Calling ITBS sufferers

[Deleted User]

Grumble, I'm with you, I've done all the exercises and still don't seem to be improving. It's good to hear of other people's experiences though. The message seems to be keep up the exercises and EVENTUALLY we will run again.

I'm feeling much more positive today and have accepted (well almost!)that a May marathon will not happen. I have got other goals for next summer that I can concentrate on so I'm going to focus on those instead.

My physio has recommended that I do astanga yoga. I went to my first class last Sunday and it was an excellent work out with lots of exercises that well help with the ITBS. I thought yoga was all about chanting and relaxing but this class was anything but!

Running on Christmas day? - I will if the physio gives the okay ( I know know better that to ignore her advice!).

Gatorade, have you seen the fury on the EM thread? Lots of people have been rejected from the ballot entry as the organisers now have a policy of rejecting 1/3 of all entries to try and force more people to take up charity places!

[Deleted User]

Naughty Cat I do yoga and love it although not keen on the chanting. Everybofy thinks yoga is all about flexibility but it can also be about strengthening as well. I also dopilates which I don't enjoy quite as much but I can tell that my placement is improving although I still have trouble with the alignment onmy left side (this was the side that my ITB was most inflamed).

I've entered my local half marathon, which the end of May - it will be my first and I'm totally paranoid about my injuries resurfacing (there is still tension in my ITBs) as I gradually increase my mileage but nothing ventured nothing gained. I appreciate you are not at that stage of your recovery yet but eventually the inflammation does reduce - mine were so sore I found it diffcult to sleep at night.

[Deleted User]

Edwina - good for you!! May is a long time away and you should be fine for it by then. Good luck

[Deleted User]

Thanks!

Got a 5k Santa pud thing tomorrow I'm hoping it will be a good laugh.

gatorade (all the pies)

The yoga's gotta be good and a bonus if you're enjoying it - early posts mention "Pigeon Pose"? NC the EM's come good on the EM thread, quite a drama going on there!

Edwina all the best with the May marathon entry.

[Deleted User]

Pigeon pose - the basic pose is you crouch down and cross you leg in front of you as though you are going to sit cross legged then lower your torso down and extend other leg behind you. There is an advancement of the pose where youraise your extended leg up and backwards and you raise your torso and lean backwards and this gives the pose its name but its a completely different stetch. Basic pose is excellent for the TFL and the piriformis.

I've got pre-race jitters.

gatorade (all the pies)

Thanks edwina, although I nearly knocked over the ironing-board trying it.

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/pigeon.htm

I suppose it does look a bit pigeony doesn't it?

Had a nice pain-free run yesturday was up the trails in the nearby Lomond Hills, frosty, gorgeous Winter's day. To be honest I had a tear in my eye I was so happy to be running up there again. Seemingly no damage done will be resting today, weather's crap anyway.

[Deleted User]

She's not in the full position - looks a bit like a pigeon puffing out its chest but it doesn't stretch the TFL or the piriformis in full pose - watch those ironing board injuries.

I set a new PB for a 5k this morning - 27:07. I was really chuffed.

Awww gatorade that's really sweet - long may your recovery continue.

[Deleted User]

Gatorade, I am sooooo jealous. Your run sounds fabby.

Anyone else feel unreasonably jealous when they see a runner?

Edwina, what I can't understand is that initially my ITBS was never very sore and I stopped running the moment I felt it. Now after 5 weeks of stretches it feels worse than ever
Good luck with increased mileage.

Away to yoga now, no ironing boards there thankfully!

[Deleted User]

NC that does sond odd you aren't swimming or cycling are you? Mine took about 6-8 weeks for the inflammation to go away and then when I returned using run walk I still had some niggles - my weakest area has been my glutes and its only when I started doing some strengthening exercises in that area that things started to improve.

[Deleted User]

Edwina, yes i have been cycling and the odd bit of swimming with the kids. I don't cycle much, just too and from work twice a week plus the odd trip to physio. Physio knows of both and didn't tell me not too so I figured it wiuld be ok. I have read that cycling can be bad for ITBS so after last Tuesdays's disasterous 15 minute run I decided to cut out both for the next few weeks. I'm going to the physio on Wednesday so I'll see what she says.

