Forums >Health and Nutrition>ITBS: how long to rest?
Skirt Runner
I have found a ton of great information about treatment and prevention of ITBS, but I cannot seem to find advice anywhere about how long I need to rest it. Currently having my first bout with ITBS. After a particularly hilly run on Friday the outside of my knee began giving me trouble. It hurts when I go up and down stairs. I have not run on it since. I am loaded with great ideas of exercises, stretches, foam roller, ect.... but what I want to know now is when is it safe to try to go for a run again? I know it's "ok to cross train by bike or elliptical" while there is still pain but I do not have a way to do that right now...my gym was flooded out by Hurricane Sandy and has not reopened. I have put off joining a different gym because I currently am running 3-4 days per week; doing free weights, stability ball and resistance bands exercises in my apartment; take a weekly zumba class at a dance studio; and take a weekly yoga class at a yoga studio....with all that I was barely using my gym membership anymore anyways. Should I wait until I am completely pain free on the stairs for a few days? Is it ok to go on a short, slow run after say a week of rest? I don't want to make it worse but I really want to get back to running ASAP. Thanks!
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Rest didn't do anything for my ITBS. I took three weeks off initially and then tried to run and then took another three weeks off and it didn't help.
Did you eventually get rid of it then? Or are you running through it now?
Not dead. Yet.
I'm a running noob, but have been dealing with ITBS for the last month or so. I originally took a week off and really concentrated on stretching and strengthening. Clam shells, straight leg raises, wall sits. Then I started back in with shorter, easier runs. It flared up a little over that week, but not bad enough to stop me. That week made a big difference for a while. Unfortunately, it came back with a vengeance after a hilly run last week. I have fallen off the strengthening exercises regimen so will be starting those back up tomorrow. I have a foam roller now and that seems to help, but it hurts like a **tch to do.
I'm hoping beyond hope that the whole problem is caused by having the wrong shoes "prescribed" to me by the LRS. They put me in motion control shoes, and looking back through the logs I noticed that the ITBS started about two weeks after I got those shoes. So I have a pair of neutral shoes coming in the mail. Can't wait to try them out. My toes are crossed.
I think this is the type of problem that you have to work at to correct. No easy fix. Good luck!
How can we know our limits if we don't test them?
Yeah, it's pretty much gone. My left ITB gets tight sometimes but mostly as long as I stay on top of foam rolling it's fine. And my right side, which was the bad side is fine. I did all the strengthening exercises, got ART, chiro, tried the strap, cortisone, tried orthotics, etc etc but the only thing that really helped was Graston.
What is Graston?
Basically using metal tools to break up scar tissue. Painful but works like nothing else.
http://www.grastontechnique.com/
I had to go to PT to cure a bad case of ITBS. It's basically overuse and weak support muscles so all of the techniques mentioned above will help.
ITBS is aggravated by hills
So, reduce # of days, intensity, flat (keep in mind that most roads have camber so you want to be careful there as well).
Massage, yoga, rolling, all is good
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ITBS is a tough one, different people have different recovery times and different recovery methods that work.
I had one bout with this personally on the 6th mile of a long run once. I bought a foam roller and tried lots of strecthing as well, and it seemed to go away fairly quickly with no recurrence. I stopped running completely for only a few days, then gradually picked it up again with easy running and all progressed fine. I would keep it flat running for a time though, no hills! Not yet until everything is feeling fine again on the flat runs.
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I usually get ITBS when I up my mileage too fast. I make sure to stretch my ITB everyday and foam roll when needed. Also adding single leg strengthening helps
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Thanks for the advice
I know I'm a bit late to this discussion but I had a bout of ITBS last year, started in March. I tried resting and some stretches but what really helped me was my Physio - she gave me a series of exercises to specifically target the tight area, recommended the foam roller (hurts but it helps) and also a major factor in my recovery was the accupuncture she performed. Not the energy-centre, alternative therapy type but actually finding the really painful parts of the area and going at them with the needles... I am usually petrified of injections etc. but this was fine, you can actually feel the area release with a pop when they hit it right and personally I feel without the accupuncture I wouldn't have been back running so soon after the course.
So I ran on Saturday for the first time since the ITB issues began (took a full 7 days off and waited until I had no pain going up and down stairs- where the pain is worst for me- for 2 days in a row), kept it short and slow (only a mile and a half) on the flattest stretch of asphalt jogging path in the park near me, and felt fine. And then later that day the pain started again in full force, could barely walk. I'm guessing that was not enough rest??? Or is it something I just have to suck up and deal with and run anyway on it while doing hip strengthening and foam rolling?
I'm having IT band issues right now too and what's working for me is foam rolling every night (and again right before I go running) and wearing an IT band strap when I do run. I also took some time completely off and have been ramping mileage back up gradually. The strap really helps though--last time I had IT band problems I didn't have one and it feels like I'm getting back into running faster this time.
No, don't suck it up. It shouldn't hurt to run. Try foam rolling the band before your next run and icing after it. Also, if it hurt after 1.5 miles this time around next time do only 1 mile or even less than a mile. You don't have to run super slow either. In my experience it actually felt better to run a bit quicker rather than slower. Do your strengthening exercises at least every other day and stretching can be done everyday. Build back the mileage very very slowly and avoid hills.
It is a troublesome injury. I still do hip and glute exercises to keep the IT band happy.
"Shut up Legs!" Jens Voigt