Calling ITBS sufferers

[Deleted User]

I've had pain most of the time - each flare up has got progressively worse.

I've been advised to spend two weeks getting used to my orthotics, building up gradually etc but they are surprisingly comfortable.

I went for a walk in them during my lunch breakand I was quite tempted to have a little trot but I resisted.

I've got myself booked in for a deep remedial massage on Friday - I'm hoping she will strip them. it will hurt but it will be worth it.

[Deleted User]

My straps also arrived today - you get a pair for around £8.00 ($17.00) and postage is free. They took 5 days to come through. I'm going to keep fit tonight so I'll wear them just in case.

[Deleted User]

when my ITBS first appeared about 4 weeks ago, i realised that one of my pairs of shoes was way past its sell-by date-normally i use NB 854s and Adidas Supernova Control as i overpronate a lot - and i'd also just started using a new pair of Brooks Beast which i hadn't tried before.

i've now junked the tired pair and relegated the brooks to walking-around shoes for now to try to isolate the problem.

i'm using ibuprofen orally, and also Voltaren Emulgen topically over the sore area (i think it's called voltarol in the UK), and doing stretches very cautiously as the pain has subsided-i will continue with the straps also and advise everyone how that goes.
good luck to everyone else!

[Deleted User]

You are supposed to take ibuprofen if you are using voltarol cream - it is one or the other. I used Voltarol Emugel mostly because I found it more soothing but that ibuprofen, which didn't even touch the pain. I believe you would be ok to take paracetemol.

[Deleted User]

How tight are you supposed to have the straps. Mine got twisted last night but that could be from taking off my trousers or just from the different range of movements.

PSC

Hi fellow ITBS suffers... it's been a while since I last posted.

I too have ordered a strap from the online physio store - blooming expensive, particularly when I've read Steady Edwina's post above (£8??) - where did you get them from??? The one I've just ordered was £30+. Gulp.

Feedback on the strengthening exercises - they work! Last w/e I ran my first ever Half Mara in just over 2 hours. It was a hilly one so forced the ups and gently on the downs (much to my running partners horror) but kept out of pain. Stiff and achy yes, pain no....

My knees collapse inwards so I need to do the exercises. A simple crunch (is go on one foot and then, with the body upright, lower down so that leg bends to 90 degrees. Hold for 10 seconds then rize up again. repeat 5 times, bulding to higher numbers in time. The thing to concentrate on is the tracking of the knee - it should go down in line with the big toe - not wobble laterally..... I've been doing this for 2 weeks and it got me round the half. Still more I must do to continue to build the strength but it did help.

One question... when running I find that I crunch my toes up as if to grip the sole of my trainers... does anyone else do this? It takes a real effort to relax the toes... I'm sure this probably contributes to my sore knees!

Happy running everyone...

[Deleted User]

I got mine from www.pattstrap.com. They come from the states

PSC

thanks...

This was the one I've ... ordered .... in a quandry now... do I cancel and re-order... ARGH. No, can't be ar**ed...

I'm happy to review this one - are you up for the same on your version?? Might help others make an informed choice!

[Deleted User]

edwina-strap should be tight enough to control the movement of the ITB i.e have a compressive action-watch thew video clip on the pattstrap site!

[Deleted User]

Hi have you used heel pads ?i had runners knee and it stoped me from running got orthotics that helped knee but gave me new injury.Now i only use asics 2100 and heel pads no pain.

PSC

where do you get them hillrunner? I'll try anything to run without pain!!

[Deleted User]

Hiya all!
I have suffered from ITB pain for about 6 months now, it gets better and then goes away again and then returns.
I have found though that orthotics really do help things as does generally concentrating on the way that you are running.
I have found though that it seems to be a symptom of something else, I for one have somehow managed to lock the left hand side of my pelvis forward, and now it is quite happy there!!! I have some stretches from the physio which do nothing! Has anyone any other suggestions for this?

Thanks and hope you are all well.
C

[Deleted User]

Have you though about trying something alternative like Bowen technique? Maybe a osteo or chiropractor might be able to help with your pelvis.

[Deleted User]

Hi pit stop any of the online shops on runners world home page will sell them only £9.As i said orthotics helped knee but knackered abductor on the same leg he didnt want to know he had my £300 then he told me to give up running.But when i went to him before he had my cash ohhhh i will make you better its ok i will have you back running .

If you get a good one great but like me you get a money grabbing arse then things can get bad.Try the heel pads trust hillrunner on this one but you need to give it a few weeks to die down keep on the flat and run only on soft ground pain will go.

PSC

thanks Hillrunner - I'll have a look for them and give them a go. Am expecting my uber-expensive knee support soon so will be interesting to see how that works. I'm one of the lucky ones in that I can get up to half mara distance without too much discomfort - I didn't help myself a few weeks back by training over 50 miles in a week causing a forced week off to recover the right knee. Thanks again for the tip..

