Why does my ITB muscle hurt?
- 89johnp
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Well first lets go into the ITB muscle itself. It is called the Iliotibial Band. It is a thick band of connective tissue supporting the lateral leg. It would barely even be regarded as an actually muscle to me. The issue with this is because its so thick and dense. Rolling in with a foam roller or having a muscle therapist work their magic on it usually just hurts and does almost nothing to get results, Trust me I've been doing this a long time.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome: So this is a condition when the band becomes so tight it is constantly pulling on the knee leading to intense knee pain. I happens during sports like running very often. If untreated it can lead to conditions like chondromalacia or bursitis of the patella. So its important to get this addressed.
Luckily its actually really easy to resolve. It just takes a bit of time. You need to strengthen just 2 muscles 99% of the time. The medial quad muscle (VMO) and the glute med muscle. The fascia line comes directly across from the glute med and down the ITB line. I have found in massage, if I treat these 2 muscles and don't even touch the ITB it will release and be feeling completely different. The weakness in these muscles is most likely why the ITB muscle hurts.
For exercises, doing split squats is the single greatest exercise for runners to resolve this issue and most running issues. It is such a hugely amazing exercise for runners It would to me take up the first 5 places in the rank of most important exercises for running. IT IS THAT EFFECTIVE!!!
another exercise is anything for glute med, so lateral band walks, lateral leg raises, clams ( I know everyone hates them but they work!) There is tons of exercises on Youtube about strengthening the lateral leg raises.
But! 1 other thing. Because the lateral femoral nerve is the nerve that affects the ITB, I always make sure to go through it and take out any tissue adhesions along it because if there is any there. that ITB is tight a a rock.
Here is a video below of me doing exactly that
Well I hope this help. Do the exercises it will be resolved within a few weeks and I'm happy to take a look and help in the process too.
Lastly remember, if you’re in areas like Tuggeranong, Woden valley or Queanbeyan region. You don’t have to worry about paying the extra travel fee that North Canberra has to pay. I Just thought to mention it as an added perk of being local.
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Enough from me,
Bye bye
John Power
Soft Tissue Massage therapist
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