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Chronic IT Band Syndrome- ideas from strengthening/rehab routines? (Read 130 times)

danderson1726


    Hey everyone, first time posting. I developed IT Band soreness about a year ago as I was starting to get back into running after many years away from it. It mostly came about from lack of stability in my shoes, overtraining, and probably weak hips/glutes. I've been to a doctor and physical therapist and do a number of rehab exercises, including:

    1. foam rolling

    2. theraband lateral shuffle/lifts

    3. Jay Johnson's myrtl routine

    4. some core exercises

    5. some stretching

     

    The pain continues. It isn't bad enough to stop running, but it acts up with any kind of speed work and is preventing me from training as much as I'd like. Anyone with a similar experience, or ideas?

    bpangie


      Doc told me I had this issue. My legs are fairly well bowed. He said "you could walk around a fire hydrant and not even notice it was there"...

       

      It's since gone away. I think stretching some helped, but definitely the getting back into running too fast is what exacerbated things. I thought I could train like I did before I quit, and I could, but not for a while. Don't use unstable shoes as an excuse (unless they're the big marshmallow  unstable kind). While you're building back up to training hard, you might as well do so  without all the giant stacks and toe-heel drops shoe companies will sell you. I really believe switching to minimal shoes has allowed me to train like I do and avoid injury.

       

      Oh and be careful with all the rolling. If you roll too hard too frequently, it's possible to cause more damage than exists.

       

      Just my two bits.


      Not dead. Yet.

        Do you rotate shoes?

        How can we know our limits if we don't test them?

        NikoRosa


        Funky Kicks 2019

          I ran into problems with this last June.  I had a super high mileage week, and then didn't back off the following week.  My pain started in the knee but transformed itself into some serious hip pain.  I added the strength exercises for glutes and hips, probably the ones you are doing (I just googled it and started doing every exercise I could find).  And I foam rolled three times a day. For a while I ran through the pain, trying to maintain my usual mileage, but the day I realized my per mile pace had risen by two minutes, I stopped running completely.

           

          I switched to speed walking, and continued the strength training.  I walked ten miles a day, at a 12 or 13 min mile pace.  After three weeks, I began running part of those ten miles, as much  as I could without inducing the hip pain.  Eventually I was back to running the full ten miles.

           

          It took about 4 1/2 months for the pain to completely go away.  I continue to foam roll and do the glute and hip exercises, and will probably always have to do them.

           

          I have yet to do any kind of speed work, other than running hills.  I kind of don't want to jinx myself lol.

          Leah, mother of dogs

          kristin10185


          Skirt Runner

            I did Myrtl, yoga, foam rolling, core exercises and stretching but I also REALLY liked the Strength Running IT band exercises. I did them in conjunction with myrtl. I can't say definitively what helped the most in getting over ITBS because I also changed shoes and had PT. But Google "Strength Running IT Band Video"... I can't copy and paste the link here cuz I'm on my phone. I'm pretty sure it was a combination of everything I did that helped me get over it, and youre doing most if it but maybe that's the missing component that will make a difference. Also try yoga maybe. I love yoga and I think it really helps.

            PRs:   5K- 28:16 (5/5/13)      10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13)    4M- 41:43 (9/7/13)   15K- 1:34:25  (8/17/13)    10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14)     HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14)     Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)

             

            I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to


            Ostrich runner

              The foam roller is what finally worked for me, and it comes out anytime I'm increasingly mileage. Pain in all other parts of my legs seems to derive from my IT band, even when I think it's something else. If you're doing the foam roller correctly, it should be very, very painful.

              http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Indy/forum

              pedaling fool


                I'm a big fan of weightlifting to help guard aginst overuse issues, because it works muscles/connective tissues in other ways to keep them strong; as well as keep the bones strong.

                 

                Here's Mark Allen talking about the importance of strenght training.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDCN58oI6T0

                 

                 

                Here are some good exercises to start with  http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=691

                 

                 

                 

                EDIT: Why do so many do weightlifting type execises for rehab, but once the rehab is done they quit strenght training. Rhetorical question, more food for thought...

                  Sounds like you are doing the right stuff- stick with the PT.  I finally went to one after a year of what turned out to be IT band problems. Did all the exercises you mention. I think time helped too- I don't even use the foam roller anymore and only get occasional twinges.

                  danderson1726


                    Fantastic. Thanks everyone.