IT Band Problems

For any runners out there, I know you will feel my pain. For the last 4 weeks I have gone to physical therapy twice a week and stretched and strengthened my knee on my own every day.  I have been the perfect patient and yet my knee is still killing me. I have been dealing with this knee pain for over 2 years now and have been told several possible causes.

1.       It is my IT band. I should rest and ice. This hasn’t worked.

2.       My knee did not heal properly from my original surgery. I should go to physical therapy. This is proving not to work either. I had electric stimulation, deep tissue massage, and ultrasound. None of these seem to be working.

3.       There is scar tissue from my previous surgery restricting my muscles. I should have surgery. Ha, after my last knee surgery I am not going through that again.

So, where does that leave me now? I can still bike, go to my classes, hike, and generally enjoy life. But does this mean I will never be able to run again? Maybe, but I am not giving up until I have exhausted every option. So below is my plan:

Continue to use my foam roller every day to continue to loosen my IT band.



My foam roller
photo courtesy of Amazon.com



I also purchased the Pro-Tec IT (Iliotibial) Band Compression Wrap. I will wear this during all workouts to help stabilize the IT band.

My IT Band Compression Wrap
photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Lastly, I am changing my workout schedule. On Mondays and Fridays I will start with a little cardio, probably elliptical to keep to low impact, and then focus on core and upper body. I will also do all my physical therapy exercises to continue to strengthen my leg muscles. Tuesdays and Thursdays I will continue to spin. This is a reduction by one day a week but I think it will be good for my knee which is now starting to hurt while spinning. Wednesdays I will still do my boot camp class but make sure that I am keeping my running to a minimum and focusing on my form. Hopefully my lower impact Mondays and Fridays will allow me more time to heal. The weekends I usually take off except for my long walks with Grace which don’t hurt my knee. If my knee begins to feel better I hope to slowly add running back into my regimen.

I will keep you all updated on my progress and hope that things turn around. Please let me know if you have any tips for IT band problems. On my bad days I cannot bend my knee past 20 degrees which limits by ability to walk so any help would be appreciated.