Tight ITB moving kneecap

I'm hoping that somebody here can help me. My sorry saga is as follows :

I've been running up to 11 miles without incident. However, last Friday evening, my gait seemed to self-destruct after about 1.5 miles andeverything (knees, shins, ankles & feet) hurt. It felt as though my left foot was just slapping down, as though it were a lead weight rather.
Tried another run over the weekend but got the same result.

Last night, the physio said that my ITBs are tight but that stretching won't help. Said that it's something to do with the nerves sending too many messages and the ITB spasming in response. Seems to mess up my biomechanics quite spectacularly by dragging the kneecaps outwards.

Anybody know about such a problem and how it can be treated?
She taped my knees to try and hold the kneecap in place which worked for a small run last night but tonight the gait just disintegrated again at about 1.5 miles.

All suggestions (apart from defering, of course) would be most welcome.

Comments

  • ChaosChaos ✭✭✭
    Did the old tape thing years ago and it did seem to partially help avoid pain during the running and prevent it getting worse. I often wondered if it was triggered by starting a fair bit of cycling at the same time.

    I'm surprised she's not offered other treatment suggestions but you maybe could get a Sports Massage Therapist to "strip" your ITB - this is fairly painful but it does loosen the ITB off particularly well. Some light gym work on the abductor machine wouldn't go amiss if it is anything like the problem I had. (the machine which you have to push outwards on by spreading your legs)
  • Chaos,

    Thanks for the advice. I've got a massage on Saturday so I'll get him to go to work on the ITBs then. Don't care about the pain as long as it helps.

    Cheers.

  • mate, get yourself to another physio. If thats what she really said about your ITB then you need someone who knows whats they are talking about.
    Firstly, stretching your ITB will definately help. Its not a muscle so will need to be stretched differently. Find someone who can do that for you.
    Secondly, although relating to my first point, your ITB is not a muscle so doesn't contract, so you don't have nerves sending too many messages causing it to spasm.
    Thirdly, and most importantly, your foot slap problem is of concern. This idicates a nerve problem further up in the leg. You need a physio to look at that
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