Post by Dr Marybeth Crane
If you have just started running, you probably have no thought what an iliotibial band is, let alone where it is in your body. If you have been running for years, you fondly refer to it as your "IT band". This is a very commonly irritated location in a distance runner's body. Certainly a top ten injury contender!
So what and where is your IT band? It is a fibrous band that runs on the outside of your thigh and attached to the hip at the top and to the outside of just below your knee at the bottom. The central feature of this band is a very essential muscle, the tenor fascia lata. Most anatomy books describe the TFL as a hip abductor. Genuinely, this is a key muscle that controls and decelerated the adduction of your leg in gait. A quite critical portion of running unless you like your leg flapping about and like to run like a ballerina! This control equates to an eccentric load on this muscle and band at least 90 times a minute whilst running. Quite tense and overworked region in a runner! No wonder it likes to complain from time to time!
What does ITB syndrome feel like? A huge pain in the knee! But seriously, a discomfort that usually starts following an intense workout in the outside of your knee. It can radiate from your outer hip down towards your knee as well. The pain is typically pretty sharp and starts soon after a couple of miles into your run. This injury does not "warm up" like most tendon injuries. It gets worse when running downhill or on uneven surfaces. It generally will persist until you quit and walk. In the early stages, the pain goes away when you quit running. A mild amount of swelling on the outside and below your knee can happen. Some individuals will even have some tingling down the outside of their lower leg. If you continue running with this injury, it can get really debilitating to the point that the discomfort only goes away when walking with your knee locked in a stiff legged manner.
Why do runners get ITB syndrome? Too a lot, too soon, too quick syndrome is the simple answer but this is not just an overuse injury. Several runners who run only short mileage can suffer ITB syndrome. This is typically due to a mixture of weakness in the tensor fascia lata and other hip abductors, and lack of flexibility of the IT band. Couple this with a fondness for running on the same side of the road or around an oval track bow legs, a leg length discrepancy and an excessively mobile flat foot or flexible high arched foot type and you have IT band syndrome!
How is ITB syndrome diagnosed? There is a particular test for ITB syndrome known as the "Noble compression test". The test is performed by the physician placing their thumb over the lateral epicondyle of your upper leg and then you flex and extend your knee. If you tend to jump off the table when at about 30 degrees of knee flexion then you most likely have ITB syndrome. Why? When your leg is straight, the ITB is in front of the epicondyle in knee flexion, the ITB actually passes over the lateral epicondylar surface. If your ITB is inflamed, the friction caused by this motion is quite painful, specifically when your doctor is compressing the ITB on the bone. An at home test that is similar is to stand with all your weight on your painful leg and flex the knee to about 30 degrees. If you have ITB syndrome, you will really feel discomfort with compression to the outside of your knee.
What are the finest treatments for ITB Syndrome? The very first line treatments are relative rest (yes, that indicates slow down and remain off of hills and uneven surfaces), icing, anti-inflammatories and lots of stretching. But don't forget, it is a combination of weakness and lack of flexibility as properly as instability so stretching is almost by no means enough. Lots of men and women have ITB syndrome and just rest until is stops hurting, just to rear its ugly head when you start running once more! You have to get to the root of the problem! Strengthening of gluteus medius, as well as the other hip abductors is an vital part of the rehabilitation of ITB syndrome. You also require to treat any excessive foot pronation, supination or leg length discrepancy. Custom orthotics are frequently needed for lengthy distance runners.
Bottom line, ITB syndrome can be really the persistent pain in a runner's knee. This pain typically lingers for months and even years simply because of treating the symptoms and not the root of the problem! Stretching, strengthening and control of instability are key components to the successful rehabilitation of this common injury.
Dr Marybeth Crane is a life-long runner and a sports medicine podiatrist. For a copy of her Free BOOK or far more details on running injuries or for physician-approved foot care products, pay a visit to my web site http://www.myrundoc.com or read my blog at http://www.myrundoc.blogspot.com
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 16, 2010
Well-known New York chiropractor, Dr. Steven Shoshany, is again expanding his practice to include a technique a new method for athletic injury support and treatment called RockTape Power Taping. His practice, Living Properly Medical, in the SoHo/NoHo area of NYC has been helping patients resolve aches and pains of almost any type for years. Located at 632 Broadway between Houston and Bleecker Streets, Living Nicely has consistently reinvested into newer and much better tactics and treatments to relieve and stop discomfort. Spinal decompression therapy, Active Release Method, and specialized tools like those in the Graston Technique are a few of the tools that have been brought on for far better patient outcomes. Power Taping represents the next step in serving athletes and other people with a functional treatment that supports and stabilizes.
