What's the Best Way to Cure ITBS?

Question

ITBS = Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Answer 1

I have had it for nearly a year in my hips (both).

Here are some suggestions that might get you over the hump:

1) Take a break from running. It was recommended for me about a month, which I did.
2) Get your shoes checked out.
3) Run on non-banked surfaces.
4) http://www.itbs.info has some cool stretches. Do them.
5) I bought a foam roller that I roll my hips on to stretch the IT band. It seems to help -- a little.
6) This company makes a strap for the ITBand. http://www.cho-pat.com/ Check it out. Seems to be applicable for the knee version of ITBS.
7) Take anti-inflamatories. I took Celebrex for a month and it took the edge off of it.
8) See a physical therapist. i had injectionless cortizone shot -- that helped a LOT. It's called iontopheris, but it uses a an electric charge to send the medicine in there. You have to have it done 6 - 8 times but it works.

Good luck. It is a royal pain in the butt to get rid of, unfortunately.

Answer 2

Itbs Cure

Answer 3

If you think you might have ITBS, I strongly recommend you get a formal evaluation by a doctor who specializes in Sports Medicine or a Physical Therapist.


Summary of treatments for ITBS:
First off, we all want to be able to run again. We get depressed if we can't. Not running sucks.

If you rush back to running, you'll never break the injury cycle. Patience is tough, but is required to get over a bout of ITBS. Patience in NOT running, patience in increasing your mileage very slowly. Like take a month off of no running or biking or doing squatting-type exercises, like lunges. Every time you bend your knee to a 45 degree angle, your rubbing your ITB against one of the knee bones, which causes the inflammation and pain.

You have to help the inflammation go away with RICE: rest, ice, compression and elevation. I’m also a firm believer in NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. - NOT Tylenol). After the area is no longer tender, try warming up with non-inflammatory exercises, and do a good series of stretches for your legs in general and specifically for your ITB. As depressing as this may sound, that's what you need to do for the first month after your last ITBS bout. Also, check through the ITBS web site for suggestions of different possible causes (worn shoes, bio-mechanical problems, etc.) and get them taken care of. Then start again slowly, running 5 minutes every other day the first week. Second week you can add 5 minutes each time. That is, 10 minutes 3 times during the week. Continue adding no more than 5 minutes to each run each week.

If you feel pain at your ITB, STOP RUNNING RIGHT AWAY. Go to the side of the road and stretch your ITB for at least 2 minutes. Then walk home. Ice up and take your favorite NSAIDS. Take the next day off, and start again with the previous week's time. Stretch more. If it acts up again, go to a pro - a good physical therapist who commonly treats ITBS.

Answer 4

stretching and muscle exercises, surgury if all else fails