IT Band Problems

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ethanlion
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IT Band Problems

Post by ethanlion »

Anyone else struggled with an inflamed IT band? I was crushed last year having to turn around at the Daly saddle on Capitol on a perfect weather day due to immense pain. I want to avoid a reoccurance at all costs. I'm aware of the classic rest, ice, compression, elevation routine. Any recommended stretches that have worked well for recovery and or prevention? I have a fairly standard knee brace I plan to wear for hiking. Please share what knowledge you may have. Thanks and happy hiking!
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Stee
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by Stee »

I used to struggle with IT band problems when I ran. It also used to light up some when I hiked long distances. My biggest success was focusing on building strength in my glutes and hamstrings. Stretching can only get you so far. You need to regularly do squats, lunges, step ups, things like that. I also try to incorporate some mobility stretches after working out or watching tv - a mix of foam rolling and stretching. It has helped a lot.

Sitting at a desk all day obviously doesn't help either. Stand up as much as possible if you are deskbound. I found this article. It sums up my similar strategy.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2142646/d ... -pain-good
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jchapell
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by jchapell »

Hey -I've had IT band issues on/off for the last 10 years (so has my wife), though it has been a non-issue for the last 2-3 years, so I feel your pain! Here are a couple thoughts that have worked for me, but everyone is different.
- FOAM ROLLER, foam roller, foam roller. This made a huge huge difference for me during tough times. Way more effective than stretching when you can take time to work it out We even brought a massage stick on a backpacking trip for a 1.5 lb penalty one summer. Did I mention foam roller?
- Again, everyone is different, but I find slow (>45 second) gentle quad stretching and then doing this stretch was the most effective for me: https://b-reddy.org/2012/03/04/the-best ... etch-ever/
- When it is acting up, I definitely throw the knee sleeve in the pack for a hike, usually to put on during the descent. I had to take my pants/boots/crampons off on the summit of Rainier to put them on one year :roll:
- Honestly, once I started running regularly, the IT issues went away after a month or two, and have never really returned for any activity...I think it strengthened/balanced everything in a very positive way. However, during those early months I sometimes had to IMMEDIATELY quit running an walk home when it acted up.
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LURE
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by LURE »

ethanlion wrote:Anyone else struggled with an inflamed IT band? I was crushed last year having to turn around at the Daly saddle on Capitol on a perfect weather day due to immense pain. I want to avoid a reoccurance at all costs. I'm aware of the classic rest, ice, compression, elevation routine. Any recommended stretches that have worked well for recovery and or prevention? I have a fairly standard knee brace I plan to wear for hiking. Please share what knowledge you may have. Thanks and happy hiking!
I wrecked my IT band spring of 16' running a trail marathon. Seriously wrecked. It was weeks before I could use that knee to go up and down stairs and honestly several months before I found myself in the mountains. Nearly an entire summer shot.

Past the initial injury icing won't do much I don't think, unless you go do physical activity and flare it up again then ice it. I never saw a doctor because to me it was pretty clear it was my IT band and unless it was like seriously out of place of something they wouldn't be able to do anything for it. With IT bands my recommendation is that, depending on how bad it is, you just need to stop doing things, for a good while, which sucks. So more rest than you think. I don't think there are many ways to stretch it. From the way I understand it, its more of like a ligament tendon that due to poor form or muscle imbalances will get misaligned across the outside of your knee and start rubbing and inflaming. So because of that you can't stretch the IT band specifically, but start focusing on muscle groups around it, strengthening them and stretching them - hams, quads, glutes, anything that has some control over your legs. I also started doing focused squatting to try and evenly strengthen my legs across the board. Also, start foam rolling all those muscles on you thigh and your glutes around the IT band, not on the IT band directly. I've read that because it's more of a tendon ligament type tissue it's not good for it to be rolled directly.

So, rest, strengthening, and rolling. Lots of rest. IT bands suck. I actually can still sorta feel mine this summer, doesn't hurt and hasn't hurt hiking but when I'm sitting at the office or watching tv, I can kinda feel it still.
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JTOlson26
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by JTOlson26 »

Two words: FOAM ROLLER!

