ITB syndrome?
10-03-10 | 10:28 PM
#1
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From: Tacoma, WA
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ITB syndrome?
It all started when i had extreme foot discomfort after a long 113 mile mountain ride. I since resolved the foot problem with new insoles but i think my body tried to figure out a way to put less stress on my feet and then ended up putting more strain on the right outside part of my right knee.
So far this is only a self diagnosis and i have an appointment with the doctor this week. Various sites i've read suggested resting the foot (which i'm doing, aka no cycling ), anti inflammatory pills and ice.
Just wondering if any of you have had this problem and what you did/what did your doctor advise to promote fast healing?
So far this is only a self diagnosis and i have an appointment with the doctor this week. Various sites i've read suggested resting the foot (which i'm doing, aka no cycling ), anti inflammatory pills and ice.
Just wondering if any of you have had this problem and what you did/what did your doctor advise to promote fast healing?
10-03-10 | 10:37 PM
#2
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From: Hillsboro, Oregon
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Yep, I have it as well. I spent about 2 months working with a physical therapist using a method called ASTYM where they use some plastic tools to help work out the scar tissue and whatnot out of the tendon. I think it helped. I spent the next month after that taking it easy. I think my issue is pretty much healed.
What I do as maintenance is to use a roller to massage the tendon a few minutes a day along with stretches.
What I do as maintenance is to use a roller to massage the tendon a few minutes a day along with stretches.
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10-04-10 | 06:40 AM
#4
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I have a recalcitrant case of IT Band Syndrome. It hurts me when I hike or run though, bicycling doesn't cause pain but I think can aggravate it for later. I tried physical therapy and it didn't work. You have to pay for it but a great resource I've found is this article here. It turns out there is a LOT of misinformation on this problem. Most of the suggestions haven't been proven in studies. The main gist of the article is this:
Conservative treatments that likely have some probability of working:
1. Rest
2. Ice
3. Ibuprofen
Invasive treatments that can work:
1. Cortisone shots
2. Surgery
You'll see a lot of other suggestions (foam roller, stretching, pat-strap, abductor strengthening, etc.) but the article does a good job of showing that there really isn't an empirical scientific basis for most of these. Who knows, maybe they do help, but there is surprisingly little research on the topic. Also note that because you tried something and it "worked" didn't really mean it worked. It may have been that time would have healed it anyway and what you tried was coincidental. That's why we really need more studies on the topic.
Conservative treatments that likely have some probability of working:
1. Rest
2. Ice
3. Ibuprofen
Invasive treatments that can work:
1. Cortisone shots
2. Surgery
You'll see a lot of other suggestions (foam roller, stretching, pat-strap, abductor strengthening, etc.) but the article does a good job of showing that there really isn't an empirical scientific basis for most of these. Who knows, maybe they do help, but there is surprisingly little research on the topic. Also note that because you tried something and it "worked" didn't really mean it worked. It may have been that time would have healed it anyway and what you tried was coincidental. That's why we really need more studies on the topic.
Last edited by cooleric1234; 10-05-10 at 11:47 AM.
10-04-10 | 10:19 AM
#5
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From: Hillsboro, Oregon
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I tend to agree with this statement. While I think the treatments I had were effective, I think just taking it easy probably had about as much benefit. PT probably only helped to lighten my wallet than it did to help cure the issue.
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10-04-10 | 10:47 AM
#7
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From: Carlsbad, CA
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Solution. (Click.)
I used to call mine, "the wheel of pain" but when I was able to put all my weight on the side of my thigh (with both legs suspended and neither touching the floor) without pain, I magically never had ITBand trouble again. Good luck!
I used to call mine, "the wheel of pain" but when I was able to put all my weight on the side of my thigh (with both legs suspended and neither touching the floor) without pain, I magically never had ITBand trouble again. Good luck!
10-04-10 | 11:08 AM
#8
grilled cheesus
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^^^^ that pic is so fake. no way anyone smiles while using a foam roller. it hurts too much. later.
