IT band trouble , just started???

Lycraphobia

Hi all, looking for some advice on IT BAND SYNDROME, that has just started on the last 2 rides.

First time it kicked in at about 40 miles in, and as anybody who has this knows, it ruddy hurts lol.

Done some looking around the net on ITBS, and after some measurements found that my saddle was too high, and not forward enough. So adjusted accordingly.
Rested for a week with R.I.C.E, and after 2 days all pain was gone.

Fast forward to today, I thought I'd give my newly adjusted bike a go on a 30 mile round trip. All was ok at first until near the end when I felt a little twinge of pain, but nowhere near as bad as before.
Got home and iced straight away, walked upstairs and felt that IT BAND pain straight away.

I'm getting very worried about this, as in 2 weeks I'm doing the BEACH TO BEACH ride for ASTHMA UK 140 miles.
I've been training for this since last October.

Local bike shop did a fit for me and said I looked ok pedaling, and reach as well.
Saddle had to go right forward to get knee over axle properly. Adjusted cleats to turn in heel a little.

Bike is a PLANET X SL PRO large
I'm 6.1

Any advice would be very greatfull, as I said, getting worried now as my fitness is fine but my knee isn't

Thanks
Rob

colsoop

Foam roller and IT band specific stretches. Be warned it isn't a particularly pleasant stretch . :shock:

callaghan

I had (have) this. Agree with the foam roller and hams/quad stretches, but not ITB stretch. This stretches the upper band only and if overstretch can make it worse.....my experience. The foam roller is a likesaver

Long term work on single leg squats to build up small muscle knee strength

joeyhalloran

I used to get this quite badly. I bought a foam roller (well, fashioned out of a plastic pipe with a bit of padding to make it harder :twisted: ) and I have also been bike fitted and introduced a wee bit of strength training, not sure which one did it but I don't have half as much trouble as I did before.

jgsi

Lycraphobia wrote:

.

Local bike shop did a fit for me and said I looked ok pedaling, and reach as well.
Saddle had to go right forward to get knee over axle properly. Adjusted cleats to turn in heel a little.
Rob

Whats the stem length ...?

Lycraphobia

100

jgsi

I am thinking this is more a bike fit issue than relieving the symptoms with a foam roller issue.
I would also be thinking I wouldnt want my e.g. saddle set to an extreme limit to get the knee angle correct when at the 9pm position on the crank...
Do you feel cramped at all on the bike when riding?

Lycraphobia

No I feel ok.
Just remembered, had to get a new seatpost as the one on the bike from previous owner was a layback post which didn't fit me.

SteveR_100Milers

I had major problem with my left leg almost immediately after raising my saddle by an inch one day. I lowered it and over the next 2 years it has gone up by an even greater amount with few problems, though it does twinge now and again. In my case, I suspect the root cause is a fundamental lack of hamstring flexibility.

bugsrabbit

A foam roller is a must! I saw three physio,s before the fourth one diagnosed IT band trouble. He gave me several stretches and suggested the roller. I still get a little pain but nothing like it was. Go and see a cycling physio, or at least a physio that understands cyclists. I found one in manchester.

pjcole

Lycra,

This is not a bike fit issue; it's simply a muscle imbalance issue.

Cycling is a quad dominant movement. The quads are used to extend the leg during the noon to 6 part of the cadence.

If you predominantly train/use the muscles on one side of a joint for any extended period of time or number of repetitions, without EQUALLY training the opposing muscles, you're going to have pain, fatigue and higher risk of injury surrounding that joint. In the case of ITBS, the joints involved are the hip and knee.

If strength imbalances exist in any joint, you can be assured that your body will find ways to avoid those weaknesses with alignment issues as well as fatigue, due to relying on stronger muscles.

Include an equal amount of training on your posterior chain (i.e. glutes, hamstrings and lower back) and you should notice improvement within a month or so. Ultimately, you should be able to eliminate this problem all together.

Ideally, this would be done during the "off season". It will be hard to make up any ground while you're still riding and "maintaining" the cause of your pain.

Also, realize that if you start training your posterior chain, that regardless of what "condition" you're in for cycling, that those muscles are very weak and should be trained accordingly.

Don't forget the critical importance of warming up before and stretching after a workout.