That's what I get for posting before reading the other responses: so, I second what jchapell says.
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lodgling
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by lodgling »

Don't let the brevity of this message suggest to you that this is bad advice: You should work on activating your glutes. Slowly add side lying leg raises to your routine. Look it up. It worked for me and my legs were a mess. Rolling treats the problem, glute activation works towards eliminating it.
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sand man
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by sand man »

jchapell wrote:Hey -I've had IT band issues on/off for the last 10 years (so has my wife), though it has been a non-issue for the last 2-3 years, so I feel your pain! Here are a couple thoughts that have worked for me, but everyone is different.
- FOAM ROLLER, foam roller, foam roller. This made a huge huge difference for me during tough times. Way more effective than stretching when you can take time to work it out We even brought a massage stick on a backpacking trip for a 1.5 lb penalty one summer. Did I mention foam roller?
+1 for foam roller and stretching. I had IT band issues that made high peaks horrible for a couple years. I think good stretching was most important for me. When it finally got better I was stretching about 45 min daily. This video shows a similar stretch to what I found helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30rjVT-TLo
"Unto the hills around do I lift up my longing eyes" - Psalm 121:1
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jesusfreak1824
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by jesusfreak1824 »

Not sure if this will help much as I realize there are so many issues that come with knee problems and there are seemingly endless symptoms that may not be directly related to knee issues but can cause them. With that said, I've had my fair share of knee issues before including IT band pain and a torn meniscus. And there may be way more qualified members here who can provide more accurate information for specific issues but I'm at least going to mention what has helped me.

I climbed Belford in 2015 with the intentions of doing Oxford as well but upon our descent into the saddle, I realize that my knees were in some serious pain so we decided to just head back down to the trailhead. Many can relate to the pain that come from descending, especially that northwest ridge from Belford and all those switchbacks! It got so bad that I couldn't walk more than 6-10 steps without having to stretch and take weight off of my legs. Fast forward to two weeks ago and I was able to summit Bierstadt and Evans via the Sawtooth and Grays and Torreys via Kelso Ridge on back to back days with zero pain in my legs, especially coming down the northeast ridge from Bierstadt going toward the Sawtooth, which can be fairly steep and we ran down Torreys over to Grays and then again down Grays to the parking lot.

The difference in performances can be ascribed to strength training and proper recovery methods as well as recognizing proper movement within my knees themselves. I fully agree with the importance of building up the strength in your quads and hammies as well as your calves. Lots of squats, box jumps, lunges, etc. just like Stee and others have said. And exercises that will also work out your hip flexors will aid in the longer walks, like the approach to Capitol. This has helped me a ton because I'm now no longer relying on my skeletal system to make critical movements but can fully rely on the muscles surrounding my legs. Keep in mind as well, and this has come from training with some of my triathlon buddies, the actual movement of your knees. I noticed before that when I would walk downhill or up higher steps, my knees flared out or in a bit to possibly relieve my hips with the movement but was causing serious pain in my IT bands because they were moving in a way that wasn't being supported by any muscles, only my IT bands. So learning how to do proper squats helped me build that muscle memory within my knees to move with proper alignment. Rollers are phenomenal but again, they are to help you recover from what you've already done, not necessarily to help prepare for what you're going to do.

Strength training and proper leg movement are my takeaways. Best of luck to you Ethanlion! Knee problems are the worst!!
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AndrewLyonsGeibel
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by AndrewLyonsGeibel »

Foam roller, stability exercises, squats, lunges, leg lifts, and strengthening your core helps. I had IT band issues from increasing mileage too quickly last year. Rest until it doesn't hurt, then start up again slowly and add in the stuff from the first sentence. I do weights one day per week and run 6 days per week now. Foam roller every single day.
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Tory Wells
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by Tory Wells »

Has anyone mentioned foam roller yet? :wink:

I concur, doctor. Foam roller for the win!
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LURE
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by LURE »

Someone else already made this point with glute strengthening, and while I even recommended foam rolling, I wanna emphasize that proper form, proper strengthening, and rest, will probably benefit your knee more than foam rolling. I actually don't foam roll anymore, or stretch, I'm ironically far too lazy for that stuff, the only thing I still do that probably helps is squatting, thinking more about my running form, and avoiding running in wonky shoes.
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Jessiahbram
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Re: IT Band Problems

Post by Jessiahbram »

Rolling is good, but I've found that the source of the problem for me was weak glutes and tight hips. There are at least three layers of very tight muscles in the hips that I've been able to get to and work on that has helped. Stretching my hip flexors daily has helped a ton.
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