ITBS and My Bum Knee

A lot of people have asked me: "What's the deal with your knee?" If you look at my race photos, I always have a brace on my right knee. Well my friends, I am a victim of Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). From Wiki:

The iliotibial tract is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed.



So there you have it. I have always noticed that my right hip is like a solid piece of concrete compared to the flexibility of my left hip. As a result of this, my right knee always has some pain in it when I run for long distances (ya think 100 km or 62 miles of running is a long distance?). Anyway, I am tired of this so I really have started doing research on what I can do about this. Turns out there are some stretches you can do that specifically target that part of the hip.

So I am starting this program and hopefully I will see some relief. I will probably go to a sports Dr. after my 100km race in a few weeks and maybe have my medical coverage pay for some rehab/massages.

In the meantime, I have been doing some great cross training (biking, running and elliptical) to keep my heart in shape. Everyone wish me luck and if anyone has any good suggestions or advice, let me know and will be happy to share the results!