Runners can be very fearful of this injury and with good reason. If you’ve ever had ITB pain you know how much it can HURT! Walking down stairs becomes a nightmare!!
ITB pain is caused by compression of the soft tissue over the boney prominence
Why does it happen?
Here are some common causes
Ten top tips for managing ITB pain
1. Avoid downhill running for now
2. Avoid running on the trails for the time being
3. Avoid running on soft surfaces
4. Avoid foam rolling the lower portion of the lateral thigh. ITB is a compression injury so we don’t want to add more compression by foam rolling over something that is already compressed!
5. If you love stretching go for it but it’s not going to help you get better. The ITB doesn’t stretch and for good reason - it needs to be taut to stabilise the hip over the knee.
6. Start running uphill on a treadmill for 2 weeks with a incline of 3-5%. The good thing about treadmill running is if things go wrong you can simply step off the treadmill
7. When you can run flat on the treadmill without pain we can transition you to running outdoors
8. Add a small increase in running cadence 5-10% over your preferred step rate. Although if you’re already running above 170+ cadence this is unlikely to help
9. Strengthen those hips! A key exercise is the Bulgarian split squat
10. Make sure your foot function is not contributing to internal rotation of the leg and therefore compression of the ITB. See a podiatrist : )😊
ITB pain is caused by compression of the soft tissue over the boney prominence
Why does it happen?
Here are some common causes
- Downhill trail running is particularly taxing on the ITB
- A narrow step width increases compression of the ITB
- Increase your training load too quickly
- Running on soft surfaces
- Dodgy worn out shoes
Ten top tips for managing ITB pain
1. Avoid downhill running for now
2. Avoid running on the trails for the time being
3. Avoid running on soft surfaces
4. Avoid foam rolling the lower portion of the lateral thigh. ITB is a compression injury so we don’t want to add more compression by foam rolling over something that is already compressed!
5. If you love stretching go for it but it’s not going to help you get better. The ITB doesn’t stretch and for good reason - it needs to be taut to stabilise the hip over the knee.
6. Start running uphill on a treadmill for 2 weeks with a incline of 3-5%. The good thing about treadmill running is if things go wrong you can simply step off the treadmill
7. When you can run flat on the treadmill without pain we can transition you to running outdoors
8. Add a small increase in running cadence 5-10% over your preferred step rate. Although if you’re already running above 170+ cadence this is unlikely to help
9. Strengthen those hips! A key exercise is the Bulgarian split squat
10. Make sure your foot function is not contributing to internal rotation of the leg and therefore compression of the ITB. See a podiatrist : )😊
Mythbusting iliotibial band pain with Dr Rich Willey It's not friction! British Journal of Sports Medicine , October 2019
Is Iliotibial band syndrome really a friction syndrome . J Fairclough et al , Journal of Sciece and Medicine in Sport , April 2007
The management of ITB syndrome with a multifaceted approach. A double case report - J. Shammus. The International journal of Sports Physical Therapy June 2013
Kinematics of recreational runners with iliotibial band injury -B Suarez. Journal of Sports and science, Sept 2018
Is Iliotibial band syndrome really a friction syndrome . J Fairclough et al , Journal of Sciece and Medicine in Sport , April 2007
The management of ITB syndrome with a multifaceted approach. A double case report - J. Shammus. The International journal of Sports Physical Therapy June 2013
Kinematics of recreational runners with iliotibial band injury -B Suarez. Journal of Sports and science, Sept 2018
