IT Band Syndrome

If you are an athlete or weekend warrior whose athletic endeavors involve some form of running chances are you have felt the outside of your leg become tight, and in some of the more extreme cases, there could be pain in the hip and more commonly knee joints. This is commonly called IT Band Syndrome and if left untreated it may become debilitating.
Lucky for us there are some simple and effective ways we can ease that band back into a relaxed state and get you to continue to perform without pain. In this post I have made a video that describes how to do soft tissue work in the area, what exercises are best for strengthening that area and what stretches alleviate tightness in the area.

First thing is first, I will give you a brief overview of what the IT band is and why it gives so many of us problems.

The IT Band is short for Iliotibial Band which is essentially a long tendon that originates from the pelvis and runs along the pelvis towards the outside of the knee. The primary job of the IT band is to stabilize the knee when the leg is moving during activity.

If the muscles that connect to this band are not firing or aligned properly then the band may become overworked and the excessive tension and friction can pull on the knee joint causing pain and even inflammation in that area.

Check out the video below and get ready to fix your ailing IT band.