RockTape Power Taping is a departure from other kinesiology taping strategies simply because there is significant focus on what practitioners call “longitudinal anatomy” or the “kinetic chain” - fundamentally, the fact that motion creates a complex series of muscular actions that interrelate. By taking this chain into consideration, rehabilitation efforts stay away from limiting range of motion and the resulting stronger activation may possibly enhance results. Creating note of particular motor patterns and muscle activations aids in more motion-friendly support. Despite the fact that kinesiology taping techniques seek to supporting muscles and joints, Power Taping pays specific attention to the muscles acting together as a complex program to aid in rehabilitation efforts and boost overall performance. In addition, Power Taping has applications that go beyond performance sports and rehabilitation, even being employed to assist pregnant ladies support proper biomechanical function.
Injuries and conditions that can benefit from Power Taping’s particular approaches consist of:
In regard to Power Taping, Dr. Shoshany has been excited to learn more to keep expanding his practice. “Anything that can assist people get far better quicker I want to be a portion of. RockTape Power Taping is going to assist me do that, I believe.” Power Taping will officially be introduced in Living Properly Medical as part of treatment programs Monday, November 15th or 2010. For a lot more info on RockTape Power Taping and other services provided at Living Properly Medical in NYC, call (212) 645-8151.
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Franklin, TN (Vocus) March 13, 2010
This two-day intermediate level physical therapy continuing education course and hands-on laboratory course will supply the clinician with the most recent evidence-based practice guidelines for the examination, differential diagnosis, and treatment interventions for running-related injuries. New study on how to accurately diagnose and treat plantar heel discomfort, Achilles tendinosis, Achilles tendonitis, patellofemoral syndrome, iliotibial band syndrome, anxiety fractures, and muscular strains will be reviewed. An emphasis on the utilization of video gait analysis as a key diagnostic and treatment tool will be incorporated throughout the course. Hands-on laboratory break-out sessions will focus on performing a functional biomechanical examination distinct to runners, fabricating orthotic devices, and performing and interpreting selected special tests for the hip, knee, and ankle with an emphasis on their application to runners. Case studies will be utilized throughout the course to illustrate key concepts. This interactive course will permit course participants to improve their diagnostic, examination, and treatment abilities of injured runners. The overall course objective is to offer course participants with a thorough understanding of running biomechanics and the most recent evidence-based practice guidelines in order to effectively and efficiently enhance the quality of patient outcomes. A comprehensive course packet will consist of photos, references, and clinical pearls for fast reference in the clinic.
Physical Therapy Continuing Education Objectives
North American Seminars Inc. Course Instructor
Jeff Taylor-Haas, PT, MPT, OCS, CSCSM is a sports physical therapist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Taylor-Haas obtained a Master of Physical Therapy degree from Saint Louis University in 2004 and is a board certified orthopedic specialist in physical therapy from the American Physical Therapy Association. He is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength & Conditioning Association and an Adjunct Faculty member at the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio for the department of physical therapy.
In 2004, Mr. Taylor-Haas co-authored and presented “Frontal Plane Kinematics & Correlations of Hip and Knee Angles During the Stance Phase of Running: Comparisons Between Two Speeds” as a sports physical therapy platform presentation at CSM in 2004. Jeff has lectured most lately in Illinois and Ohio on performing a Two-Dimensional running video gait analysis, evidence-based treatment of widespread running injuries and performing a runner’s biomechanical examination. Jeff treats runners and athletes of all ages and all levels of competitiveness. He specializes in performing 2-D video gait analysis, fabricating orthotics, performing a functional lower extremity biomechanical examination, and offering all patients with a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment approach.
An avid runner, Mr. Taylor-Haas has completed 7 marathons, which includes the Boston Marathon twice, and has a unique interest in running injury prevention.
2010 Physical Therapy Continuing Education Dates
September 25-26 - Fortanasce and Associates Physical Therapy- Arcadia, CA
October 9-10 - St. Louis, MO
October 23-24 - Tampa, FL
November 13-14 - McConnell Heart Wellness Center Columbus, OH
For more info visit http://www.healthclick.com/courses/nas51.cfm
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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Article by SH Jalonen
If you have suffered from knee problems, you know how once basic activities like finding up from a chair, climbing stairs - not to mention performing more strenuous physical exercise like running - can suddenly become a struggle. In this article I'm going to discuss patella femoral discomfort syndrome, which is a frequent knee condition caused by alignment troubles and overloading of the knee joint.
