Physical Therapy Can Help You Resolve IT Band Syndrome
Are you frustrated with persistent pain in the outer part of your knee when you run? Do you feel tight in the outer thigh that never seems to disappear? At Mana Physical Therapy, our therapists can help figure out where the source of pain is coming from and, more importantly, how to resolve it!
The iliotibial (IT) band pain is a common complaint amongst runners. This condition is often thought to be due to overuse and/or weaknesses, and when it is at its worst, it affects everyday activities.
For most people, the pain is intensified when the knee is slightly bent and interferes with activities like walking, going up or downstairs, and moving from sitting to standing. Fortunately, our team of physical therapists at Mana Physical Therapy are experts at treating runners and running-related injuries.
What is IT band syndrome?
The iliotibial band is a broad band of tissue that runs along the outer aspect of the thigh from the pelvis to the outer part of the knee. Near the pelvis, two muscles are the tensor fascia lata and the gluteus maximus, which are the start of the IT band. At the knee, the tissue thickens as it crosses the outer thigh bone (femur) before attaching it to the shin bone (tibia).
IT band syndrome is typically described as sharp knee pain in a focal point on the outside of the knee. Typically the outside of the knee is tender to touch, and pressing against it may cause pain. Early on, the pain is mild and more of an ache and eventually becomes more noticeable and limits function.
Many people experience their pain intensifying when the knee is bent at about 30 degrees. It is also common to experience persistent tightness along the outside of the thigh. These factors contribute to a feeling that the hip and knee are less mobile.
IT band syndrome is the second most common injury for runners and is typically felt when their foot hits the ground or right afterward. Running on a decline can be especially painful and frustrating to the runner.
Our team can help identify IT band syndrome and, more importantly, how to resolve it!
Common causes of IT band syndrome
IT band syndrome is a common condition that runners deal with, and our physical therapists will assess you to identify all the possible causes of your symptoms. This may include your lower body alignment (i.e., pelvis, hip, knee, and foot position with one another) as well as your strength and balance.
This condition is commonly considered an overuse-type injury, but there are often underlying issues that contribute to the development of IT band syndrome. The most common causes include:
Weakness in hip/pelvis muscles (i.e., gluteus maximus and tensor fascia lata): Identifying individual muscle weakness is difficult, if not impossible, due to the synergistic role they play with one another. It is often better to describe the weakness in terms of the general function. For IT band syndrome, the typical weak groups include the hip abductors and adductors and external and internal rotators.
The alignment of the lower extremity: The pelvis mechanics in relation to the knee and foot are also associated with an increased risk of developing IT band syndrome. The femur’s adductor motion (i.e., angled inward) increases the stress on the IT band. In addition, more significant internal rotation at the knee joint will also impact the IT band.
The muscle imbalance and/or alignment abnormality can add tension to the IT band and may create the environment for the friction of the band as it rolls over the knee repeatedly during running.
Our team will assess your situation and develop a program tailored to your needs!
How physical therapy can help
At the initial assessment, our physical therapists start with an injury evaluation and a biomechanical assessment to identify all the factors that may be contributing to your pain/injury. This will consist of a thorough history to learn about your past and current running/training schedule and previous history of injuries, and your overall health status.
We will use this information to develop an individualized program that includes targeted manual techniques for pain relief and to improve tissue mobility. This is often necessary to allow activities like stretching/ mobility work, strengthening, and any appropriate modification to your body mechanics or running technique.
Every program will then incorporate running-specific treatments with a “return to run” protocol to assist you in a safe return to training and pain-free running. Next, we will focus on progressing your strength and dynamic exercises designed to restore function and prevent future injuries. This typically includes balance and coordination work to ensure your foot strikes the ground correctly and can tolerate the forces that running demands.
Our team of physical therapists will provide the foundation for successful training while reducing future injuries!
Request an appointment today!
Call today to make an appointment with one of our specialists. Our therapists at Mana Physical Therapy physical therapy clinic will create a targeted, individualized plan of care to promote an accelerated recovery so you can get back to running pain-free!
Your Next Steps…
Request An Appointment
Receive A Custom Treatment Plan
Work Hard and Progress In Your Recovery
Recover & Enjoy Life Pain-Free!