The most commonly cited reason for stretching the iliotibial (IT) Band is to alleviate knee pain. Before we can state the best way to stretch it, we need to talk about what the IT band is, and then how it influences knee pain.
What is the IT band?
It’s imperative to note the IT band is not a muscle. I’m not sure if people realize this or not, but based on the way people talk about it, and talk about stretching it, I’m pretty sure people often think the IT band were like any other muscle.
It’s not.
Multiple muscles insert into the IT band. So rather than the IT band being a muscle itself, it is a band made of other muscles. The two big muscles comprising the IT band are the gluteus maximus (GM) and tensor fascia latae (TFL).
It is crucial to understand the TFL and GM comprise different portions of the IT band. The TFL comprises the anterior portion and the GM the posterior portion.
Using the Anatomy Trains philosophy from Tom Myers, we can see while the GM and TFL insert into the IT band proximally (starting at the hip), other muscles insert into the IT band distally too (at the knee).
The anterior portion of the IT band connects into the tibialis anterior (TA) while the posterior portion connects into the peroneus longus (PL). Therefore, there is a connection between the TFL and the tibialis anterior, and another connection between the GM and peroneus longus. And all of these insert into one band.
How does it influence knee pain?
This is where it gets a little messier.
The most common cause of knee pain is an imbalance between all these muscles acting on the IT band. Specifically: the TFL is overactive and tight, but the tibialis anterior is underactive and long (remember these two muscles are connected on the anterior portion of the IT band). And then the peroneus longus is overactive and tight, but the GM is underactive and long (these two are connected on the posterior side of the IT band).
By looking at these muscles specific actions we can begin to figure out how pain arises. At the hip, the TFL abducts, flexes, and internally rotates the femur. It also laterally rotates the tibia.
Meanwhile, the GM has almost the complete the opposite effect: Hip extension, lateral rotation of the femur and some possible internal rotation of the tibia.
That is, the TFL and GM have almost completely opposing actions at the hip and knee. This is why most often when one is strong/tight, the other is weak/long.
At the knee: Peroneus longus pronates and plantarflexes the foot and has some effect on lateral rotation of the tibia.
The tibialis anterior helps to supinate and dorisflex the foot and internally rotate the tibia.
That is, the PL and TA have opposing actions at the knee and ankle. In fact, these muscles not only insert at the IT band, they actually form a band together at the bottom of the foot!
Again, indicating when one is strong/tight, the other is weak/long.
Remember, the TFL is dominant over the GM, and the PL is dominant over the TA. Therefore, in terms of movement, we have a dominance of internal rotation of the femur, a dominance of lateral rotation of the tibia, and a dominance of pronation and plantarflexion of the foot.
This is overwhelmingly the predominant cause of knee pain for people. And this is why so many people are trying to stretch their IT band.
However, now we can tell just “stretch the IT band” is a poor remedy. We need to stretch the band in a very specific manner in order to get rid of our knee pain.
The most effective stretch is going to calm down the overactive muscles and wake up the underactive ones. We need to loosen the tensor fascia latae and peroneus longs, but tighten up the gluteus maximus and tibialis anterior. An ideal stretch will combine:
-Hip adduction (loosen TFL)
-Lateral rotation of the femur (loosens TFL and tightens GM)
-Hip extension (loosen TFL and tighten GM)
-Internal rotation of the tibia (loosen TFL and PL, tighten GM and TA)
-As well as ankle dorisflexion and supination of the foot (loosen PL and tighten TA)
Why most IT band stretches suck ass
Now that we know what makes an ideal IT band stretch to help get rid of knee pain, we can talk about why some stretches aren’t good. Let’s look at some of the most commonly used IT band stretches:
Breaking this down:
-We have lateral rotation of the femur (good)
-Possibly some internal rotation of the tibia (possibly good)
-Hip Abduction (Uh oh –This tightens the TFL)
-A great deal of hip flexion (Shit –also tightens the TFL and actually stretches the GM. Opposite of what we want.)
