IT Band Syndrome (ITBS) NYC | Treatment & Recovery

If you have a persistent pain on the outside of your knee, there’s a pretty good chance you’re suffering from Iliotibial band syndrome. Athletes are especially prone to this condition. Any activities that cause you to bend your knees repeatedly drastically increases your chances for developing a need for iliotibial band syndrome treatment:

Running
Cycling
Hiking
Horseback riding

These are just a few in a long list of activities that can lead to problems with your iliotibial bands. Iliotibial band syndrome typically gets better with rest and time. But in some cases, iliotibial band syndrome treatment from your doctor is necessary. A few extreme cases require surgery. Your Midtown Manhattan sports medicine doctor can help you find the best solution for your knee pain.

Anatomy of a Problem

There’s a thick group of fibers that runs down the outside of your leg from your hip to the top of your shin bone. This is your iliotibial band, or IT band for short. It’s possible for this collection of fibers to get too tight. When this happens, you’re likely going to notice pain and inflammation around your knee.
The fluid-filled sacs around your knee are called bursae. And you have three major bursae in each of your knees. If they’re normal and healthy, they cushion your joints and all of the other moving parts of your knees from friction. This allows your IT bands to slide smoothly as you bend and straighten your knees. If a bursa sac gets inflamed, that’s bursitis.

What Are The Symptoms of Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)?

Pain is going to be your most obvious symptom. You typically experience this pain on the outside of your knee, directly above your joint. This pain can be passing, and you may not take it as seriously as you need to. Over time, the pain often becomes progressively worse. Other symptoms you might have noticed include:

A sensation of clicking and popping on the outside of your knee that’s often described as unsettling
Pain that runs the length of your leg
Redness and heat on your knee
General pain or discomfort outside of your knee

While IT band syndrome isn’t the only source of knee pain, in may be the source of the problem. Your doctor can usually form a diagnosis based purely on your symptoms. A physical exam and simple x-ray can easily eliminate other, potential causes for your condition, such as a sprain or meniscus tear.

What Causes Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

There are so many risk factors for this condition, that it’s easier to seek medical advice than it is to lose any sleep over:

Improper training techniques, such as:
- Poor stretching and warm-up habits
- Pushing your body too hard
- Going for too long
- Insufficient rest between reps or exercises
- Wearing shoes that lack support
Training on improper surfaces:
- Always running the same direction
- Training on banked surfaces
- Running downhill
Physical conditions, including:
- Arthritis in your knee
- Having one leg that’s slightly longer
- Bowed legs
- If your stride rotates your foot or ankle inward
- If your stride tends to rotate your entire leg
- Tendonitis
- Weakness in other muscle groups like your core, glutes or hips

Iliotibial Band Syndrome Treatment

There are two important things to remember when faced with pain from your IT band:

Stop what you’re doing! There’s a really big chance that you’re guilty of pushing yourself too hard. Relax and avoid any activity that causes you discomfort.
Apply RICE, which stands for:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation

Mild stretching and massage are recommended for home iliotibial band syndrome treatment. And over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications are a go-to way to relieve pain and reduce swelling. If your condition has advanced beyond home remedies, your expert medical provider has other iliotibial band syndrome treatment options such as surgery, knee injections and activity modifications that may include:

Therapeutic ultrasound that helps push anti-inflammatory medications deeper into your tissue
Corticosteroid injections that drastically reduces swelling and relieves pain

Surgery may be required if your case is severe enough. The procedure, known as ITB release surgery, involves cutting a small piece out of your tendon. This is usually removed from where it attaches at the side of your knee.

Can Iliotibial Band Syndrome Get Worse?

Skipping your stretching before your workout can lead to pain and swelling in your IT band and bursae. Bending your knee causes friction, and if your IT bands are too tight going into your exercise, the friction can result in more serious damage.

Iliotibial band syndrome treatment from a leading sports medicine doctor in Manhattan can help you move freely again. But preventative measures can significantly reduce your chances of ever going through it. Be aware of your body. And listen to what it’s trying to tell you.

Febin Melepura, MD is a top rated, best in class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award winning expert and contributor to a prominent media outlets.

Dr. Febin Melepura has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain and, among other accolades, has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York”, and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for an advanced sports injury treatments.