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon and Tri-Rock Triathlon in Philadelphia. He is a director of the running and endurance Sports Medicine Program at Penn Medicine. Dr. Vasudevan provides non-operative management of musculoskeletal conditions affecting athletes and active individuals of all levels, and combines injury rehabilitation with injury prevention. He utilizes a variety of ultrasound-guided procedures and regenerative approaches such as platelet-rich plasma and percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy. He sees patients at the Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration hospital. Dr. Vasudevan attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. After his Transitional Year in Tucson, Arizona, he went to residency in PM&R at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and onwards to Stanford University for his fellowship in Sports Medicine. He has been in practice at the University of Pennsylvania since 2012.
