Iliotibial band syndrome

GGBiker

Anyone ever suffer with this? I developed pain over the outside of my right knee and this seems the most likely cause. It settled down after a week off the bike but flared up within 2 miles of starting again.

I have started doing stretching exercises, anyone else had this and have any tips?

El zilcho

I have had it in the past (with pain across the front of the knee as well). Mine was caused by a slightly wonky gait where I was moving my knee inwards as I bent it. If your cleats (assuming you're on clipless pedals) aren't aligned right then that could be contributing.

Once I'd worked this out (with the help of a physio) I made an effort to keep my knee pointing forwards as I walked and pedaled and it all cleared up (i.e. keeping a straight line from my hip through my knee to my ankle). This might be worth trying, but if it doesn't clear up I'd go and see a physio, particularly as this is just my experience - I'm not a qualified professional.

TakeTurns

I used to have this. My cleat was worn out but I didn't really think much of it. I didn't notice but I'd been riding with my foot slightly bent outwards.

Took 1 week off because the pain was so sharp and painful it would make me yell. I started doing some stretches which were recommended and took things easy on the bike. After 2-3 weeks, it seemed to be gone but I still kept to the program for 1 more week as advised.

Grill

FOAM ROLLER!

Herbsman

More answers : search.php?keywords=Itb&terms=all&author=&fid%5B%5D=40059&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sr=topics&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

laurentian

Grill wrote:

FOAM ROLLER!

This

MattC59

Have a look at my posts in this thread.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40020&t=12793467

Ok, it's about back pain, but ITB syndrome and back pain are often linked. In this case the solution that I recommended was based on a lot of research on ITB syndrome. In summary a wedge between your cleat and shoe can realigned the motion of your knee (and pelvis) alleviating the pain of ITB syndrome.

I used to be in considerable pain as you describe, after a few miles, now I never get any pain in my ITB.

Edit: they've changed the link to shoe wedges. Try this one : http://www.cyclefit.co.uk/cleat-wedges

MattC59

Grill wrote:

FOAM ROLLER!

A foam roller might help to sooth the pain, but it won't address the cause. You need to address why you're getting pain in your ITB, and I'm pretty sure that not owning a foam roller isn't the cause !

Sussed out

Stand up, cross your legs over so your left foot is to the right of your left foot for example, lean down and try to touch the inside of the foot that is behind the front leg.
You'll feel the stretch right down the side of that back leg. Then swap your feet round.
Works for me.

pilot_pete

Sussed out wrote:

Stand up, cross your legs over so your left foot is to the right of your left foot

:? Are you sure you've got that right? Sorry left...no wait a minute, right!

PP

Joeblack

Iv had a similar pain only in the left knee, it doesn't hurt when I'm on the bike though, strangely only when I walk downstairs, I put it down to all the Olympic squat lifts I do in the gym but then I thought it might be due to that being the foot I unclip with the most (if not all the time) any way stretching and ice seem to have solved it for now.

Cleat Eastwood

I was chatting to a fizzy-O just last week about this. He said it can be due to your knee rotating. Heres what he had me do.

Squat up and down - like you're sitting on an imaginary bench. Have someone look at your knees - normally they go up and down but in cases where itb is apparent one knee rotates slightly. The guy said imagine that motion constantly for 2 hours on a ride - its going to affect your muscles.

The guy recommended stretching.

He also had me try this - sit on the floor legs outstretched and push one leg down into the floor - if you place your fingers either side of your knee you'll feel one muscle contract fractionally quicker than the other. Again not a problem on its own but amplified over a few hours means one muscle becomes stronger. He advised a foam roller which he said you can get on ebay - but he did say it can be verrrrry painful. For the mo I'm going with just stretches.

speshsteve

FOAM Roller!

when you get to a certain age you need to stretch and a foam roller is like having your very own onsite phyiso!

Sussed out

Pilot Pete wrote:

Sussed out wrote:

Stand up, cross your legs over so your left foot is to the right of your left foot

:? Are you sure you've got that right? Sorry left...no wait a minute, right!

PP

Aaah he'll I knew there would be a mistake in there somewhere. Making left feet right etc was always going to be a minefield

HasselHough

I found that the Foam Roller was the answer for me, my knee was maltracking due to a very tight ITB so foam rolling twice a day for as long as I could take it worked wonders by breaking down the toughness of the ITB and making it a bit more supple so it didn't pull my knee out of line at the top of the pedal stroke, it's not totally right, but a work in progress.

Everyone should own a foam roller.

Get on you tube, there are some great tips and stretches on there.