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10-04-10 | 11:21 AM
#9
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From: Carlsbad, CA
Bikes: '09 Felt F55, '84 Masi Cran Criterium, (2)'86 Schwinn Pelotons, '86 Look Equippe Hinault, '09 Globe Live 3 (dogtaxi), '94 Greg Lemond, '99 GT Pulse Kinesis
I smile when using mine, and I have ALL my weight on my one leg (without the other one touching the floor.) After you've been using it regularly for a few weeks, it doesn't hurt anymore.
And when you reach that point, your ITB problems are gone-daddy-gone.
And when you reach that point, your ITB problems are gone-daddy-gone.
10-04-10 | 12:13 PM
#10
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if you are doing it right, you know how to not put all of your body weight on it iso it doesn't hurt nearly as much. Also if your IT Band isn't tight it's not really going to hurt an awful lot.
10-04-10 | 03:09 PM
#12
Spokey Robinson
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After a scan, I was diagnosed with the IT syndrome too. I rested and did these streches for a while, but the terrible knee pain (and swelling) never dissapeared.
After months of struggeling, I visited an osteopath. She felt up my body for nearly an hour, asked tons of questions, made me do dozens of streching exercises and concluded that my quads got biggger as a result of my training. This really surprised me, because I'm a really skinny climber-type guy. My legs are really thin and don't seem muscular at all, so I did'nt believe her at first. She explained that my knee coluld'nt move the way it should because of the quad-muscles exercising pressure on the joint.
The osteopath thold my I schould strech my quads in tha classical way (lift your leg back and pull the ankle till you feel it in the quads). I did this during a couple of weeks and the knee pain and swelling slowly dissapeared and I have ridden the best season in my life since.
Just so you know you can get easily misdiagnosed sometimes and have to visit several doctors before you find a solution.
After months of struggeling, I visited an osteopath. She felt up my body for nearly an hour, asked tons of questions, made me do dozens of streching exercises and concluded that my quads got biggger as a result of my training. This really surprised me, because I'm a really skinny climber-type guy. My legs are really thin and don't seem muscular at all, so I did'nt believe her at first. She explained that my knee coluld'nt move the way it should because of the quad-muscles exercising pressure on the joint.
The osteopath thold my I schould strech my quads in tha classical way (lift your leg back and pull the ankle till you feel it in the quads). I did this during a couple of weeks and the knee pain and swelling slowly dissapeared and I have ridden the best season in my life since.
Just so you know you can get easily misdiagnosed sometimes and have to visit several doctors before you find a solution.
10-04-10 | 05:02 PM
#13
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Bikes: CAAD9-1, Windsor Cliff 29er
Not my experience. Yes, I got to the point where it no longer hurts at all. IT problems were not gone though.
10-04-10 | 05:09 PM
#15
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Awesome approach.
After a scan, I was diagnosed with the IT syndrome too. I rested and did these streches for a while, but the terrible knee pain (and swelling) never dissapeared.
After months of struggeling, I visited an osteopath. She felt up my body for nearly an hour, asked tons of questions, made me do dozens of streching exercises and concluded that my quads got biggger as a result of my training. This really surprised me, because I'm a really skinny climber-type guy. My legs are really thin and don't seem muscular at all, so I did'nt believe her at first. She explained that my knee coluld'nt move the way it should because of the quad-muscles exercising pressure on the joint.
The osteopath thold my I schould strech my quads in tha classical way (lift your leg back and pull the ankle till you feel it in the quads). I did this during a couple of weeks and the knee pain and swelling slowly dissapeared and I have ridden the best season in my life since.
Just so you know you can get easily misdiagnosed sometimes and have to visit several doctors before you find a solution.
After months of struggeling, I visited an osteopath. She felt up my body for nearly an hour, asked tons of questions, made me do dozens of streching exercises and concluded that my quads got biggger as a result of my training. This really surprised me, because I'm a really skinny climber-type guy. My legs are really thin and don't seem muscular at all, so I did'nt believe her at first. She explained that my knee coluld'nt move the way it should because of the quad-muscles exercising pressure on the joint.
