Duration | Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Duration

The duration varies greatly with the progress of the inflammation. Frequently affected are inexperienced athletes who have only recently started a new and intensively practiced sport. After a few but long training sessions the pain occurs.

If rest is maintained immediately and the inflammation is given time to resolve, the pain can disappear within a few days or weeks. The longer the pain is ignored, the more severe and frequent it becomes. In the case of a severe inflammation, which can already be felt at rest or with light movement, healing takes a correspondingly longer time. In these cases up to 8 weeks of rest may be necessary. Even after that, the load should only be increased slowly.

Stretching exercises

Stretching exercises are a good therapy for ITBS to prevent pain. Even if the pain has started, stretching exercises can stop the progression of the inflammation. The following exercises can be used to stretch the outer side of the thigh: Stand upright next to a wall.

When the legs are crossed, fix the lower leg behind the other leg. Then press and lean towards the wall until the outer thigh is pulled. This stretches the entire muscle and also relieves the tendon at the knee.

An equally useful second exercise takes place while sitting on the floor. Here, one leg is stretched out while the other is bent and crosses over the adjacent thigh. Then the crossed leg can be pressed in the opposite direction with the hands or the upper body until a pulling action occurs again in the outer thigh.

Pain in the outer knee when jogging

Jogging is the most common trigger of ITBS. Due to the permanent flexion and extension in the knee, there is a frequent irritation of the tendon. ITBS is particularly likely to occur in long-distance runners, particularly frequent and particularly intensive running exercises. If the symptoms occur, running should be stopped immediately, otherwise it will only worsen. If the symptoms are more frequent, it is essential to consider a longer break from running to give the inflammation time to heal.