Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or physical therapist. I am only sharing my own experience with the injury and how I treated it. So please remember, what worked for me, might not necessarily work for you. You should always check with your health care provider before starting any type of therapy or exercise.

What is it?
The Iliotibial Band (IT Band) is a thick ligament that runs down the side of your leg, from your hip to your knee. Pain can be felt anywhere along the band, but is most commonly felt on the outside of the knee.


What Causes it?
ITBS is generally an overuse injury and it may be the result of a combination of issues including, poor flexibility, muscle imbalances, always running on the same side of a cantered road.

My Symptoms
I originally thought I was just having knee problems. In fact, I thought I had "runners knee (PFPS)". I went out an bought a brace, but still found no relief, so I took it to google. You can see in the image below, the difference in pain sites between ITBS and PFPS. Pain is generally felt on the outside near the bottom of my knee. The pain was especially severe when walking up stairs and running up a hill.

ITBS pain is located on the side of the knee.

How I treated it.
I didn't want to stop running and luckily my ITBS was not severe. I purchased a IT Band strap and it helped relieve some of the pain while running. Prior to every run, I rolled out my IT Band and after every run, I iced the side of my knee for 20 minutes. What really worked for me was a series of exercises. My ITBS was caused by weak hips and glutes.

Lateral Leg Raises

Wrap a Theraband (or resistance band) around both ankles. Lie down on your side with your hips stacked on top of each other. Lift your top leg up (about 45 degrees) and slowly bring the leg back down making sure your hips stay stacked the entire time.

Clam Shells

Wrap a Theraband around your legs, but above your knees. Lie on your side and bring your legs ups to about a 90 degree angle, with your legs bent at about a 45 degree angle. Stack your hips on top of one another, make sure your feet are together and lift your top knee as much as you can without moving the rest of your body. (Important note: DO NOT let your hips roll back, your hips should be glued in place). Slowly bring your knee down to the starting position.

Bridge March

Lie on your back and lift your hips. Make sure you are using your glute (butt) muscles to lift your hips and not your lower back. Lift one foot up while maintaining the bridge position. Do not allow your hips to drop on either side. Bring your foot slowly back down and repeat with the other foot.

Recovery Time
Once I started these exercises, it took about 6 weeks for the pain to be completely gone. Prior to doing the above exercises, I was suffering about about 8 weeks. I truly believe out of everything I did, the exercises were the most beneficial.

Here are some resources I used when recovering from ITBS.

Strength Running ITBS Rehab
Full explanation of multiple exercises and video demonstrations.

Sports Injury Clinic
Full on rehabilitation plan for ITBS