![]() ![]() Over-aggressive static stretching could only lead to much bigger problems down the road. It is a crucial stabilizer of your knee, so you want to keep it just that – stable. Well for one, it means that keeping your IT band healthy won’t just help prevent the nagging pain of IT band syndrome and related issues like low back pain – it could even go a long way to preventing major knee injuries that require surgery and months of recovery.īut it also means that you don’t want to overstretch the IT band. When this type of motion doesn’t come from a stable or supported position, serious injuries like ACL and PCL tears can occur.Īnd studies have shown that the ITB provides a TON of stabilization for internal rotation, supporting these oft-torn cruciate and collateral ligaments of the knees. This internal rotation happens a lot during cut or pivot movements – think about a soccer player cutting around other players on the field to control the ball. Your IT band helps provide knee stability when your tibia internally rotates. But thanks to it’s knee-stabilizing role, overly stretching your IT band may do you more harm than good. Usually, the first line of defense against ITB syndrome is static stretching. But there’s reason to examine this more closely. Address it! A Serious StabilizerĮarlier I mentioned that the IT band helps provide stabilization to the knee. In short – when IT band pain shows up, don’t ignore it. And tightness in your IT band may itself be related to other issues, including low back pain . IT band syndrome may also cause pain when you bend or straighten your knee – even if you aren’t doing so repetitively.īecause it’s appearance is tied to a tensed IT band rubbing against the outside of the knee, ITB syndrome often goes hand in hand with a tight IT band. Running or a similar repetitive leg movement, like cycling, will trigger and aggravate the pain, and certain factors, like running downhill may make the pain worse. However, it may be felt slightly above or below this bony landmark. ![]() The lateral knee pain of ITB syndrome is often felt right on your lateral epicondyle. The rubbing starts to cause irritation, and before you know it – you’ve got IT band syndrome and lateral knee pain. When your foot is striking down and your knee is flexed at about 30 degrees, your glute max and TFL tense up to decelerate your leg, causing tension in your IT band as it rubs past the lateral epicondyle. In fact, at certain parts of the running cycle, there is a perfect storm of factors that can contribute to ITB issues. When these two structures rub together (as may often occur repetitively in activities like running and cycling), friction can occur. The connection between this bony bump and this band of tissue is often the source of ITB troubles. Where your IT band meets your femur, there is a bony bump called the lateral epicondyle. ![]() Your IT band works to stabilize your knee while also helping flex your hip via the action of the tensor fascia latae . The band travels down your leg, connecting to both the femur bone of your upper thigh and your tibia (shin bone) as it runs along the outside of the knee. It runs down from your tensor fasciae latae and your gluteus maximus, and is connected to the iliac crest of the pelvis. Your IT band is a thick band of tissue that lies on the lateral side of your upper leg. ![]() To prevent this frustrating cycle, let’s learn a little bit more about the anatomy of the issue, then we’ll talk about a few strategies that will effectively address it – not just delay the symptoms temporarily. But IT band syndrome is persistent, and more often than not, the ache comes right back once you start training again. Usually, people just take it easy until the pain eases up. You might notice a slight ache that starts to show up on the outside of your knee after longer runs.īut the pain intensifies over time, progressing until it really starts to hamper your workouts, maybe even preventing you from hitting the track or trail at all. As many as 15 percent of runners are thought to deal with the issue, which causes pain on the outside of the knee.Īnd runners aren’t alone in this honor – other athletes, particularly cyclists, also regularly face IT band issues. Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome is a common problem for runners. Learn how to combat the pain with ITB stretches for improved mobility and pain-free movement. IT band pain keeps tons of runners off the road and cyclists off their bikes. ![]()
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