What is ITB Pain?
The ITB, or iliotibial band, is a thick fibrous band that runs from the outside of the hip, down the outside of the leg to the knee cap and shin. It crosses both the hip and the knee joint and has a role in stabilising both.
There are a variety of syndromes the include the ITB but most commonly ITB pain occurs in athletes such as cyclists and runners who increase distance or intensity too quickly or with slight imbalances in their mechanics. ITB issues can include names such as ITB Friction Syndrome (or ITBFS) or Runner’s Knee and pain and injury can creep up over time without a single mechanism or hit you like a tonne of bricks!
ITB pain is very specific and sufferers often complain of localised pain on the knee on the outside of the knee. Most commonly it is very specific (about the size of a 20c coin) and is painful with walking, running and painful to touch.
Detailed assessment of the whole lower limb and pelvis is paramount to treating ITB related syndromes. Put simply- foam rolling your ITB is not going to cut it!
Your physiotherapist will do a full subjective and objective assessment of your leg considering a wide range of factors including referred pain from the low back or pelvis, the mechanics of the whole lower limb, strength and balance of the muscles surrounding the hip and knee, squat or sporting technique, motor control, core stability and biomechanical analysis.