Ways to Get Rid of IT Band Pain

Many of my Boulder, CO massage clients are runners. For those who are putting in a lot of miles throughout the week and weekend, they have to keep their body loose and stretched out to prevent injury. One of the most common running injuries I see is IT band related. This injury can be devastating to a runner, as it often leaves them sidelined to ice, stretch, and rest.

While massage is a fabulous way to alleviate the IT band pain, there are additional things runners can do to help speed along the recovery process. One way as noted by Active.com is to use a foam roller. They say to 

Lie down on one side, propping yourself up with one elbow, and position the foam roller just under your hip. Now, move your body forward so that the roller works itself down on the outside of your thigh; stop when you get to your knee. Roll in a gradual, slow motion, and when you reach your knee, reverse directions back up to your hip. Adjust the amount of tension by applying more or less of your body weight on the roller. If you're new at this, your IT band will probably be tender, and you might not even need to apply much weight before you feel it. When you come to a particularly sore spot, pause and hold it on the roller-this is called applying direct pressure. As you hold the roller on that spot, the pressure will help break up the knot. Only hold it there for about a minute, then do short rolls back and forth over the area to help further release the knot.

There are additional stretches that runners can do. To view more please refer to the Active.com article.


Photo provided by NB Fit.