Marathon Training and IT Band Syndrome

[onetruebob]

I've been training for the Disney World Marathon in Jan, and just ran my first half at the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. For the most part training has gone great until recently when I seem to be dealing with my first case of what the doc thinks is IT Band Syndrome. It's been a bit of a roller coaster for me, going away and then popping back up after a long run or a couple of runs.

I've been to the ortho who said it was OK to keep training and just treating the pain. (Ice and iburophen) The x-rays show everything is OK structurally. I'm also working with a physical therapist. The pain isn't bad, just annoying.

Has anyone had then and worked through it? I sure good use some good news about the light at the end of the tunnel. Any advice?

Thanks!

-- Bob

 

[joan4mickey]

I went to a sports med doc. for this and he sent me to PT. Actually I had NO running for 8 weeks then gradual increase...starting with 1 mile a couple times a week and then add half a mile each week. Also ice massage after running and Aleve. I still do my PT exercises 2x a week and now only run three days a week.
It is something most have to be very patience with. Hope it gets better soon!

 

[bunnyfoo]

I had a bit of ITB pain early on in September. I went to a PT who did some manual treatments on it. He suggested that I use a foam roller to keep things from getting too tight. But really the only thing that worked for me was to take a week or so rest from running. I did use a knee brace for a while and that helped with some of the pain but it's really just a bandaid solution unfortunately.

 

[jmasgat]

Ah yes, ITB syndrome. I am a veteran. The first bout was while I was training for the Disney half. Went to the doctor, had PT, exercises,s tretching, foam rollering, gait analysis, shoe changes.....you name it. It cropped up again during training for the Disney marathon this year--but not so bad.

This year, I decided to incorporate yoga into my XT routine. I am convinced it is the reason I was able to undertake a more rigorous marathon training plan and run my latest marathon (this past Sunday) without injury. I am a convert. The combination of stretching and strengthening that occurs in yoga is great.

Work on strengthening and stretching the hips, abductor muscles. And I also do the foam roller after I run, along with a yoga sequence to help with ITB. Found it on Runner's World. Here is a link.....

http://www.runnersworld.com/video/1,8052,s6-1-0-5,00.html?bcpid=2888993001&bclid=1504353751&bctid=68928548001

They also have videos on other yoga routines, foam rolling and a whole yoga section. It's worth checking out.

Maura

 

[BriarRabbit]

I had IT band issues on most of my long runs and races of 13.1 miles or more including 6 marathons. I saw an article in 2005 in Runner's World magazine about Pose running. I started to change my running form and follow the principles being taught. A coaching clinic helped quite a bit and it doesn't happen overnight. Since adopting Pose, I have NEVER had another IT band problem. I just completed my 60th marathon two weeks ago. Check it out if you wish at http://www.posetech.com/
I'm no sales person but I read your post and was reminded of how frustrated I was with ITB problems. I hope that your training goes well whatever you choose.

 

[FFigawi]

I agree 100% with Maura's suggestion about yoga. Not only will it help you stretch and strengthen your IT band, it also does wonders for hip flexors, tight calves and hamstrings, and your core as well.

One other thing to try would be to work on making sure you are landing on your mid-foot when you run and not on your heel. Changing my form like that helped me get past my IT band problems several years ago.

 

[fashionista311]

depending on the the severity of the injury, it might be ok to work through it by self managing and icing...but it is never ok to take a painkiller for an injury and then run on the injury. pain is your body's way of saying something is wrong. if if your body is giving off a warning sign that is too "loud" for you to work through, take a few days off until you're good to go. you have plenty of time until jan to get to the starting line..and you want to get there healthy

http://www.theptproject.com/current-news/a-whole-lot-of-pill-popping-goin’-on/

 

[RodBelding]

I've run with ITB syndrome on and off for about 7 years now... I've found that using a sleeve or light brace on my knee works great for me. My doctor suggested a few stretches, but mainly told me I could continue running as long as the pain was bearable as it wasn't doing any further damage...

 

[verticalchaos]

I've been training for the Disney World Marathon in Jan, and just ran my first half at the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. For the most part training has gone great until recently when I seem to be dealing with my first case of what the doc thinks is IT Band Syndrome. It's been a bit of a roller coaster for me, going away and then popping back up after a long run or a couple of runs.