-Ankle plantarflexion and no pronation or supination (This isn’t good, but, you could modify this to make it better)
This is actually a fairly good stretch for the posterior aspect of the IT band. But as we’ve dissected at this point, we rarely want this. I’d say at least 95% of people with knee pain / people who need to loosen their IT band don’t want to stretch the posterior part.
Don’t forget about the abdominals
Before criticizing another stretch, this is a good place to talk about the abdominals, specifically the external obliques.
If we agree a tight TFL is a common issue in those with knee pain (if you don’t, you’re wrong), we need to also look at how a tight TFL affects the abdominals. I don’t want to go into another treatise on movement at the hip, but suffice to say much like the TFL and GM have opposing effects on the hip, so do the TFL and external obliques.
That is, the TFL pulls the front of the hip down and the EO pulls the front of the hip up (so do the glutes). In someone with a tight TFL, not only will they potentially have weak glutes, but they will have weak EO too. The result is a lordotic posture:
Therefore, a common effect of trying to stretch the TFL is an associated lordosis. This is because the TFL is tight and doesn’t like being stretched, it’s “stiffer” than the abdominals, so it pulls the hip downward to try and lessen the stretch. Not something we want when we’re trying to loosen that sucker up.
This is my long way of saying when attempting to stretch the TFL -and IT band subsequently- we need to pay careful attention to how the hips and lower back are moving. Ideally, they aren’t. Realistically, they do. This is often a pain in the ass to get people to do properly.
We’ll come back to this. Keep it in mind for now.
The next stretch:
Breaking it down:
-We do have hip extension this time (Much better than the other stretch)
-We have ankle plantarflexion (Not good. But this could be modified in the stretch. Although it still wouldn’t be ideal)
-We have hip adduction (Good)
-We have either a neutral tibia or lateral rotation of the tibia (not good)
-Femur is either in neutral or medial rotation (Not good)
At least this stretch is targeting the TFL portion of the IT band and not the GM portion. However, there are other issues. Referencing the importance of the external obliques, remember how we want the EO to be stiff when we stretch the TFL / IT band to make sure we’re generating as good of a stretch as we can and we’re not achieving movement from the lumbar spine.
You can’t see it in the video, but I guarantee the girl has a lower back arch during that stretch. Look around the internet of people doing this stretch and you find this rather quickly:
Notice the arched lower back? While the TFL / IT band is still being stretched some, we’re not doing anything to concurrently stiffen up the abdominals. Next, due to the lordosis, we’re generating a bit of stretch on the glutes. Finally, we’re also promoting mobility at the lumbar spine. Mobility at the lumbar spine is a precursor to lower back pain.
While you could cue the person to squeeze the abs to prevent the lower back arch, I find people have a really, really hard time with this. They just don’t know when they’re doing it properly, the right way it should feel, etc. It’s like coaching a 40 year old virgin.
Sorry, doctor, but you sir do not have the “world’s best IT band stretch.“
The better way
Breaking this down:
-By making sure the knee does not fall out to the side we have hip adduction (Good)
-A tiny bit of lateral rotation at the femur (Good). More can be accomplished but I find this doesn’t influence the stretch much.
-By letting the leg fall to the ground we let gravity give us hip extension (Good)
-Internal rotation of the tibia from turning the foot in (Good)
-Ankle dorisflexion and supination by pulling the big toe up and in (Good). If you do this last, you’ll notice a difference in the intensity of the stretch between letting your foot fall to the ground (plantarflexion) and pulling it up (dorisflexion). Many people will exclaim they get a better stretch all the way up in the hip just by pulling the foot upward. Further evidence the dorsiflexion and supination is helping to stretch the TFL / IT band and the TFL and TA are connected.
Also, because of the self-feedback mechanism of laying on a bench or table, you always know whether or not your lower back is arching (in lordosis). Therefore, you are guaranteed to know how hard you need to be squeezing your external obliques to make sure there is no compensatory movement at the spine.
Next, by lifting the arms overhead we can also generate a nice stretch in the lats, pecs, and rectus abdominus (all commonly tight). Not really necessary for a stretch aimed at knee pain, but it sure isn’t hurting anything.
