18 Mar Treating Your IT Band Syndrome
IT Band Syndrome, also referred to as Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), is a painful, frustrating condition that affects the outside part of the knee. Common among runners, this is typically a repetitive, overuse injury. A fibrous ligament, called the iliotibial band (ITB), extends from the outside of the pelvis to the outside of the lower leg (tibia). Most often, the pain is caused by a tight or hyperactive Tensor Fascia Lata (TFL), a muscle which attaches to the iliotibial band, which runs down the outer thigh from the hip to the knee. Repetitive rubbing against the bone on the outside of the knee during running causes inflammation. If the main hip abductors are weak, mainly the glute muscles, then the TFL must contract harder leading to a straining of the ITB overtime. For success treating iliotibial band syndrome, a full evaluation of the pelvic joints and lumbar spine function is needed. The chiropractic physicians at Mile High Spine & Pain Center can help treat your iliotibial band syndrome and prevent it from reocurring.
Treatment Options for Iliotibial Band Syndrome
The body is a fascinating machine and it will let you know if there is something going on that isn’t right. Usually, this message is communicated to you through your nervous system by the pain messages that are transmitted to your brain. Ignoring the pain symptoms from nerve inflammation is not a good idea–you need to find the cause and treat it. IT Band Syndrome can be treated promptly and not sideline you for an entire season if you seek help early. If you start to feel pain, call a Mile High Spine & Pain Center office near you in Westminster or Broomfield for help. After a thorough evaluation that confirms IT Band Syndrome, we can offer you the following treatment options:
- MRI scans to determine if the tendons are swollen or enlarged
- Instruction on exercise adjustments that eliminate the irritation
- Gentle stretching to help you eliminate tension in the hip or knee
- Massage and pain management for short term injury
How to Prevent Iliotibial Band Syndrome
You can safeguard the health of your legs, hips and spine by taking proactive steps to prevent injury or inflammation. A chiropractic physician at Mile High Spine & Pain Center can educate you about steps you can take to prevent the disruptive results of IT Band Syndrome. Here are some things to consider to help you prevent it.
Take Time to Plan Your Course
If you are a runner, take time and think about the topography of your run. Runs that require you to run on uneven, sloping, steep downhill surfaces can put excessive pressure on your IT Band leading to inflammation and pain. While some downhill training is good for strengthening your muscles and joints, too much of this type of running can lead to inflammation and injury. Runs that take this kind of toll on your body MUST be followed by a proper recovery period for the continued good health of your IT Band.
Check Your Shoes
Consult with a local running shop on the state of your running shoes. They can tell you by looking at the soles if you need to replace your shoes or switch to a more supportive shoe. Worn out shoes, or ill-fitting shoes, are one of the leading causes of injury among runners and athletes. Also, take the time to make sure you are exercising proper running techniques. Poor technique that torques your body or twists your legs upon impact with the ground can injure your IT band and other tendons, ligaments and soft tissues as well.
Consider the Surface You Run On
You also need to consider the surface that you run on the most. All running surfaces put a tremendous amount of force on your body–the bones of your feet, your legs, hips and spine. Whether your running surface is dirt, concrete, asphalt, grass, a track or a treadmill, it is important to take the steps necessary to get all the benefits of running with as little negative consequences as you can. Concrete, followed closely by asphalt, causes the greatest impact force on runners’ bodies, absorbing little of the body’s impact and providing minimal shock absorption. When approached with adequate footwear and proper running form, those impact forces can help build bone and strengthen muscles. If most of your runs are going to occur on concrete surfaces make sure you have visited your local running store and purchased a shoe that will support you the best with those impact forces.
Plan Your Recoveries to Avoid IT Band Syndrome
Take time to recover between workouts. You may feel like superman or superwoman, but you won’t for long without proper recovery. The muscles of your body that allow you the freedom to do what you do breakdown when you work them and they need time to recover and build back up. Take the recommended rest between activity sessions so that you don’t cause inflammation to occur and sidelining injuries. Many of the cases of IT Band Syndrome that we see at Mile High Spine & Pain Center could have been avoided if the participant would have been resting properly between activities.
Don’t Skip Your Warm-Up
Your muscles, bones and joints need time to loosen and warm-up before activity to help avoid unnecessary and unwanted strains, tears and injuries. If you want to ward off IT Band Syndrome in the future, make sure that you are taking the time to prevent problems that could be easily avoided with 10-20 minutes of warm-up activities and dynamic stretching.
Call for a Free ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome) Consultation
If you are suffering from Iliotibial Band Syndrome, the team at Mile High Spine & Pain Center are ready to help. Mile High Spine & Pain Center provides specialized treatment plans for Iliotibial Band Syndrome to patients in Westminster and Broomfield and can help you understand where your symptoms are coming from and what it will take to improve.
Call (720) 507-0080 today to schedule your free consultation!