I've gone my whole life without knowing what an IT band is, or that I even have one (two, in fact). That is, until my knee started hurting at the end of my 11 mile run today. I started limping pretty badly.
An IT band (iliotibial band) is a tendon on the outside of your thighs connecting the hip bone to the shin bone. It is one long, stretchy ligament. When running or walking, it slides across and over the knee. Overuse (through long distance running, for instance) can cause the IT band to get inflamed from too much rubbing across the knee. So, even though the tendon is all along the side of the thigh, it is the part just next to the knee cap that is giving me pain.
I've read up on everything I can about this condition. I immediately started RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) and Bill is going to go get me a foam roller used for massaging the IT band to help stretch it out. From my reading, it also sounds like I could be doing some hip abductor weights to strengthen the laterally moving muscles of my legs (a preventative measure). I'll have to spend the next week doing cross training (swim mostly) to give it a rest and time to heal. And, I'm going to have to search out new running routes that don't keep me on the sloped sides of roads. It is the slope of the road that is killing my knee. The leg on the downward side of the road bows inward slightly to compensate, and that is what is causing the aggravation to my knee.
So phooey and double phooey!
But it sure was a nice day for a run.
1 comments:
Oh bugger! Yuck yuck and yuck. IT trouble is the worst thing ever when you are training. :( It sounds like you're taking care of it like you should though. Good luck with it!
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