BOOM. How’s that for bang for your buck?
With that said, here are the common ways people may mess this up:
1) Letting the foot plantarflex and pronate
You HAVE to make sure your foot is not pointing down and out to the side.
2) Not fully contracting the abdominals
If you’re not feeling any stretch in your hip / thigh it’s almost guaranteed you’re not fully squeezing the abs.
Watch the difference in thigh position when the abs are fully squeezed and when they are relaxed:
Notice the thigh elevates, bringing the hip into flexion, each time the EO are fully contracting. This illustrates tightness in the TFL because when the EO fully contract and posteriorly tilt the pelvis, the TFL is put on stretch. And when it’s put on stretch you can see the tightness by the thigh being pulled off the bench.
One sure fire way to know whether or not your abs are squeezed tight enough is if you’re lower back is flat on the bench. If it’s not, you’re abs aren’t tight enough. It’s worth noting for those with a fair amount of fat on their body, and or lower backs, sometimes they give themselves the “feel” of their lower back being flat when it isn’t. It’s just that their adipose tissue is thick enough to give them that illusion.
If you’re watching someone, it’s best to look at the top of their hips. Do they look angled downward? Like an anterior pelvic tilt? Then the abs aren’t squeezed enough. It’s hard to describe, but you can spot it.
If you’re having trouble with your abs (this is just a sign they’re weak and not strong enough yet) grab your opposite knee and pull it into your chest. This will allow your upper body to help posteriorly tilt your pelvis.
Then you can progress to one arm holding the knee in and the other arm overhead:
And then to both arms overhead.
3) Letting the hip abduct
This will happen due to the TFL not wanting to be stretched and thus pulling the hip into abduction.
For some people adducting the hip to a certain point will cause them to feel pain / pressure in their knee. This signifies that when the TFL is on stretch, knee pain arises. This is verrrry common.
Simply only let your hip adduct to the point where you don’t feel pain. Over time as the TFL loosens up you’ll be able to adduct further and further.
4) Poor posture at the upper body
A lot of people may not be ready to put their arms overhead when they first start doing this stretch. Many just do not have the thoracic mobility yet (or EO strength) to lay their upper back and head fully flat on the bench. Look at the difference in head posture here:
By making sure the chin is tucked you help insure the external obliques are posteriorly tilting the pelvis and not the rectus abominus. When you have that forward head posture and thoracic flexion the RA is in a shortened position. We do not want this. We want to stiffen up the EO, not the RA.
One final note: Don’t expect to feel an insane stretch when you do this. It’s not like you’ll feel like your TFL or thigh is going to rip apart from such a good stretch. Be much more concerned with doing it properly. Often times the biggest thing people feel is a hell of a lot of abdominal work. This is good. Remember, stiffening up the external obliques will indirectly loosen up the TFL.
Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.
And I’m out.
Please note the “best” element of this stretch is meant to be a sarcastic play. Understandably, sarcasm doesn’t always land through text. There’s no one magical exercise or stretch for every situation. See the comments for more.
For a more comprehensive look at stretching the IT band see: 6 Exercises to Loosen the IT Band
For a look at meshing this with a running program check out: 6 Weeks To A Healthy 10k
Here are some related posts I’ve written:
- Standing version of the best damn IT Band stretch
- My visit to the Washington University in St. Louis
- Sleep positioning and knee pain
Finally, if you’re tired of sifting through information yourself, get one on one help.
JD
April 18, 2016
People purchase beauty products which can increase collagen production, making your skin more elastic & flexible overall.
You can consume foods & drinks which increase collagen formation, making your tendons/tissues more elastic & supple.
The secret is not too consume/eat anything which degrades/destroys the collagen/joints etc which results in tight/stiffness/weakness of tissues.
The problem with stretching out too much is de-stabilization & stability is key. If everything is stabilized, think of a house, there is no fear of collapse i.e in our case injury/breakage. Same thing. (You don’t find stretching painful?). Collagen production.
