Dealing With IT Band Syndrome?

[ColorBlindJames]

I've been dealing with left knee pain for a few weeks now and from what I have read, my symptoms seem to match those of IT Band Syndrome.

I took a week off of running and have been focusing on foam rolling, stretching, and strengthening the muscles in my legs. Today, I did a test run and made it only a mile before the pain flared up again, forcing me to end my run and walk back to my car.

I have scheduled an appointment with a sports medicine orthopedist for next week, but was wondering if anyone here has dealt with IT Band Syndrome and might have any advice or insights to share?

 

[Joe]

You want to get a professional diagnosis first. If it actually is an IT band issue, you might consider running in a stability shoe to limit the lateral movement of your lower leg which may provide some relief.

Joe

 

[imnothammer]

You'll want to wait on your appointment before taking in any of our sage advice.

If an encouraging anecdote is any use, I had mild issues with ITBS back when I first made the leap from casual running to marathon training (about 5 years ago now). I am very fortunate that my fiancee is a physical therapist and she recommended rest and a series of bodyweight exercises/stretching that got me back to 100% in a little less than a month or so. I have not had any recurrence since.

Hopefully you get good news from the ortho!

 

[Andrew A.]

I'll echo the sentiments of putting a primary focus on your visit with a professional to gain an accurate diagnosis. Hope all goes well, let us know what you find out!

I dealt with ITBS long ago for a couple of years and in my recollection it was more of a feeling of extreme tightness across the quad, though I believe it can manifest at any point along the ITB. I sort of ran through it, in stability type shoes, though the biggest difference was that I had moved from living where my runs were almost exclusively on rolling hills to where my runs could be run on primarily flat routes. It was a recurring issue for a couple of years and cleared right up within a few months of my move and I didn't really do anything else different. In hindsight, it must have been a chronic imbalance and overuse issue per the hilly routes.