[Deleted User]

Cheers pit stop i did the knee support thing and was running long runs but i could always feel the heat in my knee it was when i stoped or later that my knee pain got bad.

With knee support your only helping yourself to run without too much pain but is not fixing the problem.Good luck and i hope your running injury free soon.

[Deleted User]

I've been battled with ITB for the past 2 years - it's so frustrating - I have unfinished PB business to attend to!

I read Sideshows post on the previous page, about turning the foot inwards slightly. I've seen 3 physios, a chiropractor and an osteopath... none of which so far have been able to help me.
Recently I've been playing about with the way I run - trying to focus on keeping everything in line, and although my foot doesn't turn out much I've found that just concentrating on holding it straight can alleviate the tightness that can come on in a run.

I'm still convinced that some kind of musculuar imbalance is to blame - why else would my TFL get so tight if it wasn't doing the work of another muscle or being affected by weakness somewhere in the hip.

[Deleted User]

Vanilla that sounds so depressing - have you had you biomechanics assessed?

Here's to us all running injury free.

[Deleted User]

Hi vanilla i went down the same long road as you spent loads of money.My leg muscles are all different sizes because when leg hurts on one side your boady shifts the work load onto your good side then your good side gets wonky.

[Deleted User]

Pattstrap Update !

just come back from a 4 mile run tonight, same as last night all on the flat, no twinges at all.

[Deleted User]

Advice anyone? I have been training for the New Forest Half Marathon (Sept 17th)and all had been going well until I did a couple of long runs a week ago on multi-terrain. I am now suffering ITBS even on short runs. With less than a couple of weeks to go I had been considering buying new shoes but should I stick with my old pair (they have seen a lot of mileage),just in case the new ones aggravate the condition. Should I stop running until the day of the race or try to keep going. Help!

PSC

RF - you won't lose fitness in 2 weeks so you could/should seriously reduce your mileage to allow inflamation of the ITB to go down. Stretching and Ice (separately) is said to help. You should be OK doing some short slow runs on the flat every 3rd or 4th day to keep the muscles working and you should be fine for the half. This is exactly what i did prior to a half last weekend and ran the race OK. If your shoes are old (does that mean 500 mile +) then you should consider changing them anyway. Have you had a gait assessment done at a pod? Most pods do these free... it's a good way of (a) checking your shoes, (b) checking whether anything else is going wrong.

[Deleted User]

You might want to consider a decent remedial sports massage to help loosen up your muscles but be warned it will be deep and may hurt but in a couple of days you will feel much better (well I did). However its only a short term fix and you need to identify the underlying cause. I would defo look into changing your shoes but maybe do the race in your old ones as you probably won't get opportunity to break in new ones. Maybe cross-train as well if you are struggling with short distances.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for your advice, I intend to have a gait assesment when I buy my next pair of running shoes. I will stick to my old shoes for the half marathon though they have done 500+ miles but I think it may be too late to break in a new pair of shoes as you say. I have experienced the delights of painful remedial massage so will consider that too as I know it can help.

[Deleted User]

hi run free
i would change the shoes if they have done so much mileage-they certainly won't be doing much in the way of support and/or motion control any more. personally i have never found that shoes needed "breaking in"-that was something that was done with old-style leather hiking boots wasn't it?-all i ever do is wear a new pair for walking around in for about a week then no problems, although i appreciate others may have different experiences.
as others say, resting at this stage shouldn't affect your fitness and can only do some good for your ITBS.
i am currently using pattstraps to help with my ITBS and no problems so far.

[Deleted User]

Hi CS, I will try the Pattstrap and it will hopefully help me get through the half-marathon. The reason I am a bit cautious about running in new shoes is that a few years ago I suffered badly with achilles tendonitis and went through almost two years of pain. I am glad to say that it has completely gone as a result of Acupuncture, massage and not wearing any footwear to aggravate it. New shoes would be a plus as long as I feel comfortable in them. I will have to get to the root cause of my ITBS as I don't want to give up my running. How long have you been wearing the Pattstrap?

[Deleted User]

been wearing it for a week, no problems so far but only up to 4 miles at the moment, aiming for a 6 miler early next week.

i've been running for about 10 years with no previous ITB problems until last month, done the Melbourne and Hunter Valley marathons this year in May and July respectively no probs, then after a couple of easy 1-hour runs in Aug the pain suddenly stopped me running more than a mile.
3 weeks rest and a pattstrap later i'm easing back into it so fingers crossed.

[Deleted User]

Carlisle - after your 3 week rest how did you ease back into running?

[Deleted User]

Hope the Pattstrap will work for me, have ordered one from the internet. Same thing happened to me - running well one day and the next thing ITBS seemed to come from nowhere. That is the frustrating thing, is this how it happens for most ITBS cases? CS at least there seems to be some sort of progress and you can still run.

PSC

mine came on slowly.... now slow right down on the downhills and am keeping it under control. It never got so bad that I had to stop unlike many on the thread so I think I have been lucky!

The exercises (leg crunches) really help and mine is easing slowly but surely!