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It band syndrome: the road to recovery

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It band syndrome: the road to recovery

Old 11-30-10, 11:07 PM
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It band syndrome: the road to recovery

It's cold and I'm only riding to get around. So I'm pretty much done for the season. This will allow me time to heal. But I was as the gym yesterday and I decided to hit the stationary. I adjusted best I could and jumped on. I went about ten minutes and got sick of the clips (they only have spd pedals and my cleats are speedplay) and left. Today my band is sore. No pain. I use the foam roller quite a bit. I also have been doing lots of lifting with my legs (presses, lunges, extensions, curls and calvEs. The basics).

My question is what more should I do to make sure I beat this pain. Cus when I roll on my leg I can feel a knot, sometimes and I know that's the source.

Thanks.
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Old 11-30-10, 11:10 PM
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Also need to stretch it daily. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.

I jacked mine up pretty bad last winter when I ramped up my running too quickly.
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Old 11-30-10, 11:16 PM
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Ya. That's exactly what I did. Over trained in short period of time. But I felt good during the rides and training.

So I do stretch. Some days are good. No pain and I can roll all my weight on the roller. Today not so much. Maybe I'm paranoid and I think it's knottEd in there.

How do I know when it's beat!?!?!
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Old 11-30-10, 11:17 PM
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Should I leave the stationary bike cus it's settings are different than my bike thus leading to potntial inflammation of my stupid it band!?!?!?!
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Old 11-30-10, 11:26 PM
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Probably just rest and don't even ride your bike. I don't know from firsthand experience but my friend struggled with this all last year, kept trying to ride through it and it just kept getting worse. Eventually he took a month or so off and it got a lot better.
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Old 11-30-10, 11:59 PM
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You cannot do nothing. That will not heal it. You are probably having fit issues on your stationary bike. Get off the bike and just run. Start low - just 20 minutes of running, etc. to warm up the IT Bands, then stretch for 30 seconds each muscle group. I have a guide on how to get over it since I had ITBS myself a year ago - the link is below in my sig.
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Old 12-01-10, 12:02 AM
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Whatever the injury, just try and take it slow. I hopped on my MTB (road bike out of function) and did my usual loop with a broken wrist, and ended up with the worst pain, and most likely prolonged my recovery phase.

Just make sure you aren't ignoring your body.
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Old 12-01-10, 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by 383
Get off the bike and just run. Start low - just 20 minutes of running, etc. to warm up the IT Bands, then stretch for 30 seconds each muscle group. I have a guide on how to get over it since I had ITBS myself a year ago - the link is below in my sig.
Probably the worst advice you can take. Running is the leading cause of ITBFS. Most important things to do are rest until it feels better and correct any problems with your fit, if they exist. I imagine it was increasing miles too fast that caused it. Can you swim or do some type of physical activity that doesn't hurt it?

Here's a quote for Dr. Mirkin:

The treatment for IT band syndrome is to stop running.
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Old 03-07-11, 06:59 PM
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i have pretty much stopped this winter. but the weather is warming and i just bought a tarmac!

i've been stretching but i still think i feel some tightness along the side of my leg. no pain. and not even tightness but im super sensitive and a little paranoid.

i lift legs once a week (lift heavy 5 days a week). heres my leg routine (all heavy):

leg presses
squats
front squats
lunges
extensions
curls calves

i also stretch pre/post lift. stretch my IT band 4-8x a week. and i use the foam roller/cry daily. i need more things to do
*i lift everything heavy, yes im a meat head

Last edited by edawggg; 03-07-11 at 07:10 PM.
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Old 03-07-11, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by cooleric1234
Probably the worst advice you can take. Running is the leading cause of ITBFS. Most important things to do are rest until it feels better and correct any problems with your fit, if they exist. I imagine it was increasing miles too fast that caused it. Can you swim or do some type of physical activity that doesn't hurt it?

Here's a quote for Dr. Mirkin:
+100000. Don't run!!! I'm a runner, and have been nursing my ITB for most of the off season. So I know.

383:..sheesh, what the heck kind of advice is that?? Running is the worst thing you can do to ITBS.
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Old 03-07-11, 07:19 PM
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Instead of focusing on weight you should focus on muscle balance. If you have weak outer glutes it will cause IT band problems. Weak outer glutes are common in cyclists and runners.
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Old 03-07-11, 07:21 PM
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outer glutes?
i do lunges and kill my glutes
are you suggesting i sit on the women's machine where i open/close my legs?
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Old 03-07-11, 09:28 PM
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I had it pretty bad in my left leg last year. Didn't really have too many problems on the bike, but afterwards my knee would swell badly. Hiking was horrible. I could barely walk when a hike was over (usually decending and in snow). I went to a PT and they did ASTYM treatments on it and it's 100% better. I started running for training for Triathlons this year and it came back. Except it was the right leg this time. Left leg was fine. No running, stretches and weight training to strengthen the outer quad muscle. No problems so far and starting slowly with running again.
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Old 03-07-11, 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by edawggg
Today my band is sore. No pain. I use the foam roller quite a bit. I also have been doing lots of lifting with my legs (presses, lunges, extensions, curls and calvEs. The basics).

