Definition:

If you’ve got a nagging pain on the outer part of your knee, especially if you’re a runner, it could be a symptom of the iliotibial band (IT band) syndrome. It’s an injury often caused by activities where you bend your knee repeatedly, like running, cycling, hiking, and walking long distances.

Your IT band is a thick bunch of fibers that runs from the outside of your hips to the outside of your thigh and knee down to the top of your shinbone. If your IT band gets too tight, it can lead to swelling and pain around your knee.

IT band syndrome usually gets better with time and treatment. You don’t typically need surgery.

Causes:

• Run for long distances or for a long time
• You are new to running or you suddenly increase how far or how often you run
• Wear worn-out running shoes
• Run on slippery or uneven ground
• Have sudden changes to the surface you run on, for example, you go from soft to hard or flat to uneven ground
• Overpronate (your foot rolls inwards when you run)

Symptoms:

The main symptom is pain on the outer side of your knee, just above the joint. Early on, the pain might go away after you warm up. Over time though, you may notice it gets worse as you exercise.

Other symptoms include:

• Aching, burning, or tenderness on the outside of your knee
• Feeling a click, pop, or snap on the outside of your knee
• Pain up and down your leg
• Warmth and redness on the outside of your knee

See your doctor if you have these symptoms, especially if any existing ones get worse.

The physical therapy can :

• Give you tips for how to best warm up and cool down.
• Help you choose footwear and, if you need them, shoe inserts.
• Show you exercises to help strengthen and stretch your IT band and leg muscles.
• Talk to you about how to adjust your training schedule.
• Teach you how to improve your form to go easier on your body.

That usually does the trick, though some people need cortisone injections to help with pain and swelling.

Treatment:

Some basic steps can help ease the pain and swelling:

• Don’t do activities that trigger the pain.
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers.
• Wrap an ice pack in a towel and put it on the outside of your knee for 10-15 minutes at a time.

We will not finish leaving you here, we are giving you a series of exercises that you can perform in order to help you get rid of your pain. These are simple ones, that can be done at the gym. Bear in mind that sometimes these exercises need a follow-up with your therapist especially when the pain is unbearable, or you are going through an acute inflammation. listen to your body, don’t push if any of the exercises given are triggering your pain.

Inner thigh leg lift:

• Lie on one side with your hand under your head to support it. The lower leg is extended and the upper one is crossed over it.
• Lift your lower leg towards the ceiling.

Double mid bridge isometric body weight:

• Lie on your back with arms at your sides and palms of hands against the floor.
• Bend your knees and place feet hip-width apart, flat on the floor, creating a 90-degree angle.
• Press your hips up towards the ceiling.
• Press heels into the floor as you hold the bridge

Supine hip adduction using a ball between legs:

• Lying on your back, place a ball between your knees and bend both of your knees to 90 degrees.
•  Plant your feet on the floor or bed.
•  Keep your knees an equal distance from your hips, placing equal weight through both your legs.
• From this position, squeeze your knees into the ball and hold for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Relax but hold the ball between your thighs.

Lateral lunges bodyweight:

• Stand up straight with a slight bend in your knees. You are now in the starting position.
• Step out to the side with your left leg while maintaining your balance and squat down through your hips. Keep your torso straight and head up. Don’t allow your knee to track out over your toes.
• Push yourself back to the starting position by using your heal to drive you.
• Repeat this movement with your right leg and then repeat for desired reps.

Squats body weight:

• Place your feet hip level
• Move in a downward motion moving from a standing to a sitting like position simultaneously moving your arms up (shoulder level) as you move down
• Draw your hips back and downward keeping your chest up

Crab walks:

• Apply a resistance band above your knee.
• Perform a quarter squat with your hands extended in front of you.
• As you maintain this position, start moving laterally to one side moving one leg at a time.

Single leg Romanian Deadlift dumbbell:

• Start in a standing position with both legs on the floor.
• Elevate one leg behind you and flex the other slightly as you bend over keeping your back straight and chest up.
• Carry a dumbbell in your hand to add resistance.
• Return to starting position.

Sumo deadlift body weight:

• Start in a standing position with your feet apart slightly more than shoulder width and externally rotated.
• Keep your chest up while pushing your hips back and dropping towards the floor in a sitting position.
• Return to the initial position.

Stiff leg deadlift barbell:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a barbell in an overhand grip (palms facing you). Your knees should be slightly bent, and the aim is to maintain this slight degree of flex throughout the movement.
• Bend at your hips and lower the barbell, keeping your back straight.
• Lower until you feel the stretch in your hamstrings and glutes, and then slowly straighten back up.
• Keep the bar close to your body throughout and avoid jerky movements. Keep it slow and controlled.

Bulgarian split squats bodyweight:

• Place a step or a box behind you and stand up tall.
• Position your right foot on top of the step, bend your knees and lower your hips until your left thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Return to the starting position and repeat.
• Switch legs.

Assisted lunges

• Stand with your right foot forward and left foot back, about three feet apart.
• Hold onto a chair or wall for balance.

Leg extension double

• Bend your knees toward your chest and lay your arms at your sides.
• On the inhale, extend your legs up on a diagonal. Exhale, bringing your knees back toward your chest.

Foam rolling TFL:

• Lay downside lying with the foam roller placed under the lower leg and both forearms on the ground supporting the upper body.
• Proceed to move over the foam roller in a back-and-forth movement.

Side leaning TFL stretch:

• Standing position.
• Place the targeted leg on the outer side of other leg.
• Hold out the hand, on the side similar to the targeted leg, over your head. You should feel a stretch on the outer side of your thigh

These are simple ones, that can be done at the gym. Bear in mind that sometimes these exercises need a follow-up with your therapist especially when the pain is unbearable, or you are going through an acute inflammation. listen to your body, don’t push if any of the exercises given are triggering your pain.