Cheers,

callaghan

Anything ive read suggests that the lateral quads become stronger than the medial ones....pulling the patella sideways, so you need to strengthen vasus medialis (medial quad) personally, I found months of straight leg raising etc useless. I found single leg squats and the roller good.......but everyone is different etc. Recommend a good PT

Lycraphobia

Thanks for all the advice so far.... But what can I do now! As I'm doing 140 miles in 2 weeks time.
It band strap, or go slow and painkillers?? I've got 2 weeks off the bike left.

Thanks
Rob

jonnycon

Just been throught this myself, thankfully was worked on by a great Physio and the problem is starting to reslove itself.

The best advice is the foam roller, you need to get started with that straight away, as the IT band tightens it compresses the knee joint pulling the lot together and causing a lot more friction on the cartledge as well as affecting the tracking of your patella.

As others have mentioned your body will initially manage your the pain by adapting and overloading the dominant muscles and ignoring others, this will alleviate pain in the short term but is building a host of problems.

I now do a regime of squats/lunges/glute and roller work (the glute work has been the real revelation for me) and the result is balanced leg muscles and knee joint and no pain !

It was also rammed home to me the importance of stretching off, quads, glutes and hamstrings.

Don't think there is a quick fix but by starting the above you should help to alleviate your problems.

Lycraphobia

Thanks for all your help on here people.

Just bought a foam roller today and done my first session, BLIMEY it hurts lol.

Got 2 weeks of stretching and little rides.

Pep

Had (have) this. Very common in cyclists and runners too, I'm both.

Caused by a combination of wrong biomechanics (shoes, fitting, muscles, anything..).

Very easy to diagnose. Solution is also simple but it can take very very long (years).

Solution: correct fitting, insoles if needed, stretch, muscle strenghtning (probably gluteous, and/or quads), massage (roller), all to be done religiously (every day, better more than once a day).

Must: see a cycle physio. Doing the wrong exercise, or the right exercise wrongly, will prob do more harm than good.

You DO solve it, but it takes huge amount of determination.

bjl

Hi, where exactly is the pain - having trouble on inside of right knee but not sure what diagnosis is?

Lycraphobia

Your pain is not this buddy.
IT band syndrome is on outside of knee and feels like a hot ice pick being stuck in your knee on every pedal ,past a certain degree of bend.

Been rolling on foam roller all week, and my IT band and surrounding muscles are loosening up nicely. Hurts like hell at first, but not so bad now.

Yours sounds like Medial knee pain.

bjl

Not wishing to hijack your thread, but does anyone have any remedies/tips for medial knee pain?

TomBombadil

Hi,

Re ITB pains - I had this year on year as pain on outside of hip and general tightness. ITB stretches helped. The band runs on the outside of the leg. After very careful consideration of the issues I discovered that when I was using my winter shoes this happened less - I examined the shoes and cleats and found that although putting the cleats central as always the shoe cleat hole positions forced the foot further away from the pedals.

I then moved the cleats on my regular shoes toward the centre edge (ie left on right foot etc) This means the foot is pushed out - and therefore relaxes the tension on the ITB when the leg is most extended. This worked well for me - I have never had this again. This moved my foot out by about 1=2cm from the axle. so I guess longer pedal axles may help - some pedal manufacturers have this as an option (Just noticed that on the article re Cavendish current bike - He does this to get more power which make sense as well - so maybe there are 2 benefits.)

I would gently suggest that you look at cleat positions and try and make sure that the leg is more parallel to the hips. However, physiologies very extensively between individuals and what may have worked for one person will not always translate to a different physiology - a common mistake that many medical/sports/scientists make.

But very fine details can make a difference.

I used to find it upsetting - but it always went after a while, so don't get to low with it you are sure to find a solution that will work for you - even if it's just rest as some 'experts' recommend.

Good luck - Tom

rls

I've also got an ITB problem, diagnosed by my physio, that has just developed, so I'll be interested to hear how you get on. So far I've adjusted my riding postion and I'm doing the ITB stretch a few times a day. I haven't gone as far as getting the foam roller yet, although it sounds like a good purchase, so I'll try that too.

