shouldberiding

Figures I start having knee problems after getting in great shape over the winter. I was going to start training for my first century! Argh. Anyways.

Found plenty of websites recommending solutions on bike fit for knee problems, but none cycling-specific for actual treatment. They say "ice and stretching" but don't tell you HOW to do it properly.

So, here's a bit from RunningTimes.com that I thought might be helpful to anybody with IT band problems.

Stretching and Strengthening Exercises for Iliotibial Band Syndrome

jdon

I had the same, as many cyclist do. I find the foam roller works best for stretching but nothing beats a good massage therapist visit followed by an epsom salt bath. At the knee, try massaging the affected area in small circles until it warms up, then apply an ice pack.

lshaped

i developed it band syndrome last october- after trying to self correct using internet info i went to a sports medicine doctor. he of course said to take 2 weeks off the bike to let the inflammation go down, take motrin, and ice it.

most important was stretching and also using a roller. cross the affected leg behind the other and bend to touch your toes. hold it for 20 seconds and repeat 3 times. another stretch was sitting in a chair, cross the affected leg over the other, grab your foot and pull it gently towards you and then bend down until you feel the stretch in your hip, do this religiously during the rest period and at the beginning of every ride. I even went so far as to get off the bike during rides, stretch and then continue with my ride.

he said to LOWER my bike seat. he said by doing this is it prevents the leg from being close to fully extended which causes the band to snap back and forth across the side of the knee. another thing he said was that this is an injury that can't be ridden thru- after 2 weeks of he said to take it easy and spin, if at any time i felt the slightest bit of pain to stop riding immediately.

i am now sympton free,

petflunky

What are the symptoms of this malady?

lshaped

symptoms are incredibly sharp pain on the outside of your knee - the pain is excrutiating
and if you try to ride with it it will stop you cold.

shouldberiding

Did research on bike fit and every website says something different. Especially as to how to determine proper saddle height. One says as long as you're not rocking your hips it's not too high, but you can still end up stretching too much during the pedal stroke even if your hips aren't rocking.

Another page on the same website said when pedaling with your heels you should lower the seat until your hips don't rock. Problem is, they don't make mention of which type of footwear this applies to. My cycling shoes have at least 1/2" less heel than my other shoes, and 1/2" makes an enormous difference in just about any area of bike fit.

Some websites discuss leg length discrepancies, but some fail to mention how underdeveloped muscle groups can lead to stress in different areas as well. The ones that give info on stretches do, however, but those are few and far between.

It's all very confusing. I did end up lowering my seat and setting the cleats a smidgen forward. I hope that helps.

Taking an nsaid, icing the affected areas, and starting a stretching regime. I've been taking it easy on the bike but I'm strongly considering just taking a week off. I thought I could just change the fit and take it easy as the pain isn't going away quickly enough. I spend all day at work stomping about on a tile/concrete floor too. Doesn't help.

Man, I really don't want to ride the bus!!! Argh...