First IT band issues, and now my hip pops, what gives???

[spokewench]

Both my husband and I have had chronic IT band syndrome and you can feel it at both attachments at the knee and the hip. The best advice I can give you is to stretch those IT bands at least twice a day, especially after you are warmed up like after riding. There are several stretches you can do and several yoga stretches that really help like the pigeon. If I don't stretch, I hurt there is just no way around it! Another thing is try one of the rollers that they sell on athletic therapeutic websites. It is a foam roller that you put on the ground and then sort of lie down on the ground with the roller under your IT band and then roll it from top to bottom, i.e hip to knee. It hurts like you know what, but it does get better after a while and it will really alleviate the pain after a while of diligent use.

spoke

[alpinerabbit]

So once you have it - does it turn chronic? Do you have to stop running for a while? Any way to keep it from coming back?

I think I may have an issue thereabouts too. I have very mild pain now and then on the side above my knee, which may be the ITB but I am not sure.
The other end hurts too, and only mildly. It is a very small spot right under the arch of my hip that is sensitive to pressure. I have not run more than 10K lately and it did not bother me during running. It gets better when warmed up, stretched or massaged. An alternative suspicion is that it may be a bursa that is inflamed but I just don't know.

I do a stretch that was recommended for ITB syndrome where I let my leg hang off my bedside. I believe, however, that my ITB/tensor fasciae latae muscle is quite flexible. Instead I know my right hip is much more mobile than my left - but I don't know if this is hypermobility and if it is to blame. All aches and pains I've had so far have occurred only on my right leg.

Question for experiencedd sufferers: should I go to a doctor (GP? Sports specialist?) - PT? - Osteopath?

[RC @ HSP]

The snapping/popping could be the proximal end of the ITB slipping over the grater trochanter of the femur (bony part on the outside of your thigh). While that isn't always painful initially, it WILL increase risk of a repetitive stress injury. So it should be address. Now, tightness and adhesions may be contributing. Without a complete physical evaluation, this is all speculation. So stretching and use of a foam roller would be encouraged. Try performbetter.com for a good foam roller. Also, hip and ankle stability play an important roll, as well. Internal rotation of your femur will slide the Trochanter back and forth under the ITB as you exercise. So hip strength, specifically ER rotators (glute medius, minimus, etc), is very important. Other contributing factors could be pronation of your feet, or pelvic instability. Who to see? There could be many qualified experts. I wouldn't say to only see a MD, DO, or PT. I would recommend doing a search for a local expert with good feedback from prior clients to do an eval. Likely this is an issue of biomechanics, muscle balance, and flexibility. So looking for a DO or PT might be the first place to look, but there are some good MDs and ever personal trainers that can address these things. Or if you have the resources, look nationally for an expert in the field.

Best of luck,

RC

[Zen]

I bought my foam rollers from my Phys.therapist but mainly use them for my quads, hams, and back.
You probably don't need that much pt for the tight hip flexors, just enough for them to show you the right way to do those stretches. Three appointments should be more than adequate.