IT Band Stretches

cjessop

Hi,

Has anyone got any good stretches for the IT Band, mine are in desperate need.

Thanks
CJ

spacey99

Stand with right foot to the left of the left foot with your right leg in front. Put your right palm on the side of your right leg and bend sideways, sliding your palm down your leg - stretches your left ITB. Reverse for the other one.

joeyhalloran

I can recommend a foam roller...its the only thing that keeps my ITBs in check enough to ride.

DaveyL

ITB massage, either via foam roller or masseur, is bloody painful! It must work...

deal

JoeyHalloran wrote:

I can recommend a foam roller...its the only thing that keeps my ITBs in check enough to ride.

+1

i tried all the other 'stretches' but could hardly feel a thing, the foam roller works great

Captain Fagor

deal wrote:

JoeyHalloran wrote:

I can recommend a foam roller...its the only thing that keeps my ITBs in check enough to ride.

+1

i tried all the other 'stretches' but could hardly feel a thing, the foam roller works great

Agree with the above. If you're buying a foam roller, don't bother with the normal white open cell efforts - go for the club core roller (which comes with instructions for useful exercises) and is available on amazon and at:
http://www.physicalcompany.co.uk/main_s ... m%20roller

Expensive, but so much better.
Will do your back, torso, calves - everything!!

cjessop

Thanks Guys, sounds llike I ought to get one of these rollers, never heard of them before.
CJ

garetjax

have you seen a physio?

My ITB gets tight, or at least I get lateral knee pain identical to ITB symptoms, but my physio reckons the underlying cause is a weak gluteal muscle on the right side. I believe him as I now notice that the right gluteal doesn't "fire" very well and is smaller than the left
I used to stretch the ITB and it never made any difference; however, since doing more gluteal excercies it has gotten significantly better.
Point is the real cause of the knee pain can be anywhere between foot and hip.

But to answer your question here are some good stretches:
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?Ar ... &PageNum=1

good luck with it

DaveyL

Agree with the above - ITB problems are usually symptomatic of other issues, and for me it was also weak glutes, as well as weak and tight hamstrings. If you have check things like cleat positon and saddle height then it is well worth a visit to a physio - amazing how much stuff a good one can spot in very short order.

DaveyL

I would also add, out of (my) interest: I have ITB problems on my left side, and get massage every 6 weeks or so (as well as doing some stretches and roller work). The right ITB, which doesn't give me any trouble, hurts MUCH more when it gets massged than does the problematic left one. Anyone else experienced this?

The good doctor

I was told by a sports physio I had ITB quite a few years ago but after spending lots of £'sss there was no change so I went to another chap who was recommended to me. He showed me a book by Bob Anderson entitled strecthing. There are a considerable number of cycling specific streches in the book certainly worked for me.

John

disgruntledgoat

My physio, likewise, pounds my IT bands at my bi-weekly massage. She reckons it's as if i'm getting all my power from them due to poor core strength. Something for the winter I think!

star_rover

disgruntledgoat wrote:

My physio, likewise, pounds my IT bands at my bi-weekly massage. She reckons it's as if i'm getting all my power from them due to poor core strength. Something for the winter I think!

How can you get any power from the ITB? It's not a muscle. Sounds like your physio needs to brush up on her anatomy.

rjh299

garetjax wrote:

have you seen a physio?
My ITB gets tight, or at least I get lateral knee pain identical to ITB symptoms, but my physio reckons the underlying cause is a weak gluteal muscle on the right side. I believe him as I now notice that the right gluteal doesn't "fire" very well and is smaller than the left
I used to stretch the ITB and it never made any difference; however, since doing more gluteal excercies it has gotten significantly better.
Point is the real cause of the knee pain can be anywhere between foot and hip.

Do you know or have a link to any good exercises to work on your gleuts please?
Think i've got same problem along with possible tight ITB and hamstrings.

DaveyL

star_rover wrote:

disgruntledgoat wrote:

My physio, likewise, pounds my IT bands at my bi-weekly massage. She reckons it's as if i'm getting all my power from them due to poor core strength. Something for the winter I think!

How can you get any power from the ITB? It's not a muscle. Sounds like your physio needs to brush up on her anatomy.

"Honestly, luv, that is my IT band. Now twang away"....