So when it comes to diet, lifestyle, sleeping arrangements & stability (oxygen based/barefoot exercise), on grass that is, you have to think what >naturethere< is the cure for so many ills.
reddyb
April 19, 2016
I’m not sure anyone, especially as we age, wants their skin to be more flexible. If anything, they may want to know what are some of these things they can eat which will tighten / stiffen their skin…
Judy
July 10, 2016
Yep this is the stretch for me. I am 63 years old and my left leg has been hurting now for a year. Doc keeps wanting me to go to PT. I want something to stretch the sore tendon down my outer thigh. X-rays show nothing amiss but it damn hurts dammit. This stretch really helps. Makes my leg feel longer if you can believe that! The tendon, or iliotibial band, even feels warm now, that’s greaaat for an older young lady like me. I pretty much gave up on ever finding something that works. The secret is in tilting the pelvis up in the front while contracting the abs, otherwise you’ll feel nothing. Thank you reddyb. I was doing a kneeling half-lunge for it but it quit working and effin hurt my knee even with a nice pillow under it. I love this standing one. I’ll keep doing it now and then during the week when I remember to. Ha ha.
reddyb
July 12, 2016
That’s great to hear Judy. Thanks for filling me in on how it helps you. I’ve found the aspect of being able to avoid kneeling feels nice on a good deal of “older young” knees myself :).
Heather
August 3, 2016
Because they connect at the bottom of the foot is it possible that the IT band issue can also cause a tightness or “ball type” feeling on the bottom of the foot? I have been feeling this lately and I’m not sure if it is my shoe or my foot. I know I do have IT band issues and have for years but now I have this strange feeling on the bottom of my foot as well.
reddyb
August 4, 2016
Hey Heather,
That’s unlikely the IT band. Would test out some different shoes. If you’re still having the issue, then it’s likely the foot.
jfsabl
August 4, 2016
I can’t explain it, but I had that sensation from time to time before doing this stretch, and never after. (Shoe independent). Also numbness and tingling in the outer upper surface of the foot which was even more strongly correlated. Doesn’t mean it’s causal. But, eh, N = 2 now (still meaningless, with no denominator). As my chiro says to me every time, “you’re tight, you’re dehydrated, and your tissues are all connected. Anything can adhere to or indirectly tug on anything else.”
reddyb
August 5, 2016
Thanks for sharing! Numbness and tingling would make more sense, as that’s often directly tied to the lower back, which this stretch addresses. (The keeping the lower back flat aspect.) I know these sensations can be tough to describe for some. I’ll have to keep “ball type” description in mind.
If you’re not thirsty, you’re not dehydrated :). (Some good stuff, if interested: http://sportsscientists.com/?s=dehydration )
snowdoe
November 17, 2017
When it’s bad, does it feel like there’s a marble under your foot? I developed this. (Capsulitis, according to the podiatrist; metatarsalgia with MTP joint synovitis, according to the orthopedist.) The podiatrists were not helpful; the orthopedist told me to stretch my gastrocs 15x/day and stick a metatarsal pad on my shoe liner to offload the inflamed joint. The pain went away but the problem hasn’t resolved.
If you have this problem, it can progress to toe crossover. Try to keep the pain below marble-under-foot feeling.
(I know this is really late; hope your problem has resolved.)
omalone1
August 19, 2016
Nice article!
reddyb
August 19, 2016
Thanks!
Irena
March 8, 2017
Thank you for a fresh new perspective on the IT band stretch. I’ve been battling it for a few weeks now with zero result. Being forced not to run puts me in a very dark place so I need to fix it asap! What are your thoughts on how much and how often a person can run while rehabing the pain. I’ve been running about 5 miles 3 to 4 times each week for at least 20 years with no issues but recently decided to run races like 10ks, half marathons and now training for a full. I think all the increased load may have been a factor. Also my right foot rotates out a little. This happened after a calf injury. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
reddyb
March 10, 2017
Hey Irena,
This is always one of the tougher questions to answer. While this isn’t exactly your situation, for specifics on how to think about this, I’d check this out: https://b-reddy.org/2016/10/24/the-variables-and-an-equation-to-consider-when-starting-a-physical-activity/
In general, if you feel ok during the activity, or you feel some discomfort during but are ok a couple hours after finishing it, it’s probably ok.
