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Welcome to the Return 2 Sport PT blog. Here, we share insights and tips to improve your movement quality, alleviate pain and dysfunction, and equip you with the knowledge to maintain a pain-free and active lifestyle for the long haul.
The Real Reason Your IT Band Hurts
The Real Reason Your IT Band Hurts
Don't shoot the messenger! Hint: The IT band is the messenger.
IT band pain is very common and often hard to solve on your own. It's a stubborn annoying type of pain that seems to get worse so you go but is also not necessarily bad enough to make you stop altogether. Some people deal with it for months or even years.
We aim to solve that problem for good and teach you why it is happening and give you the tools to fix it.
First off, IT band pain is a symptom of a bigger problem. No one's IT band is tearing, causing the problem itself, or going to get better by only treating the IT band....
It is merely just a structure of thick rigid fascia that acts as a lateral strut for some structural stability. The fascia runs from the outside of the hip all the way down to where it hurts on the knee.
We get MD referrals for " IT band stretching" often and I laugh every time. You can't stretch the IT band into submission. It doesn't work that way. Like I said before, it is a rigid structure and does not stretch.
So now that we understand there is no reason to "treat" the IT band, what should you do?
We have to look at why the IT band is being stressed in the first place. The only reason the IT band would be stressed is tension. Tension from being asked to elongate when its job is not that.
The IT band only gets forcibly elongated when your knees are moving towards each other too much. This leads to most running injuries but is the main mechanical reason for IT band pain.
Why do your knees tends to go in towards each other you ask? Lack of hip muscle control and strength.
If the hips are not strong enough to control your knee from crashing inwards when you land on one foot, your body will automatically compensate by landing in "knee valgus."
The cascade of down chain problems start here:
Glutes not firing or weak
Femur internally rotates causing knee to drift inwards
IT band pulls, patella tracks poorly because its being pulled outwards
Foot pronates causing more collapse problems
Makes a lot of sense right?
Core and hip strength are the answer. Specifically gluteus medius aka glute med.
We like a lot of single leg exercises and progressive loading. While doing the exercises you also need to focus on knee control. If the knee is crashing inwards while doing the exercises you are continuing to feed the problem!
How can I address the problem while running?
Don't let your knees hit each other, create a little space.
Act like there is a thin line of tape on the road and don't cross the line
Stay as tall as you can and pull your hips forward getting into the glutes
If you have IT band pain or know someone who does, its something that is very easy for us to fix and we would be glad to help you solve it for good!
Happy running,
R2S Team
Dr. Dylan Glass, PT, DPT, SMTC
Dr. Josh Cornett PT, DPT, COMT, CDNT
Return 2 Sport PT
256-513-9525
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