IT Band Syndrome is a very common injury suffered by runners. It’s painful and many people don’t know how to treat it. Let’s look at what it is, and what to do if you have it.
What is IT Band Syndrome? The illiotibial band stretches from the hip to the knee. It’s main role is to stabilise the knee. IT Band syndrome is diagnosed as pain coming from the insertion point of the IT band at the knee. This is commonly caused by an incorrect movement pattern of the femur bone.
How can you correct IT Band Syndrome? You need to strengthen the hips and glutes to correct the pain. These muscles can correct the placement of the femur so that the IT band remains in the right place and isn’t strained. Try these exercises.
Hip Thrust – Lie on your back, with your weight on your upper back and shoulder blades. Bend your knees with feet flat on the floor. Lift your bum and pelvis up off the floor. Repeat 20-30 times.
Pistol Squat – Stand on one leg with the other extended in the air. Keep a neutral spine and slowly squat, then rise up. Use a wall for balance support if required. Repeat 5-15 times.
Side Leg Raise – Lie on your side. Lift your upper leg into the air to about 45 degrees. Return slowly to parallel. Keep the pelvis neutral. Repeat 20-30 times.
Hip Hike – Stand on your left foot. Lower your right hip so that there’s a noticeable drop, then raise to neutral. Repeat 10-30 times.
Side Shuffle – Drop into a slight squat with your kneed bent. Take 10 steps to the left, then 10 steps back again. Repeat both directions 3-5 times.
Side Hip Bridge – Lie on the floor. When you are on your side, lift your feet onto something 1-2 feet off the ground. Lift your midsection up using your hip muscles. Keep your spine stable. Repeat 10-30 times.
Additional information – Make sure you repeat each exercise on each side, if applicable. Treat both sides to avoid imbalance. You can do this every day if you have ITBS, or weekly as a preventative measure. If you are in pain, do lower reps. See your doctor if pain persists. Use resistance bands to up the ante if you find the exercises too easy.
About Enertor Advanced Technology Insoles – Enertor insoles are designed to prevent a number of common running injuries and provide more comfort. Designed by leading podiatrists to reduce your risk of injury, the unique design features support your foot throughout training. Enertor insoles are enhanced by D3O impact protection technology, which means they can provide more shock absorption than any other insole. Our expertise, combined with the patented D3O shock absorption technology, enables Enertor to deliver the most advanced injury prevention insoles on the market today.
Enertor insoles are available online HERE .
Whilst Enertor has over 18 years Orthotics experience, our blog content is provided for informational purposes only and it is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical advice. Enertor advises anyone with an injury to seek their own medical advice – and do not make any health or medical related decisions based solely on information found on this site
The post What is IT Band Syndrome and 6 exercises to treat it appeared first on Enertor.