The osteopath thold my I schould strech my quads in tha classical way (lift your leg back and pull the ankle till you feel it in the quads). I did this during a couple of weeks and the knee pain and swelling slowly dissapeared and I have ridden the best season in my life since.
Just so you know you can get easily misdiagnosed sometimes and have to visit several doctors before you find a solution.
10-04-10 | 05:19 PM
#16
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The article I linked to has this to say about using the foam roller for "stretching the IT Band." He does say it can be useful in massaging trigger points in the hip muscles, however.
The iliotibial band syndrome is a massive structure, the largest tendon in the body, made of a bio-rope stuff that is slightly elastic but with a greater tensile strength than steel cable. Collagen is an extremely tough protein. It cannot be elongated beyond its natural elasticity by any known method short of surgery, and certainly not by rubbing it or (even sillier) rolling over it. Here’s an absurd exercise to demonstrate how silly it is:
Measure a leather belt.
Stretch the belt on the edge of a table.
Grease up your elbow with some lubricant.
Slide your elbow along the length of the leather belt. This patient feels no pain: be as brutal as you like!
Re-measure the belt. How’d you do? Make much progress?
Now consider that leather is actually much less strong than tendon. Leather is cow skin — remarkably tough, but with a lower tensile strength than tendon, and much “easier” to tear. Tendons are so tough that they basically don’t tear at all, ever.74 Yet even if you halved the thickness of that belt, hung it from a strong hook in the ceiling, and pulled on it with all of your body weight, it would probably still hold you.
So … good luck trying to “elongate” the IT band with massage.
Measure a leather belt.
Stretch the belt on the edge of a table.
Grease up your elbow with some lubricant.
Slide your elbow along the length of the leather belt. This patient feels no pain: be as brutal as you like!
Re-measure the belt. How’d you do? Make much progress?
Now consider that leather is actually much less strong than tendon. Leather is cow skin — remarkably tough, but with a lower tensile strength than tendon, and much “easier” to tear. Tendons are so tough that they basically don’t tear at all, ever.74 Yet even if you halved the thickness of that belt, hung it from a strong hook in the ceiling, and pulled on it with all of your body weight, it would probably still hold you.
So … good luck trying to “elongate” the IT band with massage.
10-04-10 | 07:15 PM
#17
grilled cheesus
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^^^^ i really dont care what article said what about what. my IT band put me on the shelf for 3 months. the foam roller and routine stretching has kept me on the bike and on the run with no setbacks since that time. so based on real life experience i pass that knowledge on. later.
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10-05-10 | 12:29 AM
#18
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my IT band had always acted up multiple times each season, sometimes so painfully that I would be forced to quit riding after only 25 miles. there was one time when I pushed myself despite the warning signs and ended up in excruciating pain each time I would try and extend my leg; making even soft pedaling impossible. just pressing a finger against the side of the knee was very painful.
I tried various ITB stretches and for me they just weren't effective. someone suggested I try rolling, and so I bought a cheap foam roller. for the first couple weeks using the roller was very painful, I guess because my IT bands were so tight. but after those couple weeks the pain while rolling went away and so did my ITB problem. so far I haven't had a relapse and I try to remember to roll the day before any ride, and also at the end of the day on any day I've ridden.
there are several good videos on youtube demonstrating proper use of a foam roller.
I tried various ITB stretches and for me they just weren't effective. someone suggested I try rolling, and so I bought a cheap foam roller. for the first couple weeks using the roller was very painful, I guess because my IT bands were so tight. but after those couple weeks the pain while rolling went away and so did my ITB problem. so far I haven't had a relapse and I try to remember to roll the day before any ride, and also at the end of the day on any day I've ridden.
there are several good videos on youtube demonstrating proper use of a foam roller.
10-05-10 | 08:17 AM
#19
grilled cheesus
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ironically robbie venture sent me this last night. later.