[Deleted User]

I was advised by my pod not to do ANY exercise for 3 weeks. Swimming - breast stroke can aggrevate your ITBS

[Deleted User]

I have been to 2 different physio's and a doctor and one said to carry on running and exercising stretching (1st Physio), One said rest completely for a month (Doctor) and one said don't swim but you can cycle and that was the most expensive physio!!
I had a Christmas 'do' on Saturday and wore heeled boots and my knee feels awful, no pain in the ITB or back of knee. Phoned the doctor and he said to go and see him again on Wednesday and he will have another look, he did say a month ago that if there wasn't any improvement he would refer me, not sure which department (xray/scan?) Still doing loads of stretches and strengthenings and also eating a lot of Quality Street!!

[Deleted User]

Grumblethegoat,I didn't know Quality Street was good for ITBS, must rush to the shops and buy some
Strange all this conflicting advice, maybe we should give up exercise and eat Pringles instead!

Good luck on Wednesday.

[Deleted User]

GTG - swimming is great as long as you leave breaststroke along. Cycling can irritate too, but usually only in the hip area.

I've heard that Quality Street is an new experimental therapy *strokes chin*.

[Deleted User]

Yes you have to apply the quality street whilst stretching and during myofascial release for maximum benefit.

[Deleted User]

Ahhh yes, of course *stokes chin and nods sagely at Edwina*

But what if, during release, a wrapper should interfere with the synapse response and, thus, ultimately upset the balance of peanut/chocolate ratio in the purple ones?

Mmmmm

[Deleted User]

NC - All good high street shops have them!!:O)

I think the toffee has maximum strengthening benefit - must be that.... as my jaw feels like it could drop off after a few of the penny toffee's

Oh I do love Christmas!!

[Deleted User]

I've got too many fillings for penny toffee's....just love the fudge though.

gatorade (all the pies)

NC you've got a point though, why is there so much conflicting advice for this condition? especially as its so common? GTG - must be particularly frustrating when "experts" dealing with your specific case are having conflicting advice. Injury is frustrating enough as it is without that.

Well done on the PB edwina btw - a bit of a milestone with regards to recovery surely!?

[Deleted User]

Yes and I've also lost 4lbs this week so give me som of those quality street GTB.

[Deleted User]

Edwina - you have the quality street you deserve them - weight loss and pb in the same week - well done:O)
Gatorade - frustrating yes - but I need to get to the bottom of it and find out just what is causing all these different symptoms..meant to start training for London in January...Did you read the story of the guy who entered a competition to win a pair of trainers but actually discovered not only had he won the trainers but a place in the London Marathon with them too..he'd never run before but completed it with something like 12 weeks training...gives you inspiration eh?

[Deleted User]

hi there - sorry to butt in, but I've just come back to this thread I started a few months ago! The info & advice has been great to read through - it's taken ages! I'm back running and have entered my 1st race in April having not got in to FLM. After spending a long time resting and a small fortune on physio I am still taking it steady but am so pleased to be running again! The first few weeks back running were hell - my fitness level had declined more than I could have imagined and I simply wasn't enjoying it at all. I am now finding it easier, and more importantly, I am loving it again. I haven't experienced any ITB pain so far, but am not so naive to think it won't rear it's ugly head again. Anyway, it's good to be back.

[Deleted User]

Good to see you back Bella

[Deleted User]

Hi Edwina - how's it going?

gatorade (all the pies)

Butting into your own thread Bella? Tsk! No seriously well done on getting back to running again and enjoying it. Long may it continue.

[Deleted User]

Hi Belle - thanks for starting this forum, it has been a great help and welcome back:O)

[Deleted User]

Thanks guys - tis indeed good to be back. There's loads of useful info on here - we could make a book out of this thread!

[Deleted User]

Good Bella starting to run relatively pain free think I'm still having some minor biomechanical issues so doing lots of strengthening exercises.

gatorade (all the pies)

I re-read through most of the thread last night looking for ideas and also similarities between my case and others (well that's what lawyers do right?). At some time or other I've shared a subset of the issues that others report but never the intense pain that most describe at the beginning. I'm not convinced my condition is ITBS (and my second PT opion didn't diagnose it ITBS, but didn't want to rule it out either).

Just to summarise, the experiences I've shared with others on this thread are:

hip/glutes pain (which was the start of it all - after 3 years of injury-free high-mileage running)
hamstring tendon pain (medial aspect of knee). This has since subsided.
PFP (maltracking knee-cap). This completely stopped all running two weeks ago. Since subsided.
ITB pain at tibia/knee side Which has come back mildly right now.
Running/knee feels wrong presumably due to muscle imbalance on right leg
Acquired more stablising shoes Having been running fine for 2 years in 2100/2110.
Pysio prescribes timing exercises for glutes/hamstrings on leg-lifts
Increase in chocolate/alcohol consumption cos I'm frustrated and its Christmas