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Tips for recovery from IT band injury

GrantT

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Oct 2, 2012
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Anyone have some tips for recovery from an IT band injury?

I did two 200-km rides three weekends back and developed massive pain in the left knee for the last 30 km. I stupidly rode home through gritted teeth rather than take the train. After that I couldn't climb stairs on the left leg for a week. Nakagawa-sensei (this one) diagnosed it as a damaged IT band and recommended stretching and rest.

Doing daily stretching according to Nakagawa's instructions and some other stretches found online, using a foam roller up the side of the affected leg, and resting (mostly) it's now too painful to ride at all normally. Even riding without pushing on the affected leg aggravates the IT band fairly quickly.

Does anyone have some good stretches they know, an idea of how long it will take to stop hurting, or any other ideas? Really miss riding..
 
You need to release your piriformis. Look up SMR tennis ball realease. You also need to work your quads and hams. It's all a chain. Stretching won't do anything but make it worse. Also, a complex would help. I have a cheap watahan version. It uses electric pulses to release muscles. Also tiger balm or icy hot.
 
I should have included this but the pain occurs when bending the leg, seemingly when the IT band rubs against the knee/bone/bursa. Pain is localised at the top of the shin bone.
 
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recommended stretching and rest.

i would do more of the latter and then slowly do more of the former, stretching an injured part won't cure the injury, it's a preventative step IMHNMO. Go back and see him.
 
Also consider getting fit. Chances are your seat is too high and it is pulling your ITB over your bone causing friction. Don't go too crazy with the roller either. You have the most common injury in cycling. Take care. If you schedule a fit with me I will teach you how to fix your problem and fit you so it doesn't happen. Again.
 
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Note the page is marked. That's how often I see this.
 
I had that. Went from spd cleats to speed play. Had a kind of fitting and ended up lowering my seat. All gone.
 
SEE A QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER THAT SPECIALIZES IN SPORTS INJURY!

Also, a complex would help. I have a cheap watahan version. It uses electric pulses to release muscles.

I would be careful of the cheap ones - Compex make the Electro Muscle Stimulator for the medical industry so the MSR release modes use the bandwidth and pulse ranges specific for this type of rehabilitation. Also I would talk to a specialist before using any EMS and ask them directly what MHz ranges they recommend for the injury in question and also where to place the electrodes correctly then use appropriately - self medication with EMS is very dangerous and can result in further injury.
 
Thanks for the replies. I had a problem with the right IT band as well a while back and fixed it by lowering the saddle, moving the cleats out and angling the shoes out a little. Seems like that might not be enough on it's own though so I'll organise a fitting with Chuck when this resolves itself. Until then I'll be doing lengths in the pool.
 
Until then I'll be doing lengths in the pool.

I would stay away from anything until you get a diagnosis.

Yair knows a good specialist hospital in Tokyo.
 
If it is a tight IT band then stretching it will help. It's not just a preventative method. Tightening of the IT band is a very common problem with runners too. I had a very painful case this time last year and resolved it with a combination of knee strengthening exercises, rolling my legs religiously and doing one certain stretch that I feel really helped. I'll try and find the video on YouTube that I used. It took me around 2 weeks to get the problem under control and since then I've never had any ITB problems.
 
Here is the video of those knee stretches. The excercise I found really helpful is around the 5:30 mark, but all the exercises are pretty useful for strengthening the knees.

 
Here is the video

That helps. It''s the same kind of stretch the doctor mentioned but I didn't memorise properly. The way this guy does it hurts much, much more :)

I don't have to bend the legs enough to cause rubbing when doing front crawl and backstroke so I think swimming is a good alternate exercise.

@Yair, could you let me know the name of the specialist hospital in Tokyo mentioned by FarEast above?
 
I don't have to bend the legs enough to cause rubbing when doing front crawl and backstroke so I think swimming is a good alternate exercise.?

So you already made the mistake of riding the last 30km home when it started to hurt, now you think hitting the pool for alternative exercises is a good idea?

Again really good tips here for rehabilitation and recovery once you have been diagnosed correctly and good to bring up with a specialist that is QUALIFIED to assess if these kind of things will aid you in your recovery but that's all I would do with them. Take the ideas and information to a specialist then do EXACTLY what the doctor tells you to do!

We have some very informed members here that are excellent in what they do, however from what I know we have no doctors here that are able to diagnose and give treatment based on a few lines from a internet forum.

So here are my tips:

  • Go to a sports specialist
  • Get an X-ray and MRI
  • Do exactly what they tell you to do for rehabilitation
  • Ask THEM many questions and give them as much information about the level of exercise and sport you do so they can give you an informed plan for rehab and future injury prevention.
  • Seek out a sports therapist that can assist you in rehabilitation
 
@GrantT I know of the following:

• Hachioji Sports Orthopedics (Hachioji) - http://sports-medical.net
They are one of the first Sports Orthopedics hospitals established in Japan = experience

• Haruyama Hospital (Shinjuku) - http://www.haruyama-hosp.com
I had pelvic surgery there after a bicycle accident 3 years ago; their Orthopedics doctors are very professional

Hope this helps,

Yair
 
Thanks for the info and advice. The Hachioji Sports Clinic looks the business to me. Earliest appointment is 4th of Feb though so looks like I'll be doing very little until then other than suffering mild depression.
 
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