DaveyL

rjh299 wrote:

garetjax wrote:

have you seen a physio?
My ITB gets tight, or at least I get lateral knee pain identical to ITB symptoms, but my physio reckons the underlying cause is a weak gluteal muscle on the right side. I believe him as I now notice that the right gluteal doesn't "fire" very well and is smaller than the left
I used to stretch the ITB and it never made any difference; however, since doing more gluteal excercies it has gotten significantly better.
Point is the real cause of the knee pain can be anywhere between foot and hip.

Do you know or have a link to any good exercises to work on your gleuts please?
Think i've got same problem along with possible tight ITB and hamstrings.

Squats and leg presses are good for the glutes. Some gyms have a weights machine where you lie face down, resting on your stomach, with knees bent, and push back against resistance - that is a good one if you can get access to such a machine.

As for stretches:

http://www.physioroom.com/prevention/stretching4_14.php

http://www.painclinic.org/treatment-exe ... kslegs.htm

SpinningJenny

JoeyHalloran wrote:

I can recommend a foam roller...its the only thing that keeps my ITBs in check enough to ride.

+1 too!

garetjax

To DaveL re: Glute excercises.

Actually, one basic excercise given to me was to simply stand and tighten the glutes. I.e. squeeze the glutes together as hard as you can as if you had a ten pound note between them. Do 10x10 secs, then progress to 5x20secs, then 1 x100secs. I know it sounds daft but the glute can be literally "switched off". This basic excercise can get the glute twitching and firing a little before you then progres onto excercises in the links below:

http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/8285250 ... rength.htm

http://www.nasmpro.com/nasmpro/library/ ... x?id=13278

Then progress further to leg presses and squats, but I am finding you gotta get the basics first i.e. get those glutes firing before building up.

I was really shocked how much my right glute had stopped working. Once pointed to me I wondered how I had not noticed it myself.

A good physio is like gold dust. IMHO there are a lot of poor ones out there.

I reckon if you have knee problems there is something wrong with either:

1. Your training.
2. Your bike set-up
3. You

paddlemyowncanoe

How do you use those rollers then?

joeyhalloran

rollers are simple to use, lie down and feel the pain ....Lie down in a side plank position (if you don't know what it is, imagine doing a sideways press up with one hand), stick the roller under the side of your thigh with your feet off the ground. roll slowly, moving your body so your leg passes over the roller. I do this for 2 mins each leg after each and every exercise session. Also works as a kind of self massage on the quads and calf muscles.

djaeggi

+1 for the foam roller, a genius device!

I had similar issues relating to weak glutes a while back. The single best glute exercise is the hip hitch, described here:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/arc ... rcise.html

Second is the bridge:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/arc ... cises.html

which also gives you a good stretch at the front of the hip, tightness here being another cause of hip alignment issues.

Finally, try squats (on two or, better, one leg) with light weights but with a theraband tied tight round your knees - if your glutes are weak and not engaged during the main part of the squat, your knee(s) will tend to track inwards as your hip drops, rather than moving in a plane.

As someone else mentioned, just doing squats isn't guaranteed to work the glutes - you've got to train them to fire too.

Also, side lying leg raises are quite cool too.

Have fun!

DaveyL

This is an extremely valuable thread - thanks for all these suggestions, plenty of exercises to work on now!

roadiesean

Has anyone treated their IT issues with Lemond Wedges ??? What is the feedback on this ? I am getting desperate.

Also, I was told some time ago to move my cleats so that my toes are pointing inwards, but I've just read that the toes should be pointing out......anyone had success with this ?

Oh and finally, I need new cleats should I be keeping on with the floatie ones (yellow Shimano) or move to the red fixed ones ???

Anyone who struggles with this horrible condition, my heart goes out to you, 19 years I have had it and I have had enough !!!

garetjax

I tried wedges for my knee pain problems. Made no difference to me.
As I posted above it was a weak gluteal muscle that was my root cause.

Well worth a look are Speedplay zero predals which provide excellent float and are therefore good knee protectors. They allow your toes to do what they want to do - move in and out during the pedal stroke. I always use Speedplays now, and I know of other cyclists who have gained great relief from knee pain using Speedplays.

I suggest seeing a different/good physio who might spot a muscle imbalance which coukld be the root cause of the knee pain. And re-check your bike set-up, particularly saddle height.

I sympathise with your problems. I hope you solve it. I just this minute got back from a hilly 70 mile ride ; rides like that were fantasy land before I sorted out my gluteal.