IT Band Syndrome Causing Knee Pain

[OakLeaf]

Getting those trigger points out hurts like heck... which is more motivation to AVOID them in the future. Strengthen your hip stabilizers, make sure your shoes and your bike fit properly, work on your form.

ITBS isn't common among "athletes," it's common among casual athletes who work only in the sagittal plane - runners and cyclists. Our chosen sports don't give any attention to the muscles that work in the other two planes, so we have to strengthen them purposely.

[Librarygirl]

Oakleaf,

What is the sagittal plane? And what are the other two planes? (If it is explainable without too much complicated stuff!)

I'm interested in this thread as my knees have been increasingly sore lately - in fact it's been coming on since I started cycling as my main exercise last year. Particularly my left knee

I have played around with my saddle height, hoping it might help, but hasn't made much difference. How could I tell if it was ITB problems causing the knee pain? Do you get pain elsewhere?

[OakLeaf]

http://playthink.wordpress.com/2010/...-human-motion/

You don't need to over-think it.

Whether or not you're currently having IT band issues, poor balance, are prone to falls, have sprained a knee in the past, etc., etc., the only thing you need to know is that anyone who lets their stabilizer muscles atrophy is going to pay for it sooner or later, one way or the other.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...=stabilization


ETA: As far as knee pain on the bike, it could be a whole lot of things - seat height and IT band issues being a couple of the major ones. Cleat alignment is way up in the list of likely causes, too - have you checked that?

[itself]

Oakleaf,

Thanks for your very insightful information. My seat height was too high, I just had my bike fitted today.

But, I do have many weak areas that I am working hard to strengthen. I am back on the bike, did 22 miles last night, but got the bite in the knee feeling, but no pain. Still some ways to go.

[indysteel]

My IT band issues were caused by my triple crank. The crank's Q factor was too wide for me. I finally switched to a compact and have had no further problems.

[marni]

[QUOTE=Librarygirl;509909]Oakleaf,

What is the sagittal plane? And what are the other two planes? (If it is explainable without too much complicated stuff!)

sagital plane- if you are standing beside a wall with your right shoulder touching, the wall equals you sagital plane. If I cut your arm off at the shoulder joint from front to back- I have cut itoff in a sagital plane.

If I cut you apart into front and back by going through both ears, I have cut you in the transverse plane which is parallel the wall in front of you if you stand in the middle of the room.

If I cut you apart at the waist with a cut that is parallel to the ceiling or the floor I have cut you in the medial or median plane.

I think? And I am sorry that I sound like Hannible Lecter., I had it explained to me by my father when I was a child as he cut up a a beef carcass for our winter meat many years ago.

marni

[bluebug32]

I'm currently using acupuncture to treat my IT band pain. Very successful so far!

[itself]

Just an update. I have been doing my stabilizing exercises over two months, and rolling on my quadballer every day. But as Oakleaf mentined, bike fit. Moving my recumbent seat closer to the pedals made a huge difference. Also putting the seat up at a higher angle has helped. And its amazing, not major adjustments, tweeking that has helped.

Gals, the rolling is not fun, it is painful. But if you are consistent and do it every day on your foam roller or quadballer, it helps tremendously.

Hope this helps!

[lattae]

Have you tried the Grid foam roller by TPtherapy? I have it and use it but not as much as I should. I saw a clip from the TDF Radio Shack team and they apparently use it for the riders on the team. The grid is about $39 from their website. It is about the best foam roller that I've used.