The line you’re looking to tow is “I may be aware of the painful area, but I’m not making it worse.” One thing I tell clients in these situations is “If you feel the area, that’s ok. If it’s painful, that’s not. If it starts out as discomfort but then starts barking at you louder and louder, we need to change things.”
When in doubt, lessen!
BB
March 18, 2017
I have IT Band Syndrome with pain down the lateral aspect of both thighs, but no knee pain….and I am very pregnant. Any suggestions for a modified version of your stretch that can be done while pregnant (ie does not involve lying on one’s back)?
reddyb
March 21, 2017
Hey BB,
There is this: https://b-reddy.org/2012/06/01/standing-version-of-the-best-damn-it-band-stretch/
There are other exercises in this manual: https://b-reddy.org/2013/08/20/6-exercises-to-loosen-the-it-band/
However, two require laying on the stomach. So overall you’d get three exercises you could do- one on your side, two standing up. Between those and the standing though, that’d be four. Should be plenty.
If your pain is radiating down the legs, I’d be looking at sciatica / lower back / nerve issues too. Lower back tends to not be happy that last trimester.
Good luck with your pregnancy!
Luke Gregory
April 28, 2017
Hi Brian,
I have a problem that I think my physio has glossed over in her prescribed rehab routine.
I’m 28 male, never had any knee pain before what I describe below happened… also work a desk job and have done next to no exercise the last 4 – 5 years.
About 8 months ago I needed to replace my bed and bought one that was extra firm… way too firm in fact. I was waking up in the middle of the night with pain in the pressure point where my hip is in contact with the bed (the upper IT band / TFL runs right across here). I would roll over to the other side to get back to sleep only to wake up a few hours later with the same problem on the other side, so both sides were affected.
The pain went away when I got out of bed but after about a couple of months of trying to put up with this bed my knees started to hurt…. classic patellofemoral pain symptoms.
This scared me, I looked online and figured out pretty quickly that IT band problems can cause this sort of knee pain and instantly put 2 and 2 together and suspected the bed was injuring the upper IT band / TFL region and causing the knee pain.
I sold that bed and bought a good bed that doesn’t cause that problem…. however 6 months has passed since then and the knee pain is still there.
The new bed does not aggravate those 2 points at all but if I poke around in those areas they are still tender 6 months after I removed the cause (the hard bed).
I went to a physio a few weeks ago and she confirmed patellofemoral pain syndrome and prescribed the typical stretches and strengthening exercises:
Stretches: Hip flexors, abductors, hamstrings, IT band, glutes —- the IT band stretch she prescribed was the standing legs crossed over lean to one side one. I can not feel any stretch at all with this stretch (it is doing zero).
Strengthening exercises: Straight leg raises in all 4 directions (I strap ankle weights to the leg to increase resistance), quad sets.
I just feel that the bed / upper IT band problem I have is the cause of the knee pain. It’s way too much of a coincidence that the knee pain started at the same time as I was dealing with that bed…. and i’ve never had any sort of knee pain at all in my life whatsoever before that.
The above routine prescribed by my physio is doing zero for my IT band as the stretch is ineffective.
How do you think I should adjust the above routine prescribed by my physio?
Thanks so much for reading this and for any help you can give me.
Much appreciated.
Regards
Luke
reddyb
April 30, 2017
Hey Luke,
This is a tough one. Something likely requiring more of an assessment on my part (https://b-reddy.org/2013/06/20/the-remote-client-process/). For instance, you mentioned the pain went away when you got out of bed, and that you got rid of the bed. So when are you getting pain?
You mentioned some stretches and straight leg raise strengthening, but I would need to know what activities you’re having trouble with, what you’re trying to get back to, etc.
