Knee Pain?

IT Band Syndrome hurts! Your Illiotibial tendon rubs up against your knee’s bony prominence known as the lateral femoral epicondyle, and as a result, sharp pain runs alongside of the knee which may extend upwards to the hip. Ouch! Before you know it, activities such as walking, running, and cycling become impossible due to the harsh discomfort – and that’s a major discomfort for any lifestyle.

IT Band Syndrome may seem like it will never go away, but recovery is possible if given the right treatment. Time alone isn’t enough to rid you of the dreaded pain and that’s because an imbalance in the pelvic region and core muscles is at issue. So make no mistake it’s always there. If you want to truly rid yourself of the discomfort, it’s time to visit the experts at pt Health and get your knee back on track.

The pt Health IT Band Rehab Program

• Prescribe appropriate stretches, strengthening exercises, and movements that you can do at home to encourage continuous improvement and faster progress.
• Does not involve medication or painkillers.
• Is covered by most extended health plans.
• Starts quickly with next day appointment availability at most of our locations.

We Work on Core Conditioning

The pt Health IT Band Rehab Program helps you move past this painful condition by addressing core strength and firming up the hamstrings so your knee will flex and extend on a moment’s notice.

Here, you’ll get to work exclusively with your physiotherapist who will not only assess and treat your injury, but take into consideration and previous injuries, surgeries, or existing conditions. Soon you will be on your way to running, walking, and cycling across the finish line no matter where you go.

The sooner you can change the pain between the shoulders the better off those muscle imbalances will be which is why we introduced the pt Health Pain between Shoulders Rehab Program. Our physiotherapists will help rearrange your posture by strengthening the back and forward muscles. They will also help you adjust mid back mobility using a clinical approach that takes into account your condition, injury, post-surgical status, risk factors, lifestyle, and work function. It’s all about strengthening, recovery, and relief no matter your age, so you can go back to doing the things you love.

Treatment Plan

How Can I Treat my IT Band Syndrome?

Physiotherapy for IT Band Syndrome is divided into phases.

You’ll see here where we have described the pt Health IT Band Syndrome Rehab process which first starts with a confirmation of your condition wherein your physiotherapist can then soothe the soreness with massage as a way to mobilize the tissue. From there, it’s all about strengthening the core, and getting you back to your sport.

First We Assess Your Condition…

When you visit the pt Health IT Band Rehab program, your therapist will first want to distinguish whether or not you actually have an IT Band injury, ligament injury, or meniscus tear.

During the assessment your therapist will observe your range of motion, strength, and check the hip for muscle imbalance. They might also stress all the ligaments around the knee to make sure the lateral meniscus is fine, that the lateral collateral ligament is intact; and make sure the actual makeup of the knee is okay. The biggest performance test is what we call the ober test, which looks at length of the tendon and hip itself.

Then Reduce Your Pain…

Once your diagnosis has been confirmed, treatment will be frequent and will include decreasing inflammation in and around the tendon using ultrasound therapy, IFC, acupuncture, and massage all of which can shift your muscle balance.

A Well Designed Exercise Program

Once swelling and pain are under control you will then begin an exercise program which first starts with strengthening the hip to make sure the glutes and extensors are strong. Then, your therapist will slowly start moving into the IT band and surrounding muscles. From there, exercises can include leg lifts, single leg balancing and strengthening, working with tube like bands, and stretches.

How long does treatment last?

On average it takes between six to eight weeks to recover from an IT injury.

What is the Prognosis for an IT Band Injury?

IT Band Syndrome is not likely to reoccur if you keep up with treatment plan. The key to conditioning is to maintain a strong core and keep the back of the leg nice and strong. Sometimes runners will continue with massage for maintenance because for them, IT Band Syndrome can be debilitating. A runner might feel pain mid run, and not be able to continue. The same is true for cyclists as well.

Unfortunately, sometimes patients might wait a few weeks to see a physiotherapist thinking if the IT Band pain calms down they should be okay. But the reality is, as long as you keep putting stress on the tendon, the symptoms are likely to reoccur and worsen over time. So a swift recovery could soon take upwards of three months rather than a typical six week time frame.

Call us today and discover how the IT Band Recovery Program can help you feel better sooner than you think! 1 (866) 749-7461

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IT Band Pain Causes

What is the cause of my IT Band Pain?

The Illiotibial Tendon descends from three hip muscles and comes together to form a thick tendon on the outside of knee. If the muscles around the hip aren’t’ controlling the tendon properly, the more likely the tendon is going to rub on bone.

Symptoms: Sufferers of IT Band syndrome will likely experience sharp pain right below the outer side of the knee cap as it stretches upward of the thigh. When this happens walking can be a chore never mind running or cycling. Eventually, the tendon thickens due to the strain. As a result, every time you flex and extend you feel a pull on the tendon.

Who is at risk for IT Band Pain?

Runners and cyclists are most at risk for IT Band Syndrome as they repeatedly move the knee to get where they are going. However, our physiotherapists also see persons who suffer from on the job stress where they are crouching and lifting much of the time.

Coverage Options

At pt Health, we know that sorting out insurance paperwork can be time-consuming and confusing. We want your focus to be on getting well and staying well. With that in mind, we do our best to help you navigate through the necessary forms. We speak with your insurance providers and we’ll answer any questions you may have about your coverage.