IT Band Syndrome

IT Band Syndrome 

By: Brooke Smith, DPT

Do you have knee pain or hip pain that occurs with walking or increased activity?  It could be caused by a tight Iliotibial (IT) Band.  The IT band is a thick band of fibrous tissue that begins at your hip and runs down the outer part of the leg, crossing the knee, and attaching to the top portion of your shin bone (tibia, figure 1).

http://www.aidyourhamstring.com/
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The IT band and the associated musculature act to stabilize and coordinate muscle function of the knee with running and walking.  It is a common overuse issue that occurs in “4.3-7.5% of long distance runners”.3   However, IT band syndrome can also occur in military recruits, cyclists, tennis players, adolescents undergoing rapid growth, weightlifting, people who perform a lot of squats, short distance or sprint-distance runners, rowing, and cross training.   IT band syndrome has been reported to occur equally in men and women and most frequently occurs between the ages of 15-50 years old.

Some common mechanisms of injury, creating pain, could be decreased strength, decreased flexibility, abnormal hip alignment (pelvic tilt), “bowlegs”, improper alignment or mechanics of the feet with walking/running, improper posture/mechanics with running or exercises, running on angled or uneven ground, leg length discrepancy, poor footwear, sudden increase in activity, returning from injury too soon, overuse, or over-training.   

Someone who has IT band syndrome will usually experience pain on the outside of the knee.  However, some people can present with pain over the hip joint (greater trochanter), or pain starting at the knee traveling up to the hip. Sometimes the pain can be described as stinging or needle-like pricks that can occur every time your heel strikes the ground with activities.  Pain will usually increase with activities such as running or cycling, especially when running hills, and with walking up/down stairs.  This is due to inflammation of the IT band causing it to snap over the hip bones (greater trochanter), leading to pain.  Other common symptoms may include repetitive popping sounds in the knee when performing activities, as well as tenderness with pressure over the outside of the leg just above the knee. Some tenderness might also be present at the hip joint (greater trochanter).  

However, there could be multiple reasons for pain at your hip or knee and these include: hamstring strains, MCL and LCL injuries, meniscus injuries, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, overuse injuries, patellofemoral syndrome, and trochanteric bursitis.  Therefore, it is critical to have a professional MD or physical therapist assess your individual problems to determine if it is truly IT band syndrome.

Physical therapists will help diagnose IT band syndrome by taking into account the patient’s history of the present condition, performing special tests specific to IT band syndrome, alternative tests to rule out any other pathology, and assess strength and joint motion/mobility.  Some common treatments provided by physical therapists include strengthening of weak musculature, stretching of tight muscles that are contributing to the pain, manual therapy, soft tissue mobilization, assisting in custom orthotics, modalities such as ultrasound, TENS, and ice, and providing home exercise program to maintain results.   All treatments are specific to each individual patient and their specific biomechanical faults are taken into consideration to fix the cause of IT band syndrome.

If you think you might have IT band syndrome here are some simple tips, exercises, and stretches you can try: rest, ice, appropriate use of ibuprofen/NSAIDs, IT band stretching, and use of a foam roller to release the IT band, use proper footwear, stretch prior to and after running, get adequate rest between workouts, and gradually increase your training or exercises.  If you continue to experience pain, you should seek the advice of a licensed physical therapist to assist in diagnosis and treatment.  If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to schedule an appointment contact AZOPT at (623)-242-6908.

References:

http://www.medicinenet.com/iliotibial_band_syndrome/article.htm

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/kneepainandinjuries/a/IT_Band_Pain.htm

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/307850-overview

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/iliotibial_band_syndrome/article_em.htm

http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/treating-and-preventing-iliotibial-band-syndrome?page=1

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicine/a/itbs.htm

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/tc/iliotibial-band-syndrome-topic-overview