IT Band pain

[songlady]

"One other think I've found - avoid heels."


I have found this out recently too! I bought some wonderful new KEEN mules, and was excited to have cool looking shoes that would work for my orthotics. The heel (only 1.5-2 inches) ended up irritating my bands terribly. Had to sell them on Ebay. Now it's back to my New Balance slip ons.
Interesting to hear that I'm not the only one.

[aicabsolut]

Foam rollers or other similar things can help for sure.

I just wanted to post the *correct* way to stretch the ITB, because last year my physical therapist told me that all the ways I thought was correct for stretching it really hit other stuff like the hip flexors.

Stand near a table or counter that's fairly high up on you--probably no lower than low-hip height. Stand with it to your side--this will be the side you are stretching. You should be able to put your hand on it from your start point

Let's say you're starting with stretching the left side. Take your left foot and cross it behind the right, turning the foot so that you're resting on the left side of it. The left foot shouldn't be right behind the right but back some too, maybe a foot. Bend your right knee, lowering yourself using your hand on the table to balance, until you're feeling the stretch, no more than when the rear (left) leg makes a 45 degree angle with the floor. This is why you rest on the left side of the left foot--so that leg is straight. Be sure your hips stay aligned. Do not lean with your upper body or at your hips (this is why you bend the right leg). It may help to stand in front of a mirror. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat a few times.

Turn around and change legs.

Sometimes, it's hard to feel the stretch, which is why I cautioned not to go too far to where you might strain something else. If you feel it, you'll mostly feel it up at the hip attachment area.



The best thing that works for me when the ITB gets really knotted up in the middle is to get a deep tissue or myofascial release massage. Unlike rollers, someone else is mashing on me and I am not inflicting pain on myself. So I'm less likely to be a wuss about it and the knots really get cleared.

[EBD]

I do what sounds like the same stretch, but from a horizontal position - lie on your back, legs flat; raise one leg straight up in the air; either grab your big toe (if you're flexible) or loop a therapy band around your big toe; and gently pull your (straight) leg across your body. Like, for instance, if your left leg is in the air, pull it to the right. Hold for a while, then switch sides.

Hee, stretches are so hard to describe. They always sound ridiculous when you write it out like that.

[aicabsolut]

Yeah, I think that's the same motion. Maybe using your body weight helps you really get into this stretch better, but then I haven't tried your idea with a theraband.