OT: Question for Runners

Charybdis

All-Conference
Apr 17, 2014
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i am struggling mightily with, what I think, are it band issues when running. After about a mile or so, the outside of my knee begins to hurt. It’s like clockwork every time. I have done the following, but no improvement:

1.) Rest
2.) Ice
3.) Stretching/roller
4.) Hip strengthening exercises such as “clam shells”

I know I could bike or machine, but I miss running. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.
 

nextoffensivecoord

All-American
Jan 22, 2008
4,790
5,615
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i am struggling mightily with, what I think, are it band issues when running. After about a mile or so, the outside of my knee begins to hurt. It’s like clockwork every time. I have done the following, but no improvement:

1.) Rest
2.) Ice
3.) Stretching/roller
4.) Hip strengthening exercises such as “clam shells”

I know I could bike or machine, but I miss running. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.
Not to hijack, but do you get any pain on the outside of your hip, or just knee? IT band goes all the way up. I am having lots of pain on the outside (not joint) and wondering if others get that too.
 

Basteph

Redshirt
Jan 2, 2014
10
17
3
I had a similar problem, but once I started throwing in some lower back exercises as well as continue to roll and stretch the pain went away. I have always done some core work, but never focused on the lower back until I had the IT band issue. FWIW
 

Paws14

Heisman
Aug 13, 2012
71,640
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Do you have any giration in your form? I had similar pain a few years ago because I was rolling from out to in when striking. Got it cleaned up after running on a treadmill in front of some cameras and a coach. I’m doing about 50 miles a week and have to religiously stretch, but the pain is gone
 
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SRJack

Redshirt
Jan 6, 2002
124
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i am struggling mightily with, what I think, are it band issues when running. After about a mile or so, the outside of my knee begins to hurt. It’s like clockwork every time. I have done the following, but no improvement:

1.) Rest
2.) Ice
3.) Stretching/roller
4.) Hip strengthening exercises such as “clam shells”

I know I could bike or machine, but I miss running. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.
I had the same issues several years ago. It usually started after 3-4 miles and continued for the remainder of run. I went and got a sports message which focused on my legs and so far no issues since.
 

crc2005

Junior
May 2, 2005
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i am struggling mightily with, what I think, are it band issues when running. After about a mile or so, the outside of my knee begins to hurt. It’s like clockwork every time. I have done the following, but no improvement:

1.) Rest
2.) Ice
3.) Stretching/roller
4.) Hip strengthening exercises such as “clam shells”

I know I could bike or machine, but I miss running. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.


Had the same problem and did treadmill work after a month layoff to build back muscles/conditioning. It worked like a charm. Try treadmill and run pain free, after a a month or so you can hit the roads again.
 

saber8689

All-American
Jun 27, 2012
4,203
6,478
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i am struggling mightily with, what I think, are it band issues when running. After about a mile or so, the outside of my knee begins to hurt. It’s like clockwork every time. I have done the following, but no improvement:

1.) Rest
2.) Ice
3.) Stretching/roller
4.) Hip strengthening exercises such as “clam shells”

I know I could bike or machine, but I miss running. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.

How long have you been doing it? It's frustrating, but you have to take time off running, at least a few weeks while you do the exercises.
 

tigrbybirth

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2015
3,009
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Lots of good suggestions here. I've had IT issues for some time. Stretching and strength training helped. WRT the strength training, it was specific exercises aimed at strengthening support muscles. single leg presses and dual leg presses, balance exercises (standing on unbalanced items like one sided balls), banded walking (band around both legs and walk a distance keeping the band taught), and leg swings (band an ankle and stretch it out swinging the leg straight out to the side, then flip around and swing the leg inward, the key is to make them controlled swings)

Google IT stretches, but don't limit your stretching to just those. Stretch your glutes, quads, hammies, etc. Also, yoga once or twice a week for both stretching and core strength.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, copper fit knee bands. They give you compression, keep the IT stable (it's the bursar sack rubbing on the outside of the knee joint that's causing you pain), and the copper might help with arthritis.
 

petegroove

All-American
May 21, 2006
5,348
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i am struggling mightily with, what I think, are it band issues when running. After about a mile or so, the outside of my knee begins to hurt. It’s like clockwork every time. I have done the following, but no improvement:

1.) Rest
2.) Ice
3.) Stretching/roller
4.) Hip strengthening exercises such as “clam shells”

I know I could bike or machine, but I miss running. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.
I was co-author on a published paper a few years ago that was a literature review for hip strength and lower extremity injuries in runners. The only LE injury with any tie to hip strength was ITBS. So make sure you are strengthening your hip abductors, but the clam shells you mention are not effective unless your hips are at 60 degrees and you add resistance. I personally do side- planks with reps of top leg held static for 10 seconds (~ 24” off floor) followed by 10 lifts (think scissors). You can start with lower times and loft reps and progress. Single leg bridges also strengthen glute med too (plus glute Max, trunk, etc).
 

petegroove

All-American
May 21, 2006
5,348
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Also, don’t be aggressive trying to stretch your ITB, it’s mostly made of tissue that doesn’t stretch. Foam rolling or a massage is fine.