Thanks.
1.you need to stay longer on the areas where you feel pain when you foam roll.

2. what machines are you using at the gym?

3. stop using the machines at the gym.

4. how deep do you go for squats?

5. start doing squats.

6. google "mark rippetoe squats"

7. follow advice

8. WINNING
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Old 03-07-11, 10:20 PM
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Originally Posted by edawggg
i've been stretching but i still think i feel some tightness along the side of my leg. no pain. and not even tightness but im super sensitive and a little paranoid.

i lift legs once a week (lift heavy 5 days a week). heres my leg routine (all heavy):

leg presses
squats
front squats
lunges
extensions
curls calves

i also stretch pre/post lift. stretch my IT band 4-8x a week. and i use the foam roller/cry daily. i need more things to do
*i lift everything heavy, yes im a meat head
1. do not stretch before you workout; if anything do light cardio for 10-15 minutes

2. you can overuse the foam roller, be careful.

3. how many calories are you eating if you lift heavy 5 days per week, plus cycling?

4. you are not eating enough calories/ not enough rest/ both

5. why are you doing isometric exercises?

6. you must want to be a bodybuilder

7. you dont want to be a bodybuilder

8. again, google mark rippetoe
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Old 03-07-11, 10:21 PM
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@ all runners: what is your form?

ditch shoes or buy vibrams--> WINNING
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Old 03-07-11, 10:37 PM
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Experiment with some varus wedges in your shoes or possibly with a wider stance on the bike. set your cleats to the inside of the shoe to increase your stance width or even put washers between pedal and crank. small adjustments will massively reduce the work your it band has to do. I ride with speedplay + half inch spindles for this reason and would last about 5 miles before the it band killed me if i wasnt using the spindles. Ive been like that 2 years now. It fixed the problem over night and has kept me good ever since.

GL
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Old 03-07-11, 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by abstractform20
8. WINNING
9. Get plenty of tigers blood. Duh!
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Old 03-07-11, 11:17 PM
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Originally Posted by lazerzxr
Experiment with some varus wedges in your shoes or possibly with a wider stance on the bike. set your cleats to the inside of the shoe to increase your stance width or even put washers between pedal and crank. small adjustments will massively reduce the work your it band has to do. I ride with speedplay + half inch spindles for this reason and would last about 5 miles before the it band killed me if i wasnt using the spindles. Ive been like that 2 years now. It fixed the problem over night and has kept me good ever since.

GL
To each his own. I added the pedal extender on the affected leg and it didn't make a lick of difference.
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Old 03-08-11, 09:08 AM
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Originally Posted by abstractform20
@ all runners: what is your form?

ditch shoes or buy vibrams--> WINNING


I picked up some Vibrams and have been running in them for about a year now, competing in my second half marathon with them in April. Increasing your mileage too fast is the problem, Vibrams will not cure that. You need to rest it for a minimum of 2 weeks to a month and start your mileage back down, then increase it by no more than 10% each week. Look up some ITB stretches, I started stretching every morning and it has helped a lot. I also picked up a pro-tec ITB band and started wearing it for about an hour or two following my runs and it has helped a lot as well!
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Old 03-08-11, 10:10 AM
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I struggled with ITBS last summer while training for a 1/2 Marathon. Rest is the key, make sure you are not over doing it when you do get out there. And if you are running try and avoid a lot of hill work because that tends to fire it up very easily. And rest.
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Old 03-08-11, 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by abstractform20
@ all runners: what is your form?

ditch old shoes and buy properly fitted shoes--> WINNING
fixed
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Old 03-08-11, 12:18 PM
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Originally Posted by abstractform20
1. do not stretch before you workout; if anything do light cardio for 10-15 minutes

2. you can overuse the foam roller, be careful.

3. how many calories are you eating if you lift heavy 5 days per week, plus cycling?

4. you are not eating enough calories/ not enough rest/ both

5. why are you doing isometric exercises?

6. you must want to be a bodybuilder

7. you dont want to be a bodybuilder

8. again, google mark rippetoe
i am lifting to gain as much mass as i can right now during the offseason. i only ride to get around, a few miles, and thats where i feel the slight tightness in the side of my thigh. once i start riding seriously in the summer, i only lift 3x a week and a lot less weight.

i dont know my calorie intake, but i eat a ton!

i dont care for rippetoe and his squats, just my opinion
thanks anyways
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