How do you know if you have IT band syndrome (ITBS)?
You will most likely feel pain on the outside of your knee and some tightness in your butt/hip/glute. The IT band begins in your hip, stretches down the outside of the leg, and inserts into the outside of the knee.
How did I injure my IT band?
For those of you who have suffered this injury, are currently suffering this injury, or may experience it in the future...there are many factors that could play a debilitating part. The most frustrating thing for me to deal with is the fact that most of the reasons for my injury are 100% avoidable and 100% MY FAULT! Here's what I believe caused mine:
- Quick transition to Minimal Shoes: I still believe that running minimal can be a very good thing, and can help runners (in the long run) to avoid common injuries. HOWEVER, if you have been running in support shoes for many years, as i have, you must be very cautious to not overdue the minimal mileage right off the bat. I attempted an 11 mile run in brand new minimal shoes almost immediately after purchasing them. What was i thinking?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? It was half way through this run that I suffered the injury.
- Unflexable/Weak Hips & Glutes: weak hip abductors will cause your IT band to be overworked. During my recovery plan, which is outlined below, I began some hip/glute strengthening exercises. It was at this time that I realized just how weak and unflexable my hips really are.
- Sudden ramp-up in mileage: for any runner/endurance athlete, this is by far the hardest to admit. Simply put...I did too much to handle. My base mileage was just not where it needed to be before I began training for the Pittsburgh Half. I basically went straight from zero mileage to an advanced training schedule with no build-up what so ever. This is a classic recipe for injury. As a promise to myself...I will NOT do this again!
MY RECOVERY PLAN (see below for explanation)
Weeks 1-5: Piss and Moan
Weeks 6-7: Foam Roll - 3x day (lunch, dinner, before bed)
Static Stretches
The Stick (keep @ my desk. use throughout the day)
Weeks 8-9: Foam Roll
Stretch
Run / Walk
Foam Roll
Stretch
Weeks 10-12: Lunge Warmup
Foam Roll + IT Stretches
Run / Walk
Myrtle Routine
Foam Roll + Stretch
Piss & Moan:
Sit on couch. Watch TV. Think about how much you want to run. In all honesty, I believe this is actually an important step in the recovery process. If you are not a member of a running team that requires you to stay in season, suspend your running! Even if you have your heart set on an upcoming race...just remember that there will be plenty more opportunities to race in the future. Our bodies are very fragile...dont screw it up forever.
Foam Roll:
The single greatest piece of equipment I have ever bought! They come in many different types and sizes. I purchased a simple roller, like the one shown on the left, for about $35 at Dick's Sporting Goods. Apparently these will wear out eventually. My plan is to purchase "The Grid" roller shown right. This has a hard plastic internal tube that keeps it from wearing out. Also the grid pattern helps to get a little deeper in the muscle.
This was suggested to me by one of my former running coaches and one of his former runners. I use it every single day of my life now. The basic idea: knots are forming in your muscles (you will quickly learn this when you start using a roller), and these knots are causing tension in your IT band. When using the roller properly, you can break up these knots and release your muscles. Rolling down the IT band will also help to lengthen the band and help to relieve pain. There are many great youtube videos which demonstrate proper use of the roller. I like this one:
I like to do my normal static stretches AFTER I foam roll. Static stretches will only stretch the unknotted area of your muscles. You want to break up the knots and release those muscles before stretching them.
The Stick:
I received this device from my lovely sister last year as a christmas gift (the girl in the image is not my sister). I did not know, at the time, how much I would need it! This is perfect for the little spot on the outside of the shin, just under the knee. This area tends to feel tight when the IT band tightens up. I keep the stick at my work desk and I use it to roll this area throughout the work day. Ill even hit my calves.
IT Specific Stretches:
There are specific stretches you can do to lengthen the IT band. I have two favorites that have helped me. The first one is a standing stretch. Cross your uninjured leg over the injured leg. Bend down and toward the injured leg.
This second stretch is by far my favorite. When you put your elbows to the ground and just relax into the stretch, it feels awesome. I had originally found the stretch in a youtube video...and now I cannot find the video. So here is a much more boring version of the video:
Run / Walk:
After a few weeks of rolling and stretching, I decided it was time to start running. Actually, I didnt really make the decision. I was actually at runClub (rolling and stretching) and decided I needed to pee. I ran down the trail about a hundred yards or so, as to hide from view, and thought to myself "holy cow, that felt pretty good!" --> the running, I mean. So I decided that I would start running very short distances a few days a week.
When I say very short, I mean VERY short. I am talking 2min jog + 2min walk. Repeat 4 times. After 3-4 workouts of the same distance/time, I would bump up the running time 1-2 minutes. If I felt pain starting in the outside of the knee, I would simply stop and stretch my leg (the two stretches shown above).
MYRTLE Routine:
After I got a little more comfortable with running (doing about 2-4minutes at a time), I incorporated hip/glute strengthening exercises immediately after my runs. I will be doing these type of progressions forever, now that i know how vital they are. I do this particular routine after all of my runs:
Lunge Warmup:
The latest addition to my arsenal of exercises is lunge routine prior to running. I do this routine before I stretch. So this is the first thing I do when I step out of the car. Lunge Routine, Light Foam Roll, Light Stretch, Run/Walk, MYRTLE Routine, Full Foam Roll, Full Stretch. This routine will kill your your hips and glutes if they are weak. Mine were very sore after the first couple runs!
So there it is. I recently put in a full mile of running, with no pain. ITBS is one of the most common running injuries, but it can be avoided. Run Smart. Lets Go!
