Manual therapy
Manual therapy can be very effective in the case of an iliotibial ligament syndrome if the cause is a leg length difference, leg axis malposition or foot malposition. Traction and compression measures that act on the hip and knee joint are suitable for pain reduction. A centralization of the hip joint in the acetabulum is also aimed at.
- If there is a difference in leg length, the shorter leg is treated by leverage and certain exercises by pulling the femoral head a little bit out of the socket. This is followed by an exercise for muscular stabilization. If the difference in leg length is small, about 0.5 cm of length can be compensated.
However, this only lasts a few days. The leg length can only be corrected permanently by surgery.
- Leg axis training is suitable with existing bow-leg or knock-knees position. However, the bow-leg position is far more often the cause of an iliotibial band syndrome.
- Manual treatment of the metatarsal bones and the longitudinal and transverse arches with subsequent muscular stabilization is performed in the case of a foot malposition.
Physical therapy
The goals of physical therapy for an iliotibial band syndrome are Various treatment techniques can be used: To reduce pain, techniques from manual therapy are often used. These include traction, compression or walking of the hip joint, knee joint or joints of the foot. Advanced techniques such as neural mobilization (tensioner, slider) or trigger point treatment with distraction trigger points are used in rare individual cases. Prior to treatment, an exact medical history is always necessary to clearly identify the cause of the Iiotibial Band Syndrome. Based on this, osseous structures or ligamentous structures are treated according to the muscle apparatus.
- Muscular stabilization
- Detonation of musculature
- Reduction of pain from
- A strengthening of the gluteal muscles, the knee extensors as well as the trunk and abdominal muscles is achieved by strengthening exercises with resistance through Thera bands, weight cuffs or the resistance of the therapist.
- Massage techniques
- Trigger point treatment
- Fascial techniques and other soft tissue techniques are used to detonate shortened, hardened or painful connective tissue structures.
- Techniques from the functional movement theory such as the abutting mobilization, fine mobilization, global mobilization or the mobilizing massage are also part of the physiotherapist’s tools.
