Dealing with IT Band Syndrome
A “classic” runners injury, and to be honest, a frustrating one! If you have ever encountered IT Band Syndrome you will have experienced an excruciating pain in either your hip or your knee. For me, it was on the outside of my left knee. And as much as I tried, it was simply too painful to run through. I bounced between run/walk sessions for about a month, before I decided to stop running on it all together, to focus on strength and rehab in order to recover from the injury.
IT Band Syndrome is an overuse injury, and typically occurs when the IT Band becomes too tight. It is often related to activities such as running, cycling, swimming, and hiking due to the repetitive bending of the knee. If you are a runner, you might be more likely to develop IT band syndrome if you run on uneven terrain, have worn out shoes, or a high milage. The IT (iliotibial) band is a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs along the outside of the leg. It starts at the hip and extends to the outer side of the shinbone just below the knee joint.
Having worked through this injury, I have also helped clients do the same. To be honest, it was done with some rest, patience, and simple tweaks to my training.
IT Band Syndrome Rehab Exercises:
(10x each leg and 3 total sets of the below)
Banded Adduction/Abduction/Flexion Extension
Banded Monster Walk (forward, backwards, left, right)
From a cross training point of view, I jumped on the indoor bike for easy rides or fartlek sessions, and once the pain eased after a few weeks (and I had strengthened my glutes), I was able to progress onto the elliptical, before hitting the streets running again.
In addition to the above, I also ensured my strength training was more running specific (essentially a lot more single leg focused), and that I was allowing my body enough time to recover each week.
Being injured is never easy, but when you realise there is a lot that you can do to fundamentally improve your running in the long term, the approach to rehab becomes a lot more appealing.
