Tired of running around with knee pain? Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome (ITBS), also known as “runner’s knee,” is a common cause of lateral knee pain among athletes, primarily affecting runners and cyclists. Your iliotibial band is a strip of thick, connective tissue (known as your fascia) that runs along the outside of your leg from the hip to the knee and shinbone.
Potential causes of iliotibial band syndrome
There could be several factors causing your iliotibial band syndrome. While it’s important to be mindful of the risk factors associated with ITBS, the root cause is overuse of the lateral knee. When your IT band constantly rubs against your bone, it can cause friction and tightness, resulting in pain and discomfort. Other potential causes can include:
- Repetitive activities that result in frequent and consistent use of your knee
- Underlying weakness of hip abductor muscles
- Prior injuries
5 symptoms you shouldn’t ignore
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Limited mobility and flexibility
If you’re experiencing a reduced range of motion in your knee, this could be a result of tightness in the muscles that attach to your IT band. There are a few techniques that a licensed physical therapist may try to assess your soft tissue flexibility.
One of these techniques is the Ober’s Test. This test involves your physical therapist positioning your leg in various ways to evaluate the level of tightness in your IT band and your hip flexibility.
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Localized knee pain
If your pain feels localized to a more specific spot-on your outer knee, this can be a sign of ITBS. A licensed physical therapist can help you determine the exact site of your pain.
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Pain with activity
If you’re running and begin to feel knee pain, try not to ignore it. If the pain goes away once you’re done running, this doesn’t mean you do not have ITBS, but more so that your injury may just be early. If you ignore the pain and continue running, your pain may start again between your training sessions.
Activities that have you place weight on your knee when it’s flexed at a 30-degree angle, like going up the stairs or running downhill can be painful. The presence of pain is usually a good indicator that something isn’t right. Even if you’re not sure what’s going on, listening to your body’s signs is always a good start.
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Signs of inflammation
If your outer knee appears to be puffy, red and a little hot to the touch, these are all signs pointing to an inflamed knee. Inflammation is one of the ways your body is signaling to you that the affected area needs immediate attention and care.
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Clicking or popping noise
Sometimes, the popping or clicking noises your knees make can be harmless. However, if the clicking or popping noise becomes more frequent, and followed by a persistent and nagging pain, it’s time to get it checked out.
Physical therapy treatments that may help
If you’re experiencing one more of the above symptoms, please don’t wait to seek medical attention. Waiting too long can prolong your injury and may extend your recovery time.
Your doctor may also recommend a period of rest followed by physical therapy to help strengthen your muscles and offer insights on how to prevent reinjury. Common physical therapy treatments used to treat iliotibial band syndrome include:
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Manual therapy
A licensed physical therapist will gently, yet firmly use their hands to help manipulate the muscles around the iliotibial band to release any tightness that’s present. This can help to alleviate some of the pain you’re feeling while also improving your range of motion and flexibility in your hip and knee.
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Trigger point dry needling
Dry needling is an effective technique for addressing muscle pain, especially since the pain in your knee is localized to your IT band and surrounding muscles. For this technique, a licensed physical therapist will insert thin, dry, sterile needles to the affected areas to help with pain management and improve blood flow.
The increased blood flow can help reduce the inflammation in your knee and reduce any stiffness that developed while you were in your resting phase.
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Graston Technique®
For some, the pain they feel from their iliotibial band injury can be felt in their hip abductor muscles. If this is you, then this technique helps by targeting the soft tissue in this region. More specifically, a licensed physical therapist will apply a specialized stainless steel tool to your affected hip area to help reduce mobility restrictions and ease protective tension in your IT band.
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Stretching and strengthening exercises
There are many simple, yet effective stretching exercises that you can perform at home to help improve overall flexibility and range of motion in your knee(s). Consistently incorporating stretching into your routine can help reduce any rigidity in your knee and promote blood flow in this region.
A physical therapist may also recommend incorporating strengthening exercises in your recovery plan to address muscle weakness in your knee or hip abductors to help prevent future reinjury.
Identify and address your iliotibial band syndrome symptoms with Forever Fit
It’s not always obvious what factors may be contributing to your knee pain. However, you should never let uncertainty prevent you from seeking prompt professional treatment.
Our team of licensed physical therapists at Forever Fit will use evidence-based techniques to create a comprehensive treatment program to best address your iliotibial band syndrome and get you back to doing the things you love.
Contact our team today for more information about iliotibial band syndrome symptoms and treatments or to schedule an initial appointment.