As a distance runner, and coach in a marathon training program, one of the most common injuries I've seen is ITBand Syndrome. Even veteran marathoners can fall to this.
What is ITBS?
In a nutshell, the illiotibial band is the long tendon-like connective tissue that runs from just below the hip to the knee. Runners sometimes refer to their injury as "runner's knee" because that's where they may be feeling the most concentrated pain. Others may complain about hip pain. Either way, it can be very painful, bring an abrupt end to a runner's event, or force a change in how you tackle your training.
A friend of mine, a highly experienced and well-known local African elite runner, was brought down in the midst of his Olympic trial last year by an ITBand injury. Another friend, a non-elite veteran with more than 50 marathons under his belt, was forced to walk through the majority of our training season last year because he injured his ITBand by accidentally turning his knee the wrong way. I've been battling ITBS ever since I got injured when wearing the wrong model shoes. Bottom line: it can happen to anyone.
More often than not, I've seen it in situations of over-training, over-striding or running on cambered (sloped) surfaces. There are any number of factors that can contribute to the injury and symptoms can vary from one person to the next. In my case, I felt acute pain in the side of my hip below the joint and behind my knee, and I was wobbling significantly at the end of a relatively short run (6 miles). Although, in comparison to my friends mentioned earlier, I'm nowhere near as advanced a marathoner, I am experienced enough to know when to back off in intensity, stride or distance and to not try to run through the pain.
Your doctor and probably a sports therapist, should be consulted at the outset of symptoms. It also seems that, once injured, you can be prone to future injury, I think because you're probably continuing to train or participate in events.
As a coach, my first suggestions to trainees is to back off running, get treatment immediately, and learn to walk. I can't tell you how frustrating it is for a runner to have to walk - it can actually hurt because the muscles must work differently and longer! Then you have to learn how to stretch the muscles for greater flexibility, as flexibility is key to running injury-free. One of my coaches, a former Olympian, suggested I take several doses of vitamin C to help speed the healing process.
I have a hip rotation and leg length difference cause by mild scoliosis that contribute to my being prone to ITBS. However, my wonderful team of health professionals keep me running down the road. There is a lot to know about ITBand Syndrome, but mostly that it doesn't have to completely keep you from ever running again, if treated promptly and properly.
Running Injuries, Jeff Galloway
Iliotibial Band Syndrome: A Common Source of Knee Pain, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment1 Comments
Hi, i have been recreationally running for a few years now. Not far, at the most probably 8km in the past. But i do love my saturday morning jogs.
November 28, 2015 - 9:39pmOriginally when i first began running i had knee pain, turns out it was caused by poor technique. This was a few years ago now. For the last 2 years ive been battling with itb problems on and off, which gradually increased, recurring more often, and the onset now so quick i can't even run for 5 minutes before the pain begins. Ive had dry needling which helped at first but wasnt a permanent fix.
I had a full assessment by a new physio to get some fresh eyes on the situation. Ive been looked at top to toe at hips, glutes stregth etc. And referred on to a sports medicine dr. Ive had 1x set of cortisone injections above the itb at the side of the knees with no change. An xray showed nothing, and an mri showed thickening of the itb and some fluid retention below the patella which he thought is referred from itbs.
Ive now been given the ultimatum, stop running/hiking/stairs OR have surgery to remove the piece of itb that sits over the bone. Ive now been referred to a surgeon.
In the past i have been told by an osteo (who used to treat me for lower back pain) and from an old xray that i have very slight scoliosis. I also remember my osteo always looking at my hips and saying one sits higher and is slightly rotated forward.
It makes me wonder if my itbs could be contributed to by the spine/hip?
If they said the surgery would fix it, it be getting it done tomorrow. But it worries me that i could have it done, with no improvement, and it actually reccur due to other reasons.
Im left really confused and unsure of what to do from here or who to seek advice from.
My physio, and sports med dr never saw or looked at my old spinal xray.
This Comment