SteveR_100Milers

Out of interest, what exercise do people use for the IT band on the foam roller? I have seen a ew You Tube versions, all much the same so have copied that, where you literally roll up and down on the outside of your straightened leg using the other leg wrapped over for support/stability. I have not been able to put my full weight onto the roller yet as the pain is excruciating.

Pep

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Out of interest, what exercise do people use for the IT band on the foam roller? I have seen a ew You Tube versions, all much the same so have copied that, where you literally roll up and down on the outside of your straightened leg using the other leg wrapped over for support/stability. I have not been able to put my full weight onto the roller yet as the pain is excruciating.

That's exactly it.
Put as much weight as you can tolerate.

The great challenge of ITB is to keep fighting it consistently. Sorry guys, but it takes very long to sort it and will always theaten to return.

SteveR_100Milers

Pep wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Out of interest, what exercise do people use for the IT band on the foam roller? I have seen a ew You Tube versions, all much the same so have copied that, where you literally roll up and down on the outside of your straightened leg using the other leg wrapped over for support/stability. I have not been able to put my full weight onto the roller yet as the pain is excruciating.

That's exactly it.
Put as much weight as you can tolerate.

The great challenge of ITB is to keep fighting it consistently. Sorry guys, but it takes very long to sort it and will always theaten to return.

You make it sound almost fun...but I know now it is no laughing matter. Hoe many time per day / reps etc? I'm doing it min once per day and for as long as I can tolerate it. My left leg is the *problem* leg, and its quite tender now, maybe I am overdoing it?

Pep

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Pep wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Out of interest, what exercise do people use for the IT band on the foam roller? I have seen a ew You Tube versions, all much the same so have copied that, where you literally roll up and down on the outside of your straightened leg using the other leg wrapped over for support/stability. I have not been able to put my full weight onto the roller yet as the pain is excruciating.

That's exactly it.
Put as much weight as you can tolerate.

The great challenge of ITB is to keep fighting it consistently. Sorry guys, but it takes very long to sort it and will always theaten to return.

You make it sound almost fun...but I know now it is no laughing matter. Hoe many time per day / reps etc? I'm doing it min once per day and for as long as I can tolerate it. My left leg is the *problem* leg, and its quite tender now, maybe I am overdoing it?

Unfortunately I know better than anyone else that there is no fun in trying to solve sport injuries...
I do exercises to keep injuries at bay 1-2 times a day every day. I think the "secret" is consistency, i.e. never ever miss a day, rather than doing them several times a day.
I have been doing physio exercises for years, 20ish min a day every day.
I think they do some help.

All the best.

tofu21

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Out of interest, what exercise do people use for the IT band on the foam roller? I have seen a ew You Tube versions, all much the same so have copied that, where you literally roll up and down on the outside of your straightened leg using the other leg wrapped over for support/stability. I have not been able to put my full weight onto the roller yet as the pain is excruciating.

I've got a roller and it's the only thing that I've found that I can do that makes a real difference.

But my god does it hurt! But if you keep at it the pain goes away.

cyclopsbiker

pjcole wrote:

Lycra,

This is not a bike fit issue; it's simply a muscle imbalance issue.

Cycling is a quad dominant movement. The quads are used to extend the leg during the noon to 6 part of the cadence.

If you predominantly train/use the muscles on one side of a joint for any extended period of time or number of repetitions, without EQUALLY training the opposing muscles, you're going to have pain, fatigue and higher risk of injury surrounding that joint. In the case of ITBS, the joints involved are the hip and knee.

If strength imbalances exist in any joint, you can be assured that your body will find ways to avoid those weaknesses with alignment issues as well as fatigue, due to relying on stronger muscles.

Include an equal amount of training on your posterior chain (i.e. glutes, hamstrings and lower back) and you should notice improvement within a month or so. Ultimately, you should be able to eliminate this problem all together.

Ideally, this would be done during the "off season". It will be hard to make up any ground while you're still riding and "maintaining" the cause of your pain.

Also, realize that if you start training your posterior chain, that regardless of what "condition" you're in for cycling, that those muscles are very weak and should be trained accordingly.

Don't forget the critical importance of warming up before and stretching after a workout.

Cheers,

good advice here, especially about the posterior chain. this is worth a read even though the focus is on runners the principles are the same if the ITB is causing pain.
http://globaltherapies.blogspot.com/201 ... drome.html