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10-05-10 | 09:52 AM
#20
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^^^^ i really dont care what article said what about what. my IT band put me on the shelf for 3 months. the foam roller and routine stretching has kept me on the bike and on the run with no setbacks since that time. so based on real life experience i pass that knowledge on. later.
To the dude in the link, nobody has ever said a roller was trying to elongate the IT band, that's stupid. It's used as a form of Myofascial release of the muscles to prevent injury without the cost of seeing a therapist. The writer of that "article", written more like a salesletter which I know because I write them, is a moron who has no business giving out medical advice and is selling e-books and asks for $tips$ for his enlightening words. He's a massage therapist and journalist for cryin' out loud. Do yourself a favor and get better medical advice.
I listen to folks by the names of John Howard, John Martinez (Sports physician in San Diego who works with elite athletes -- and people like me -- and can be found each year working the Kona Ironman as a staff physician), Mark Versteegen and what was his name...oh yeah, Chris Carmichael. When the bonehead from the link comes within an earshot of the skill these folks have I might listen.
Last edited by kleinboogie; 10-05-10 at 10:03 AM. Reason: not an elite athlete
10-05-10 | 11:58 AM
#21
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+1 It helped me tremendously and I have more flexibility with no pain from cycling.
To the dude in the link, nobody has ever said a roller was trying to elongate the IT band, that's stupid. It's used as a form of Myofascial release of the muscles to prevent injury without the cost of seeing a therapist. The writer of that "article", written more like a salesletter which I know because I write them, is a moron who has no business giving out medical advice and is selling e-books and asks for $tips$ for his enlightening words. He's a massage therapist and journalist for cryin' out loud. Do yourself a favor and get better medical advice.
I listen to folks by the names of John Howard, John Martinez (Sports physician in San Diego who works with elite athletes -- and people like me -- and can be found each year working the Kona Ironman as a staff physician), Mark Versteegen and what was his name...oh yeah, Chris Carmichael. When the bonehead from the link comes within an earshot of the skill these folks have I might listen.
To the dude in the link, nobody has ever said a roller was trying to elongate the IT band, that's stupid. It's used as a form of Myofascial release of the muscles to prevent injury without the cost of seeing a therapist. The writer of that "article", written more like a salesletter which I know because I write them, is a moron who has no business giving out medical advice and is selling e-books and asks for $tips$ for his enlightening words. He's a massage therapist and journalist for cryin' out loud. Do yourself a favor and get better medical advice.
I listen to folks by the names of John Howard, John Martinez (Sports physician in San Diego who works with elite athletes -- and people like me -- and can be found each year working the Kona Ironman as a staff physician), Mark Versteegen and what was his name...oh yeah, Chris Carmichael. When the bonehead from the link comes within an earshot of the skill these folks have I might listen.
1. Foam rollers could be useful as a massage of the neighboring muscles
2. I'm not saying that these things definitely don't work, but that there is only anecdotal evidence to date on many common techniques and more studies are required
3. Because something was tried and ITBS got better that's not proof that that technique worked. It may have healed on its own given the same time frame. That's why we need studies with a control group
On a personal note, the only reason I like that article so much is because everything is backed by references to current research and papers. As I looked into ITBS there were so many "solutions" tossed about that I wasn't sure what to do, short of trying them all. It seemed there was little evidence for any one thing working as well. Rather than an ad hominem attack against the author perhaps we should try to argue the merits of each approach based on evidence. All I'm saying is that the foam roller didn't work for me.
10-05-10 | 12:46 PM
#22
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From: OC, CA
I had ITBS and foam roller worked.
After I rolled it and stretched it for 2 month, it has gone.
Good luck!
After I rolled it and stretched it for 2 month, it has gone.
Good luck!
Solution. (Click.)
I used to call mine, "the wheel of pain" but when I was able to put all my weight on the side of my thigh (with both legs suspended and neither touching the floor) without pain, I magically never had ITBand trouble again. Good luck!
I used to call mine, "the wheel of pain" but when I was able to put all my weight on the side of my thigh (with both legs suspended and neither touching the floor) without pain, I magically never had ITBand trouble again. Good luck!
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