IT Band Injury?

[spaddock]

So on my last hike up Haystack, Saddleback, and Basin on Saturday I felt a twinge in my right leg about halfway through the hike. It has stayed with me since.

Today I went to a physiotherapist and she told i had an inflamed IT Band. She said I need to apply heat and stretch a couple times a day. Apparently just hitting the sleeping bag after a long hike is not a good idea before doing some post hike stretches. I guess I learn the hard way.

My question is has anybody ever had this before, and if so how long did it take for the inflammation to go down? I'm kinda bummed since I'm starting vacation this weekend and was planning on exploring Maine and NH hiking trails.


Kindest regards,
Shayne

 

[David Metsky]

Yup, I had ITB tendonitis for several years. It hurts for a few days if you've done a number on it. Stretch! Stretch! Stretch! That's what worked for me. Did the doctor give you details on the right stretches to do?

When it was bad I would stop and stretch during a hike, as well as before and after. Don't push beyond the pain, it can really mess you up for several days.

-dave-

 

[Clown]

Wow, you both must hike an awful lot. ITB is most common in distance runners I thought.

Well, don't quote me on this, but ITB I think is a recurring event, and can get worse as time goes on. Stretching denifitely helps always, but you will want to try and strengthen your muscles in the afflicted area. Your doctor can probably show you some good excersises to do.

 

[spaddock]

Did the doctor give you details on the right stretches to do? it can really mess you up for several days.

She gave me 3 basic stretches.

1) lying on your side and doing leg lifts
2) standing, crossing the legs and bend to the other side
3) stretch my leg while standing and laying the sore leg on a table.

So this is fairly short term? Several days? This is re-assuring. I was hoping it wasn't going to be "Months".


-Shayne

 

[poison ivy]

Spaddock, you may want to send a pm to Frosty -- he's an occaisonal poster but I'm not sure if he keeps up will all of the posts. An IT band injury forced him to postpone his AT thru-hike earlier this year. He is doing training hikes now and is planning to thru-hike next year instead.

- Ivy

 

[una_dogger]

She gave me 3 basic stretches.

1) lying on your side and doing leg lifts
2) standing, crossing the legs and bend to the other side
3) stretch my leg while standing and laying the sore leg on a table.

So this is fairly short term? Several days? This is re-assuring. I was hoping it wasn't going to be "Months".


-Shayne

Do these for life! I had very bad ITB in both legs from years of overuse and it was to the point that there was so much scar tissue running down both bands that my kneecaps were misaligned. I had PT for 12 weeks, deep tissue massage to break up all the scar tissue three times a week, and I'll be doing those stretches you've outlined for life to keep ahead of the curve.

Know it hurts, feelin' for ya here!

 

[BrentD22]

Similar Injury...

Back when I hiked daily with the trail crew I suffered an odd injury. It was a combo injury. Patella Tendiant (i suck at spelling) pulled to much on the attachment point on the tibia. The tibia started to rip upward. It heel'd over and left a large boney lump just below my knee. It still hurts. My doctor said it was from not stretching and overuse.

 

[bigmoose]

Took me nearly a month of physical therapy sessions and a regimen of stretching exercises. Finally, I could actually feel that band loosening. But I'd lost most of the fall of '00 for hiking.
It's probably a longer process with age -- I was 53 then.

 

[TCD]

In addition to stretching the muscles that pull on the ITB (vastus lateralis, the big "outside" quad muscle) you might also want to strengthen the antagonist vastus medialis (the less used quad muscle on the medial side, or inside of the thigh). It would be ideal to get referred to a PT, who can help with an exercise prescription. You can strengthen the VM with reverse leg lifts, where you lay on your side and lift the lower leg up. I do this exercise every day, even though I don't have any serious issues there, as a preventative measure, due to overuse of the VL in skiing, bikiing and hiking.

Disclaimer: not a Doctor or a PT, see your doctor before following any advice here.

 

[Shewolf]

Good advice

spaddock,
Getting some really good advice here. Your recovery will depend on your dedication to your exercises and stretching along with your own body's recovery time. I find my ITB flairs up when I'm doing a lot of running with quite a bit of hill work. I've had one flairup after a long hike, but it was probably due to the fact that I was lax with my stretching. Sometimes recovery for me takes only a few days and sometimes a couple weeks. All depends on how much I've pushed my luck! Also are you taking any kind of anti-inflammatory meds like Ibuprofen to help with the inflammation?

 

[TEO]

I too suffer from ITB syndrome, though I haven't had any flareups in a while. Two years ago, when I was 26, it started when I was working on the ADK 46 almost every weekend. Spaddock, I strongly urge you to see a physical therapist, try to get one that deals primarily in sports related injuries. The PT will give you the right stretches and excerices and may use other treatments as well. In my case, I had ultrasound treatment. The stretches and excercises probably vary from patient to patient due to differences in muscle imbalances.