I've been to the ortho who said it was OK to keep training and just treating the pain. (Ice and iburophen) The x-rays show everything is OK structurally. I'm also working with a physical therapist. The pain isn't bad, just annoying.

Has anyone had then and worked through it? I sure good use some good news about the light at the end of the tunnel. Any advice?

Thanks!

-- Bob

Be VERY careful with ANY pain killer other than acetamenaphin (Tylenol) when you're running - especially distance running. See this link for more information. Additionally using NSAIDs can increase the risk of hypotranemia.

 

[onetruebob]

Thanks everyone for this overwhelming response! It is good to hear from some folks that have worked through it and I'm optimistic. My last few runs have actually gone pretty well, but I am still keeping aware and icing as well as taking ibuprofen AFTER the run. I'm supposed to do 14 miles on Saturday, so we'll see how that goes. *crossing fingers*

The more I study about IT Band Syndrome, the more I see that people disagree about how to properly treat it. There are camps that say regular stretching and strengthening the muscles in the upper leg does the trick and others that say the IT band can't really be stretched in a meaningful way. And oh boy are there lots of people selling all kinds of remedies.

I'm still keeping up with the physical therapy which includes all these stretches and a leg blasting workout every visit. I did pony up for the info on SaveYourself.ca. It seems to be the best researched and practical of what I've found so far. The upshot being that ice and rest are statistically the best treatment options and that in extreme situations there are a few kinds of surgeries that appear to be very effective. (Fortunately, I'm not anywhere near the point of needing surgery. *cross fingers*)

I am curious to try the foam rollers in addition to the stretches and workouts I'm doing. Even if it doesn't help the ITBS directly, the myofascial release seems to have additional benefits.

I haven't tried the knee brace item yet. But I'll certainly give that a go if the pain continues. It's cheap and worth a shot.

The yoga appeals to me too. But I have to wonder if that will have much of an impact for me this late in the training or if it might be a good idea to start it during the off season after the marathon and continue it while training in the future. I'm also a little concerned about the additional time commitment of yoga. Anyone have thoughts on this?

I appreciate the advice about the mid-foot landing. It's something I've always tried to be cognizant of. I might look more into the Pose technique stuff, but it too, seems to be quite pricey.

I guess one other potential complicating factor for me is that I have scoliosis with a fairly significant S curve that deviates under my right shoulder and then swings back left in my lower back. For the most part it's never bothered me or kept me from doing anything I wanted other than joining the military. But given that, I have to wonder how effectively body positioning techniques are going to be for me when I already have structural issues with bilateral symmetry.

So, wow, thanks again for adding your comments! It's good to know that there are others working through some of the same issues and more excitingly that some of you have successfully dealt with it. If you have more, useful info, please do keep it coming.

-- Bob

 

[FFigawi]

The yoga appeals to me too. But I have to wonder if that will have much of an impact for me this late in the training or if it might be a good idea to start it during the off season after the marathon and continue it while training in the future. I'm also a little concerned about the additional time commitment of yoga. Anyone have thoughts on this?

There's never a bad time to start yoga, and it's certainly never too late. You'll see benefits from it almost immediately in terms of your flexibility and lack of tightness. It does take time to practice yoga, but I think it's worth it.

 

[jmasgat]

Bob I have also read that all the exercises, strengthening, stretching that you do is not for the ITB directly, but rather the surrounding "structre"--hips, especially. As for yoga taking up too much time--you could start by doing just a sequence targeted for hips/ITband. The one on Runner's World takes about 5 minutes.

Hope you find what works for you, and your 14 miler goes well.

Maura

 

[onetruebob]

You guys have me convinced to give the yoga a try. My gym offers a class on Tuesday nights. I figure it's worth a shot.

Thanks again for all the support!

-- Bob

 

[StitchAquarius]

I am also having IT Band issues and will take this advice and do yoga. I've never been a regular with yoga, but I have done it in the past. The problem knee is the same knee that I wear a sleeve for a floating knee cap too, so I'd like to get rid of at least one of the problems.

 

[FFigawi]

I am also having IT Band issues and will take this advice and do yoga. I've never been a regular with yoga, but I have done it in the past. The problem knee is the same knee that I wear a sleeve for a floating knee cap too, so I'd like to get rid of at least one of the problems.

Yoga can certainly help the ITB issues. In addition to whatever poses get done in your yoga class, you should also check out the poses mentioned above at the Runner's World web site. They specifically target ITB problems.