Do you experience any of the following? - Pain that goes down the side of the leg
- Pain that is aggravated by running - Pain concentrated on the outside of the knee
- Did you just increase your weekly running or cycling mileage?
These are just a few of the common signs and symptoms of IT Band syndrome.
The IT band is composed of dense fibrous connective tissue that travels along the side of the leg.
It plays an important role in supporting and connecting the hip and knee.
When this system gets disrupted, it can affect the areas it attaches to: the hip and the knee.
IT band pain can develop when there is an imbalance between the strength/tightness of the Gluteus Medius and the Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) (Pictured above)
Often times, the TFL is TOO STRONG and the Gluteus Medius is TOO WEAK When this happens, the IT Band causes increased compressive forces to be placed on the lateral knee. The first step to fixing this is Gluteus Medius strengthening.
Watch a video on my go-to exercise for this when treating patients HERE
That exercise is step #1 in treating IT Band pain and also works to prevent it from developing. You MUST feel the muscle burn in the gluteus medius behind your hip bone. If you feel it in the front, you're strengthening the TFL which contributes to the problem... If done correctly this exercise helps restore the balance of the TFL and the Gluteus Medius Side note: Foam rolling the ITB helps relieve symptoms in the short term, but does not contribute to solving the underlying cause of the problem.
If you have pain or an injury that is preventing you from doing what you love, we should talk. Click the button below to schedule a free discovery call with me and see if we're a good fit to work together.
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