I was suffering from excruciating pain and it took a couple months to recover, I am sorry to say. I don't stretch daily anymore, but I do stretch before, during and after my hikes.

 

[LittleBear]

ITB syndrome can become chronic if not addressed quickly. I had it several years ago and the pain was excruciating on every step down. Took me 2 hours to cover one mile of rocky trail the first day I experienced this problem. I'm surprised that your physiotherapist suggested heat. I iced several times a day, stretched, and (this was the hard part) I stopped hiking for 4 weeks. It (not hiking) wasn't easy, but turned out to be the best thing I did. I haven't had any recurrence since. Don't ignore it, if it becomes chronic, it will take MUCH LONGER to resolve if at all.

 

[spaddock]

I'm surprised that your physiotherapist suggested heat. I iced several times a day

My PT recommended heat 15 minutes prior to my stretches. She said I should ice it after activity.

That being said I did feel she was a little "green". I wanted to get in somewhere quickly as I'm going away tomorrow. I may go back to my regular PT, however this one did seem to diagnose it bang on.


-Shayne

 

[Periwinkle]

Hhhmm....this weekend???

If you do give it go, keep in mind that it's the downhill that's gonna hurt before you get too ambitious. And don't forget the poles!

I have similar problems (can't remember exactly what it's called) -- pain in the outside of the knees on descent. But, I also have foot issues make the problem worse. When I was really pushing it last fall, I would hike 2-3 days after a painful descent. (Admittedly not a really great idea.) It was a guarantee that it was gonna hurt on the way out. I wore a knee brace to keep my knee in line and relieve some of the stress. Didn't help a whole lot, but I still wear it now and again, more to remind me to watch how I'm positioning myself and NOT to favor one leg (my problems are now bilateral). More importantly, as many have mentioned: STRETCH!

 

[Suebiscuit]

Hey Spaddock -

Sorry to hear of your woes. Yes, heat before stretching helps relax the tendon and muscles. Be careful of 'overstretching' - muscles have stretch receptors that respond to the muscle being over-lengthened, causing it to contract and spasm.

The IT band is an extension of the gluteus maximus muscle and the tensor fascia latea - a small muscle on the side/front of the hip, so stretching the hip will help.

I would recommend seeing a massage therapist who can help lengthen the IT band and break up any scar tissue that may have formed anbd show you which muscles are involved, and how to stretch them...

Good luck!

Sue

 

[chomp]

So this is fairly short term? Several days? This is re-assuring. I was hoping it wasn't going to be "Months".
-Shayne

It can be longer than months, it can be years/forever. I am a runner and I am constantly battling a tight ITB. I have had problems in the past, and now I stick to my stretches and things seem OK, but you really do need to keep at it. In the past, I had slacked on my stretches and pain returned in a matter of days.

The good news is, its very common and very treatable. Just be very careful not to overdo it while you are recovering - it will just knock you back on your recovery timetable.

 

[^MtnMike^]

I had a problem with ITBS last year. I was stubborn and insisted on hiking on it and it just got worse. Felt like I was being stabbed in the knee everytime I stepped up or down.

As soon as I backed off the hiking for a bit and did the stretches I was fine (about 3 or 4 weeks, but my case wasn't too severe). At the beginning of this year I got lazy about streching regularly and the pain came right back.
It is definitely something I've had to keep on top of.

Just my 2 cents.
^MtnMike^

 

[spaddock]

With all the little nagging injuries I've had lately I'm thinking I should just buy an ultrasound machine. Seems like you just rub it over the affected area anyways.....

Here we go: http://www.promedproducts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PP&Category_Code=EU


-Shayne

 

[Snowshooz]

Itbs= Ouch!

Hi Spaddock,
So sorry to hear of your ITBS...I can relate!

I've had it off and on for a year or so now...
Heres a couple of things I've done that have helped me so far...

#1 Stretch before the hike

#2 Wear something called a Patt Strap above my knee on the affected side..put it on before you start hiking up...it keeps the IT Band from sliding as you are climbing and becoming more irritated..it helps!

Heres the Link for it....http://www.itbs.info/html/patt-strap.html

#3 When hiking up I try to place my good non affected leg first when climbing up..taking the stress off the ITBS leg...
I have noticed on hikes when I've done this, there is considerable less pain on the way down...

#4 Advil

Good Luck and Keep Hiking!

Snowshooz

 

[Periwinkle]

#3 When hiking up I try to place my good non affected leg first when climbing up..taking the stress off the ITBS leg...I have noticed on hikes when I've done this, there is considerable less pain on the way down...

Just don't try this on the downhills....that's how I ended up with the problem in both knees!