Running Injuries - IT Band Syndrome

You know it hurts when they call it a "syndrome".  Lots of us have struggled with this (I still do),

 but the good news is, with the proper treatment, you can train through it.

Click the image for more details about this injury.  Ignore the part about doing the "wet foot" test to determine your foot type.  While this is a nice party trick, it is NOT a good way to determine the type of shoe you need to wear.  What your arch looks like when you are standing still is in no way indicative of what it does while under stress and in motion.

Over the years that I have dealt with IT band syndrome, the best treatments I have found are:

1.  specific stretches targeting the outside hip (when the store opens next month,

come in and I will be happy to show you which ones work for me)

2.  alternating the side of the road I run on

(The roads around here are so "turtle-backed" to aid drainage, the outside leg/knee is put under alot of stress).

3.  using the foam roller (This HURTS - you will be amazed at the words you never knew were in your vocabulary that come out of your mouth while doing this - but it WORKS, and that's the goal. Of course, we will carry foam rollers, and I can show you how to use it.)

4.  see a PT or Sports Chiro (again, painful but effective)

5. For relief during a run, try an IT Band strap - a tight wrap just above the knee.  Or, in a pinch, duct tape works :).

The good thing is, with attention to stretching and treatment, this doesn't have to put you on the sidelines.  Happy Running, Folks.