Iliotibial ligament syndrome (ITBS), also known as the runner’s knee in the vernacular, is a painful injury on the outside of the knee caused by overloading the tractus iliotibialis. The tractus iliotibialis is a fibrous tract extending from the hip to the knee joint. In a physiotherapeutic treatment of ITBS, the main focus is on pain management and the fight against the causes.
In addition to a mandatory break, which is essential for the injury to heal fully, this includes in particular exercises to strengthen the trunk and thigh muscles and also so-called leg axis training. At the beginning of each physiotherapeutic treatment, a patient-specific training plan is drawn up, which is tailored to the patient’s needs. Comprehensive information on this can be found in the article: Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Physiotherapy
When a patient with a diagnosis of Iliotibial Ligament Syndrome is referred to a physiotherapy facility, the first step is to take a medical history in a personal interview. This includes an analysis of the patient’s medical history, medical diagnosis, previous illness, age and state of health, as well as a physical examination. Once the physiotherapist has gained an impression of the initial situation, the actual therapy and the preparation of a therapy plan can begin.
In the acute stage of the injury, one should only work with cold in an emergency, as this will further reduce the blood flow to the tendon, which is already poorly supplied with blood. Heat is the remedy of choice in this case. In addition, the application of a kinesiotape can have a supporting effect in order to relieve the strained fiber tension.
The primary goal of physiotherapy is then to combat the cause that led to the development of ITBS. In many cases, this is due to overstrain caused by an incorrect sequence of movements, insufficient warm-up and stretching before training or a malposition. For this reason, the treating therapist will perform specific strengthening, stretching and stabilizing exercises to relieve the tractus iliotibialis.
Even after successful completion of the physiotherapy, it is important that patients continue to perform the exercises and make sure they warm up and stretch sufficiently before exercise. It is also important to wear good footwear to avoid further injury or recurrence of ITBS. Read more information about the Iliotibial Band Syndrome here.
