[Dale the Snail]

Could someone please tell me what is ' ITB '.

and what are the symptoms ?

 

[Albmaleaf]

Itbs?

Ilio tibial band syndrome can be known as runners knee its a painful condition wich is located in the lateral outside of the knee joint over the epicondyle of the femur largest bone in the body, this affects athletes who undertake prolonged running. Runners with execive pronation of their feet have generaly an increaced risk of being affected by this injury the ilio tibial bands origin is the tensor facia late and inserts below the tibial condyle.


Pain which usually starts after the athlete has run a certain distance and which then increases so that it becomes impossible to continue. After resting for a while the pain disappears, but it recurs if running is resumed. the problems often increase when running downhill. Local tenderness in the lateral side of the knee joint over the femoral epicondyle and anterior to the origin of the lateral collateral ligament. On flexion and extension of the knee joint, the strong lateral band called the ilio-tibial band, slides across the lateral side of the epicondyle of the femur causing local inflammation (synovitis/bursitis). Signs of increased foot pronation.

Treatment - the athlete should: avoid running downhill or on the side of the road; apply ice in the acute phase; rest actively; apply local heat after the acute phase and use a heat retainer; practice static stretching of the tissues on the lateral aspect of the thigh. Massage up the ilio tibial band will help.

 

[Steady Edwina]

Basically it hurts on the outside of your knees and can also affect your hips and it will probably hurt more going down hill. You will need to start stretching regularly - quads, hamstrings, glutes as well as your ITB stretches. Hold them for about 30 seconds

The classic ITB stretch is where you cross your leg behind t'other and lean over the the side from your hip. Should feel a stretch along outer side of leg but as the ITB is not a muscle it can sometimes be difficult to tell how effective the stretch is but their are lots of variations.

Have you upped your mileage recently? The important thing is to identify the cause of your tight ITBs and deal with it or you will keep getting a reoccurance.

 

[Dale the Snail]

Thank-you both for answering my question !

I have upped my mileage, but the pain I am getting is more below the knee cap. I had a cartilage op. twelve months ago and everything seemed great until I did my first run, a 8.5 mile charity run around a rather challenging route.
I did this first run without training properly and in the wrong shoes, my knee has not been the same since.

 

[Albmaleaf]

Itbs

Press either side of the patela tendon then bend the knee then press on top of the knee cap, patela, extend the leg fully, then press a again on the pattela tendon with the knee bent a 90 degrees sitting in a chair pushing two fingers up and underneath the front of the knee cap, patella either side of the patela tendon if there is exesive pain and discomfort the patela is inflamed, Give me a ring at the take care injury clinic on 01229 480 422 ask for dave and i wiil advise you on the best treatment

 

[Dale the Snail]

Thanks for your advise. I have started to stretch much more and are regularly using ice now. The problem with my knee, although still there, is slowly improving.
Hopefully this improvement will continue.