No reason to not do both. They will definately have different effects on your body and the combination would likely help you towards a more complete recovery than either alone.

stretching is crucial, definitely keep doing that!

Thanks BrukB. My pain most time seems to be with impact. My PT found that I needed to work on strengthening my ADDuctors but other than that, I had no muscle imbalance problems, no gait problems, I got fit for the right shoes, etc. Just need more flexibility in my hips and hamstrings. However there was very little progression as far as running goes. I'd come in, walk/jog on the TM for about 10 min. Then do the stretches for about 15 mins, and finish with a run 3x5 min/walk 2 min sequence. After a few weeks of this building up to a whopping 3 miles with no pain, I was released and told to keep working on those stretches and gradually work up the mileage. But since you are a PT let me ask you a question. The PT also said that since we are trying to get more flexibility in the hips, I should avoid hip ABduction exercises, but could this not lead to later having imbalances in the hips? This a.m. I was able to go 1:15 on the elliptical with no problems and feel really good right now, but it is still frustrating. Thanks for your input.

I developed ITB after imprudently resuming training after Disney.
What helped me was alot of stretching, foam roller 3 x per day.

The elliptical provides a two-fold benefit to running:
A.) It maintains leg strength and muscle memory
B.) It maintains cardio-intensity, so that you know your heart rate is nearly at a running rate

The pool provides both neuro-muscular memory, as well as compression for both the sore muscle groups you may or may not be aware of.

I second Tri-Guy , wherein you should balance your time between both.

wow, if you're using the word "excruciating," you should really consider an alternate exercise, like the pool. I hope you're healing up well and progressively...makes my IT issue pretty humble.

in addition to stretching, these are exercises I did for lower leg stability/strength: mini squats; heel raises; lying on your back, lock the knee and do 2" leg raises, releasing the locked knee on touching the floor...standing on a telephone book bend the knee lowering the other heel until touching the floor (don't drop the hip to do it).
[do these all slow and smooth, start with 15 reps and work up to 50 (all smooth and slow)...these are supposed to get your micro movements stronger before going to the larger power movements...add reps before adding intensity as each movement becomes fluid]
don't do anything that's excruciating!!

sorry, no help on the weightless treadmill...someone post a picture/link when you find it

I hear you Rob. I've already started with all the negative thoughts and have told myself that if worse comes to worse, I can always work towards a decent swim and bike and just walk if I have to. I figure I'll be suffering by then anyways.

Here are some of my thoughts about dealing with Iliotibial band syndrome in runners. I see an inordinate number of runners because it is a specialty of mine. My thoughts on appropriate treatment often differ from the average PT or MD;

1) You should have a video gait analysis done (barefoot and with shoes on, walking and jogging) to see exactly what is happening throughout the lower kinetic chain. Without the ability to watch someone running in slowmotion and in freeze-frame mode, there is absolutely no way to see the mechanical flaws that may be causing excessive stress to the ITB. Trying to "eyeball" a running pattern is grossly inaccurate. This analysis should be done by someone who truly knows about correct running mechanics, and I hate to say this, but nearly all physical therapists have no idea what it should be. They are trained to note irregularities in walking gait, but not necessarily that of running, which is entirely different. If you have a video (or can make one) of you jogging on a treadmill with views from back, front and side, I can tell you whether or not you have true biomechanical issues.

2)Flexibility in runners is overemphasized. Running (other than sprinting) occurs in a relatively small range of motion that does not require even normal flexibility. Now, flexibility on the bike is an entirely different issue. With running, it is more important to have good muscular health and function. If a particular muscle or muscle group is sore, weak, or tight, then very specific stretching exercise are appropriate to reduce muscular tension, not necessarily to increase flexibility. I don't buy the idea that you simply need to increase the flexibility in your hips and hamstrings, or that strengthening your ADDuctors will resolve your issue .

3) I love water running, it rocks as a form of rehab or cross training. However, because it is nonweightbearing it DOES NOT evoke the same neuromuscular recruitment patterns as weightbearing exercises (ellipse, incline treadmill walking, jog/walk intervals, etc.), or training intensity. Your heart rate will be less than normal training zone for running, not because water increases movement resistance (which would actually increase your heart rate) but rather due to two things; the water rapidly dissipates body heat which decreases circulatory demand, and also because without requiring your muscles to deal with the gravitational forces of weightbearing there is significantly less metabolic demand. Cross training and rehab should not increase your symptoms, but should approximate actual running as much as your body will tolerate. Rob and Johnie, the specificity principal is king, and, given the amount of time between now and your main events, there should be no reason why either of you should have to walk your race (other than possibly intermittent walk intervals). Rob, unless you have a significant deficit in the structural integrity of ITB and related structures, you should have been running again long before eight months.

The question of "why" still remains. What mechanical issues originally caused your symptoms? Differentiate between biomechanical issues that are the result of your symptoms, the cause of your symptoms, or influence your symptoms. If someone is not running for eight months, then the cause of injury has not been addressed.

There are interesting psychological aspects of injury. Some athletes have chronic symptoms because they have issues that prevent them from maintaining a positive attitude toward training or competition. An injury lets them off the hook.
If that's not what you are dealing with, then you don't get let off the hook. You stick with your training program. All of your run workouts are still maintained within the parameters of comfort, meaning jog (walk/jog intervals) as much as possible without exacerbation, then cross train adhering to the specificity principal to fulfill your remaining training volume and intensity.

Cheers,

Bruk Ballenger, PT, CSCS
USAT Level I Coach
realrehab.com

Thanks again Bruk. Very insightful. I know, almost 100% sure, that I injured mine in January. We got a warm day here one Saturday, and I went out for a 50+ bike ride. Very hilly and I went too hard. I had just put on new Look pedals and new shoes and up til then my longest winter ride was indoors on the trainer for about 35 miles. I simply went too hard too early. I first had the pain following that bike with a short 2 mile run. My running hasn't been the same since. I have since gone back to my old SPD pedals and shoes and feel good on the bike but the running still sucks. I'm gonna try to see if I can get a video of my running and get it sent to you. I guess we can try it on here if I can get it to work. Thanks for your help.
Johnie