Reigster now for free to join this or any of the thousands of ongoing discussions - Connect with thousands of athletes, post questions, share thoughts, find a training buddy,access triathlon training programs, marathon training programs and more!
Discussion: ITB?
Subject: ITB? By: Ryan P. Written on: 2006-05-15 11:44:34 Message: How do I determine whether or not the pain in my knees is an IT Band issue or not? If it is, what steps do I need to take in order to correct the problem? Can I "run through" the pain? I ran a 10-mile race last Sunday and a 5K this past Sunday and the pain was pretty close to unbearable. I have the Disney 1/2 this weekend- should I just rest all week? Ice? Cry? Jump off a bridge?
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Jamie B. Written on: 2006-05-15 13:24:29 Message: IT injury is usually on the outside of the leg leading down to the knee. IT will hurt after a few minutes of running but will usually feel fine walking. You will notice the most discomfort after a workout when you try to go down steps. Ifit is knee pain it is usually behind the knee cap or directly above. IT band issues usually occur to experienced athletes with 5 or more years of running. I had an IT injury several years back and it took 18 months for it to go way because I would think it was better and go back to working out too soon. My best advice is to heat it before exercise or even when you wake up in the morning. Ice it after any exercise. Make sure you do a lot of stretching (not after icing though). There is a treatment called ART (Active Release Therapy) and that helped the most with mine. I did physical therapy for a bit and had several deep tissue and sports massages as well. Finally you can go with a cortizone shot. I did that to get the last little bit. It was pretty painful but it only lasts for a minute or so. A few things to note. First if you are swimming be very careful while kicking because that puts the most force on your knees (found out the hard way). If you still want to swim I would use a pull buoy. Second I would have your running form analyzed. From everything I have read is the injury comes from a build up of thousands of miles of just a slight imperfection in your form. Also check your saddle height on your bike if it is just slightly too high it will stretch the IT band just enough to aggrevate it over time. Depending how advanced it is I think you should be fine for the race. I would shorten your run stride not to aggrevate it any more. You may want to look into getting a deep tissue massage because it is usually other things going on around the ITB that cause that. Trust me 2-4 weeks of time off now is a lot better than 18 months in the long run. I missed a whole year and I also was forced to do just the bike section on relay teams the next year. If you get to 18 months and it still doesn't go away then jump off the bridge LOL If you have any other questions let me know I will be glad to fill you in on some more of the stuff I used.
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Megan O. Written on: 2006-05-15 13:41:23 Message: Ryan, I agree with Jamie on all counts. I had an ITB injury and the next best thing to resting was getting the deep tissue massage/sports massage. It helped almost instantly. Long term prevention...I have found that religiously stretching everyday no matter what activity has really helped me out. See if you can talk to a physical therapist to show you proper stretching technique particularly for your ITB.Good luck!
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Ryan P. Written on: 2006-05-15 15:28:00 Message: Jamie/Megan, Thank you. My pain definitely starts after a few minutes of running, however, it hasn't stopped hurting when I walk. Do you think it's from my shoes? I bought new lighter running shoes for races. Could they be the culprit? Is it common for both IT bands to hurting? I just took a break from typing this to schedule my sports massage. Hopefully that will help. Here's my big question/fear: I think I can gut it out this weekend at Disney. However, I have IM France in a litte over a month. Will this thing be good enough to go by then or should I go out on the ledge again?
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Jael A. Written on: 2006-05-15 16:03:35 Message: Ryan, if you do not know what to do and everything everyone is telling you is not helping enough, I would recommend go to see an orthopedist. You want to be better before your Ironman. Also, sometimes taking Iboprofen can help with the swelling of your knees (if that is what may be also causing the pain). Maybe taking two iboprofen before your race, I know some athletes do that to keep the pain from coming back during a race, then icing the knees after a workout or long run. Just a suggestion.... Jael
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Sara H. Written on: 2006-05-15 16:10:43 Message: Ryan, I've found that accupuncture also works wonders! Unfortunately, it can be a bit more pricey than massage, but i've had success with only one or two treatments a month. Long term, i've also had some luck with changing my running position. When i lean forward slightly, i have less pain in my knees. Check your shoes, and your body position and hopefully that will help!
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Ryan P. Written on: 2006-05-15 16:27:38 Message: Jael/Sara, Thanks! I've definitely been poppin' Motrin like they're M & Ms. Accupunture...hmm...interesting. That sounds a bit more involved and might have to wait until I back from Disney. I'm pretty pumped about my massage this week though. I'm just going to soak up this advice like a sponge and throw it all at the problem. I'm going to become an icing/stretching/massaging/Ibuprofen-taking machine. Hopefully the combination will help. I might go over to my running store and talk to them about my shoes too. Thanks guys. As always, you've reassured me and eased my mind. This site is the best. Megan/Jael- see you guys in 4 days!
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Jael A. Written on: 2006-05-15 16:34:48 Message: Ryan, I agree with Sara also. When I first started running longer distances (more than 6 miles), I had aches on the inside of my knees (not as bad as yours) and got acupuncture. It worked! I was knee pain free until now.. Acupunture can fix many different problems....also, depending on who you go to, they may take insurance and it may be less expensive...my chiropractor is a licensed Acupunturist and I only pay my copay at most.... See you in 4 days! It is going to be a BLAST! Jael
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Selina . Written on: 2006-05-15 19:17:23 Message: Ryan I had ITB also, I was painful right up to my hip (due to weak hip flexors), I felt pain going down stairs alot, still in the recovery stages. I have only just built my run back up to 8km. Biking also hurts mine. I have done massage, acupuncture, strengthing exercises. Check out these websites http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/0168-knee-injuries.htm,http://www.drpribut.com/sports/spitb.html http://www.howtostretch.com/iliotibi.htm The last one has some good stretches, hope this helps.
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Ryan P. Written on: 2006-05-16 09:40:27 Message: Thanks Selina! Those sites were extremely helpful. How long did it take for your ITBS to go away? I read on that one site that it could take up to 6 months. Yikes.
Subject: RE: ITB? By: Brad H. Written on: 2006-05-16 11:59:59 Message: I had an ITB issue last year while training for a marathon. I solved it pretty quick using a roller (which probably simulated the deep tissue massage.) I couldn't find a suitable foam roller so I bought a 6 pack roll of cloth hockey stick tape (I'm Canadian, eh!) and rolled my leg on it from knee to hip several times a day. It fixed it up really nicely and I haven't been bother since, including heavy mileage this year up to a week ago... Good luck at Disney! 4 days to go!
Back to Discussion Index Triathlon Training  Triathlon Gear  Marathon Training  Health and Fitness