A Man and His IT Band... the saga continues

Friday, March 23, 2007

Everything is looking up. Last week I got in 38 miles, so not a mega mileage week, but a lot better then the 6 mile week I had to close February. My long run was 13 miles on the trail. I'm excited to see how well I have responded to the treatment that my chiropractor provided. I also got some great advice from my blog friends that I have used. Below is my current strategy to work through my ITB issues.

  1. Take 1 NSAID (aspirin) about 20 minutes before I run and usually take 1 with each meal to help reduce the inflammation that is already there. Once I am over the injury I will cut the out or only use as needed.
  2. Warm up - I will walk/jog or ride my bike slow for about 10 minutes.
  3. Start my run out slow and get in a mile or 2 before I pick up the pace
  4. Ice immediately afterwards for 20-30 minutes and potentially later that night while watching TV. I've done 1 ice bath... thanks Ben!
  5. Stretch out. General stretching (quads, hamstrings, calves, hips..). I do not concentrate too much on the ITB area. For me, spending too much on the ITB area tends to feel worse
  6. Roll it out on a foam roller. I cut rolling into 4 segments; Upper (Hip to middle thigh) Middle (middle thigh), Lower (middle thigh to just above the bony part of my knee, no direct contact on the side of the knee), Combined (slow roll from upper thigh to just above the knee)
  7. Resistance training. One legged exercises, squats, leg curls, extensions, lunges.

I'm not a doctor and don't really know more then what I have been told or that I have found from on-line resources so take the above with a grain of salt. It's whats working for me and is a work in progress. Thanks to everybody for the great feedback and resources.

Now on to even better the news. I'm heading to San Diego for the week for a conference. I plan to get some miles in and enjoy the scenery. Anyone know of any good spots to run?

Enjoy the weekend, I'm out!!!

Posted by Travis at 5:42 PM  

5 comments:

That's a bummer to hear about the ITB thing, I'm glad you've found a solution for the problem I hope it's only temporary, best of luck with the recovery! Have a nice weekend too!

Ryan said...
10:33 AM  

if you can run 38 miles a week with a bad ITB, I'm thinking I can do my 20-25 with a sore knee. I need to find a good chiro down here and start getting things adjusted and worked out.

Still looking forward to cheering you at McNaughton!!

Jenn said...
1:15 AM  

Wish you much patience and soon recovery, man!

Olga said...
1:01 PM  

Yoga. I've heard it from several other runners with ITB issues and it's been unanimous. It works for them! Good luck with the recovery and post some pics from your SoCal trip if you got in some scenic runs!

Breeves2000 said...
3:17 PM  

I'd agree with Ben - yoga is the best way to balance the running and help avoid injuries. Good luck with the recovery and listen to your body.

Krissy Moehl said...
10:16 AM  

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