Your iliotibial band is a thick band of connective tissue that runs down the outside of the hip, from the hip/buttock, down to the bottom of the thigh and top of the tibia (shin bone). Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) describes damage to this band.
Every time you take a step, the ITB moves across a bony bump on the outside of the knee called the femoral condyle. This is the point at which the damage tends to occur from repetitive rubbing against this bump.
ITBS is an overuse injury, so often occurs in activities that repetitively move the ITB through the bending of the knee, such as running. The painful symptoms develop as a result of friction from rubbing against the bony bump (femoral condyle), causing damage, pain and inflammation. This is exacerbated by:
ITBS is one of the most common causes of Runner’s Knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome), in which a tight ITB causes the patella (kneecap) to mistrack and move out of alignment, causing pain and damage to the knee joint.
Treatment starts by reducing the painful symptoms and allowing the ITB to heal. Resting, ice and anti-inflammatories can help with the symptoms, and helps prevent the damage from worsening, which would otherwise mean a longer recovery time. Primary treatment then focuses on addressing your specific cause(s) of the ITBS to stop it from recurring in the future.
Our knowledgeable Podiatrists will carry out a thorough tailored biomechanical assessment to identify the contributing causes to your ITBS. From here, a treatment plan will be made based on your results and findings. This may include: