UKC

I ran a marathon last week and felt fine on my recovery. walking around on Monday though, I felt a dull ache on the outside of my knee which felt like Iliotibial Band Syndrome. on Tuesday the pain went so I ran 3 miles without any problems.

Question is, Should I rest it without any running (if so how long?) or should I carry on and see how it goes? I only have 4 months to go until my first ultra so really don't want to make any injuries worse!

In reply to Chris Ridgers:

foam rollers are made for this kind of pain

In reply to Chris Ridgers:

Make sure you stretch your hamstrings and inner thigh muscles enough, but if it was only a bit of pain the day after I wouldnt be worried, I get this sort of pain during all my long runs, but Ive come a long way as I was limited to 4 miles untill I started stretching the right muscles.

In reply to goldmember:


The general advice from physios is don't use a foam roller for IB problems. Most IB discomfort arises due to the abrasion of the tissue during running. Using a roller just continues this abrasive action.

In reply to Chris Ridgers:
The underlying cause, as well as the symptoms need treating.
Muscle imbalances can cause the problem, as well as overtraining .
Can't see anything wrong with using a foam roller, as long as you're not using it over the sore area, which is a bursa just lateral to the knee. Using it above this should be beneficial.

In reply to Liam M:


Aye, the itb is a tendon, not a muscle so doesn't react the same to rollering. Roll your thighs hams and glutes and palpate the area around the knee with your thumbs.

In reply to Chris Ridgers:

So you ran a marathon, hurt a bit after and now you're ok? Sounds awful. I'd go to A+E

In reply to higherclimbingwales:


Granted. The Itb is a tendon, and a strong one. In experiments on cadavers, extremely heavy weights have been hung off ITB's with no stretch reported. So, 'ITB stretching is pointless '.
In real specimens, tight fascia is reportedly also a component of ITB pain at the knee.
So, manual therapy and foam rollers are good to alleviate this over the lateral thigh, although it's not stretching the band.
You are correct in advocating to foam roller adjacent muscle groups too.
Strengthening of the gluteus medius with 'clam' exercise is beneficial, along with stretching of other hip muscle groups tensor fascia lata etc.

In reply to Chris Ridgers: Thanks for the responses! will I be ok to carry on running???? a colleague recommended resting in it for two weeks then slowly building the mileage back up.

In reply to Chris Ridgers:
Sounds sage advice. Iainruk can offer better advice on your running prep, but 2 weeks rest and using the time for prophylactic exercise could be worthwhile? If your pain settled quickly this is good, but you don't want to get a chronic injury. They take months to settle.
No harm in seeing a physio and also getting a sports massage. Foam rollers are good, but they don't really give you proper hands on advice.
Good luck

In reply to Chris Ridgers:

You feel a bit of pain once after a race and you think you have IB Syndrome? Mate, I think you're just a bit sore.

In reply to Robyn Vacher:
Having suffered ITB in both legs, I would agree with Robyn. If you can run three miles ok, chances are you don't have it!
Proper ITB is like having someone push a screwdriver into the side of the knee, you can't run....
Take a good rest and gentle stretching. A few weeks rest won't effect your fitness, you will probably come back stronger!

In reply to Chris Ridgers:

If the inflammation is gone and there's no pain I'd go back to running.

With IT pain you get better and better at diagnosing it quickly.. the sooner you stop the quicker the inflammation goes. Then you can rehabilitate.

I do roll the IT but never at the insertion point but was told it works away at the adhesions.

But the main thing is to find out why you are getting IT issues. It normally some sort of referred problem in the core/glutes/hamstrings/quads/hipflexors/piriformis/psoas.. so I work on specific strength and stretching exercises for those regions and then concentrate on rolling those areas, especially my glute medius.

Just build up the running slowly, off road helps, it's impossible to give strict guidelines just slowly increase the duration and length of runs and as soon as you feel it pull back and sort it out. I don't think you ever get over IT issues, you just learn to manage them. Almost every runner will get IT issues because its such a massive piece of machinery in your leg connecting two major joints.