In order to function optimally, the knee joint wants to be both stable and flexible. Considerably of the right functioning of the knee joint depends on the structure and functioning of our hips, ankles and feet. If some thing goes wrong with this system, knee joint is typically the link in a chain that first starts showing symptoms. With runner's knee, poor control of hips and lower leg causes the patella to move incorrectly in the femoral groove.
Patella femoral pain syndrome (also known as runner's knee) involves discomfort in the front of or about the knee cap. The pain is most typically felt soon after strenuous physical exercise like running, jumping and squatting, walking down the stairs and right after prolonged sitting. Even though the condition is called runner's knee, it's equally typical with sedentary men and women.
Runner's knee is normally a result of numerous contributing aspects.
Muscle imbalances like weak quadriceps muscles combined with tight hamstrings Structural problems like wide hips and knock kneesBiomechanics of the foot and ankle - for example overpronation and flat feetPoor control of hip and core musclesBest treatment for patella femoral pain syndrome consists of initially avoiding aggravating activities, physical therapy and an individualized physical exercise program. In hard circumstances surgery could be an alternative. Having a comprehensive exercise program for strengthening and stretching muscles in your hips, core, and quadriceps is usually the key to treating runner's knee effectively.
If you are in your early forties or older, you might be tempted to believe that it's normal to begin experiencing knee troubles and that nothing can be carried out. Truly, age is not a very good reason to resign to your fate: there are numerous points you can do to relieve your knee issues.
Discovering a cure for your runner's knee might require persistence, but it's a small price to pay for returning your freedom of movement.
The author has first-hand expertise of struggling with lengthy term knee pains. If you are looking for a solution for your "bum knees" and require far more detailed info, read her article on How to Heal a Runner's Knee? on her site http://bodycapable.com. Suffering from the syndrome caused the author to start off actively seeking for understanding about the syndrome and diverse treatment alternatives.
Write-up by Steve Weber
During the first couple of years of running, several new runners have troubles with running knee pain. This is generally referred to as "runner's knee". It is much like tennis elbow in that the tendon of the lower muscle rubs across the joint and becomes irritated.
The discomfort occurs just below and usually to the outside of the knee cap.
In the case of runner's knee, the tendon of the lower quad muscle rubs across the knee joint and becomes inflamed. This rubbing is worsened as the quad muscle fatigues and tightens. This pulls the tendon a lot more tightly across the joint which causes the eventual discomfort.
When I had problems early in my running career, I would simply have to quit running for a number of days as the pain subsided. It was a lot like taking 3 actions forward and 2 steps back all the time with my training. I was not conscious at the time, but considerably of the running knee discomfort was caused by doing too much too rapidly. I was not following a very good schedule.
I did discover some thing that helped tremendously nonetheless. I found a special knee band on the internet which worked truly properly. It greatly extended my distances before the onset of the runners knee discomfort.
It fits tightly around the knee just below the knee cap. It is not uncomfortable at all and the snugness of it actually feels excellent. It somehow puts pressure on that tendon and keeps it stretched to a point that alleviates the discomfort.
Sometimes I would put it on at the start off of runs and other times I would carry it with me about my wrist until I felt the initial twinges of the knee discomfort as I was running. The band was almost a miracle in how properly it worked.
It allowed me to boost my distances and thus boost the strength in my leg muscles. As those muscles grow to be stronger the runner's knee difficulties become much less severe and less occasional.
As I became stronger and better able to run long distances, the knee discomfort no longer was an issue.
I do suggest that runners only use the band when it is required. It is greatest to maintain your stride and joints working in the most natural movements. Though the band is comfortable, it no doubt causes slight tweaks to one's stride and style.
Also, though the band works quite well, it is not a replacement for poor running shoes. Knee discomfort, along with other injuries can and will continue if proper running shoes are not worn. New runners can steer clear of continued knee pain even though running (along with other injuries) by wearing correct fitting shoes. Constantly acquire top quality running shoes at running shops where the staff are knowledgeable and can correctly support individual foot configurations.
Steve Weber has been an avid runner considering that the age of 40 and has more details on his internet site about runner's knee.
