Stretching IT band?
2
Member
1275 days
Kamalapati posted 3 years ago.
Well, the IT Band is conective tissue and doesn't really "stretch" (relax and lengthen) the way a muscle does. What you need is an experienced NeuroMuscular Therapist or a Physical Therapist that does a lot of manual therapy. Let them asses your condition and then come up with a treatment plan. If it is IT Band Syndrome, merely trying to stretch the it band will just add additional stress and irritation to the distal end of the IT Band, resulting in more inflammation and addheisions. There are times when self treatment works great and times when it doesn't. This may be one of those times where it doesn't. I've treated a lot of athlete's with this condition, those who got in early and did the treatment plan did very well. Those who waited or tried to use their own approach struggled with this for quite a while.
1
Member
1174 days
Miater posted 3 years ago.
I've done a stretch where I mimic the position you'd be in sitting on a chair, with one leg crossed over the other, where one ankle would be resting just above the other knee.
obviously you need something to hold on to, but you just try to push the knee of the leg that is crossed over toward the ground.
I had to use the porto-let at mile 20 of the disney marathon one year, and when I stood up I had shooting pains up the outside of my right leg I thought I was done
I did a few of these stretches and all was well.
just my experience i'm no doctor.
180
Member
1235 days
trigirl97 posted 3 years ago.
I've found the best thing in the world to elivate IT band and general muscular tightness. My massage therapist suggested it during a session, commenting on how incredibly tight my quads were.
Basically, she said what happened is the lactic acid has developed over the years and instead of having 4 separate muscles in my quad they were knotted together. When this happens, it's usually the large outside muscle that causes problems.
My therapist suggested body rolling and basically what you do is roll out your muscles. You use a smaller version of a body ball. They come in various sizes and mine is a little smaller than a soccer ball. I bought the book on amazon.com for $3.
The exercises mimic a massage in that you start at the connection/insertion point of the muscle and 'roll' it out. It is amazing! The woman who developed it is a yoga master and after 2 sessions, I can already tell a difference. (http://www.yamunabodyrolling.com/)
I started developing IT band issues last fall when training for my first half-IM. The key is to work out your tight leg muscles to help keep them and your tendons loose.
Good luck!
p.s. No, I'm not paid to endorse body rolling. I have just found it incredibly helpful, which I need given I'm training for my first marathon! ;)
"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." ~T.S. Eliot
trigirl97.blogspot.com
47
Member
1423 days
armyjive posted 3 years ago.
Hey Ryan, i know this is not related to the post, but I noticed that your from santa Rosa, and in the same age group as me. Just thought I'd say hello from a fellow 24 year old in my first year of tri's. Doing my 5th this year at the San Jose Internation Olympic distance race. You gonna be there? Anyway, just thought I'd say hey. You can catch my on triathlonlife blogs at:
armyjive.triathlonlife.com
~Chris
~Go hard or go home - Chris Loranger
830
Member
1403 days
catwood posted 3 years ago.
I roll out my it bands with a rolling pin or a foam roller...
314
Member
1305 days
ryan16 posted 3 years ago.
Thanks everyone for your help. I think I am going to get a roller. I am also going to take it easy my insurance kicks in on the 1st. so ill go see a doc. then. Thanks!
PAIN IS TEMPORARY, PRIDE IS FOREVER!
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't you are right!
What are the best ways to stretch you IT band? I think I might be getting IT band syndrome so it's time to start stretching some more.
PAIN IS TEMPORARY, PRIDE IS FOREVER!
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't you are right!