I would take a look at the link above. In the least it can hopefully give some insight as to how I’d recommend organizing the issue.
Brian
Brad
May 30, 2017
Brian,
Really enjoy reading your articles on over therapy and debunking common myths and other “knowledge” put forth by “professionals” and outside entities. Alas, question about the IT stretch here. Dealing with some slight ITB here from too much volume too fast…plain and simple. Doing this stretch the other day, felt like my hamstrings were going to rip in half. Sort of like a gnarly leg/calf cramp, but in the hammy’s. Tried to “ride” the sensation out and felt like things started to release along my IT band, but then just feel like my hamstrings are overly tight and the knee pain tends to come back.
Could be doing this all wrong as well, just curious if you have dealt with these sensations before.
-Brad
b-reddy
June 2, 2017
Hey Brad,
Thank you for the nice words. Glad you’re enjoying the site.
Were you attempting to bend the knee? Try and keep the leg as relaxed as possible and the hamstrings are usually ok. When someone tries to bend the knee to get a greater stretch -sometimes person is doing this without realizing it- that’s a recipe for cramping.
Brad
June 4, 2017
Exactly what I was doing. Thanks!
b-reddy
June 6, 2017
Glad to hear. You’re welcome!
Debbie H.
July 8, 2017
Hi Brian, Need your opinion. I’m 60 years old. I decided to restart a walking program, after 2 years, back in April. Apparently, I wasn’t in shape (though I didn’t think I was that bad), but I “sprained” my IT band, which before this I had never even heard of. Symptoms to begin with were feeling like something was moving around inside leg, very rickety. I bought a sleeve to wear on my knee to provide stability, and it did help. There was also pain on the side of my knee, where IT band connects. Took 3 weeks to get appt. with ortho Doctor, then another 3 weeks of PT before he scheduled an MRI. After the therapist’s initial evaluation, he suspected it was the IT band, rather than meniscus. After starting therapy, the feeling of movement went away, but when I walked, my knee would “freeze” up on me and I’d feel a painful catch or glitch. MRI did confirm thickening of and inflammation around band. My concern is that the MRI also showed a foreign body embedded in the knee tissue. Both the doctor and the therapist have assured me that this is not the cause of my problems. I am beginning to get around a little better, and the pain on the side of my knee has eased, though I’ve been taking Advil 3x’s/day every day for the past week. But my knee continues to stiffen, and I’m not able to walk around without limping. The doctor said to continue therapy, and if not better when I go back in another couple of weeks, he would give me a cortisone shot. My knee continues to swell after walking, or rather limping, around during the day, and my therapist says that would cause the stiffness I’m feeling. But it’s the stiffness, which does come and go, that’s not allowing me to walk correctly. With all of your knowledge and experience with IT band injuries, would that cause all of my symptoms? And will it ever heal?
Thank you so much for any advice! Debbie
b-reddy
July 11, 2017
Hey Debbie,
My first question here would be whether the orthopedist manually assessed your knee. Menisci are tough, but often an orthopedist, between the person’s history and what they feel during an assessment (where their hands actually touch your knee), can get a good hunch as to whether the meniscus is a problem. MRIs are not fully conclusive here.
Some light catching or clicking with the IT band can happen. A full catch, or freeze, or locking of the knee, is not common though. Noticeable swelling isn’t very common either but can happen.
Regardless, a meniscus issue doesn’t mean surgery is necessary (see: https://b-reddy.org/2014/03/05/more-evidence-against-knee-surgery/ ). Where I’d be doing my best to loosen the IT band, improve your walking (example: https://b-reddy.org/2015/11/16/how-weak-calves-can-cause-knee-issues/), and go from there.
If after the IT band has been loosened, walking has been worked on, range of motion is solid -extension ROM is crucial (https://b-reddy.org/2015/09/03/help-i-cant-straighten-my-knee/ )- potentially other strengthening has been done, all in a manner that is *not* causing swelling (swelling pretty much always means too much was attempted), and something like catching / locking is still happening, then the meniscus / foreign body / surgery needs to be looked at more closely.
If you’re looking for more than what’s in the manuals, you may want to entertain this: https://b-reddy.org/2013/06/20/the-remote-client-process/
Mason Roberts
October 6, 2017
I have had more than 5 years of left leg (thigh to knee) numbness/tingling sensation. I saw a nerve doctor that ran an X-ray and said not much he can do and chiro guy that did active release with IT band stretches. I also had massages to help loosen it but it remains numb and often in pain. Cardio maybe a factor of it always so tight but I am lost on what to do with this issue. Any suggestions? #please
b-reddy
October 8, 2017
Hey Mason,
Sorry to hear about your leg.
Sounds like a nerve issue. Not the easiest to deal with. Would have to go this route: https://b-reddy.org/2013/06/20/the-remote-client-process/
JFS
October 8, 2017
I recently (past 3 months) have had some great results with rolfing. Lasting (in the time frame of months) and helps with nerve / tingling issues, as well as general stiffness / tightness / mobility. Turns out it’s much easier, more comfortable and more effective to stretch a muscle when it moves more independently of other muscles (which is what Rolfing does). This isn’t massage. It’s the (forcible) freeing of one sheet of fascia from adjacent tissue. I’m 51, and my body hasn’t worked this smoothly since I was in my 20’s. I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but it’s been fantastic for me. I believe all rolfers are centrally trained, so (while an individual can be more or less naturally skilled, more or less insightful, more or less experienced, more or less dogmatic about only offering the “full series” and doing the different procedures in a particular order), all certified Rolfers should have the same set of standard skills. If some of your muscles are feeling more like beef jerkey than like functional muscle, or turning your head makes you feel sore in your SI, tight in your IT, and less able to move your toes (or it makes your head hurt and your fingers tingle) it might be a real life changer. The IT band stretch always worked, but now it actually feels consistently good, painless, natural, and easy.
Sven
November 23, 2017
Hi Brian,
a while ago my IT band startet snapping on a long bike ride. At first it was just the weird feeling but after a while it started hurting until I wasn´t able to put much more pressure on the pedal. After I had the ITB syndrom diagnosed I started physio therapy. I don´t feel a pain right now and can get on the bike for about an hour. I train indoors a lot lately so I can get off the bike when I feel the first stings.
Afterwards I sometimes feel nothing, another day it feels tight and stiff. I do a lot of stretching, gymnastiks, foam rollers etc. I had about 8 treatments now. Strange thing is, that my Physio Therapist says it´s almost impossible to get my muscles and bands more relaxed. After the treatments I feel always better, but 2 days later I´m back at where we startet. She tells me that I have an unusually high muscle tonus.
I also have some trouble with my body symmetrie. I thought you may have an idea what else we could try.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Sven
b-reddy
November 24, 2017
Hey Sven,
This is the first thing I’d consider: https://b-reddy.org/2012/08/08/why-youre-still-in-pain/
Rana
February 19, 2018
I have a question :
I have a short left leg syndrom but its due to a slight upper throracic Levo skoliosis . My Right leg is strong(normal).. with a strong spinor extensae muscles and a stronger glute muscle group and loose/normal hamstring
My left side is weaker.. much weaker and looser Oblique (I think you call them EO), smaller glutes, posterior tilt (lower back flatter)..upper left back slightly rounded.. upper left shoulder higher. Left Hamstring is much tighter.
I find however the stretch shown here really helps me.. does that make sense ? I always thought the bigger stronger (right) side needs stretching.. but the stretching of the inside thigh feels much better on the left leg.(like you have shown with the person lying on the bench)
Are there perhaps any strenghthening excercises for the lft glutes i should also do ?
Thank You.
b-reddy
February 20, 2018
Hey Rana,
It’s tough to read much into feedback like this. I usually need to do my own assessment to see what’s really going on ( https://b-reddy.org/2013/06/20/the-remote-client-process/ ). In general though, weak areas can still be stiff: https://b-reddy.org/2014/03/03/a-short-muscle-doesnt-equal-a-strong-muscle/