It's Confirmed, It's ITBS

It's confeermed! (I must say!) I have iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS)!

What is an iliotibial band?

The iliotibial band is a long strip of connective tissues that runs from the pelvis to the knees. It is located in the lateral or the outside part of the thigh. This tissue is a stabilizer for both the hips and knees.

photo taken from this site.

What is ITBS or iliotibial band syndrome?

This is occurs when there is an inflammation on the site over the knees due to continuous rubbing of the band over the lateral epicondyle, combined with repeated flexion and extension of the knee during an exercise, such running. 

Sports prone to ITBS

-running

-biking

-hiking

-tennis

-basketball

-football or soccer

-martial arts

-weight lifting

Causes of ITBS
-exercising on hard surfaces, e.g. concrete (I am GUILTY of doing this!)
-exercising on uneven ground (again, yGUILTY!)
-increasing exercise intensity or duration too quickly (sort of guilty.)
-exercising in worn out or ill-fitting shoes (not guilty!)
-excessive uphill or downhill running (I live near Banawa, yeah, I am GUILTY!)

Biochemical Errors that Causes ITBS
-leg length differences
-tight and stiff muscles in the leg.
-muscle imbalances
-foot structure problems (flat footed, high arch)
-gait or running style problems such as pronation.

I actually had a gut feel, that I have ITBS, but I have to go to a physiatrist to really diagnosed this. I went to the Perpetual Succour Hospital's Advance Rehabilitation and Sports Science Center. Dr. Mary Jeane Oporto-Flordeliz, a regular contributor of Front Runner magazine was not there, so I looked for Dr. Jorgen Lim instead. Dr. Lim handled my boss' tendon and my Tita's slip disk, so they were my referrals.

I mentioned that I have a problem with my right knee after running 15Ks for a couple of weeks already. And it usually hurts when I go downhill, even if I rested it a day or two, it just hurts. And my right hip hurts too. As I mentioned my complaint, right from the get go, Dr. Lim wrote on my chart the letters I, T, B, S. Then he assessed my legs and compare my right with my left.My left leg can be lifted higher than my right,and  it's more flexible than the right. He can even feel the tension on my right.

I told him that I did not take any NSAIDs or non-steroidal drugs such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen and mefenamic acid, and all I did was icing it. He said, it's ok.

Dr. Lim suggested to do some stretching on that area and for the mean time, he said that I will not run. What!? I just registered in two running events for two consecutive Sundays! He just said when it hurts, just give it a stretch. In other words, "DO NOT GUN FOR A PR, LING!". If I need some help with the stretching, I should tap a physical therapist...if I could not manage it. 

I checked on the internet for some ITB stretches and did a few last night. So far, the pain's no longer that pronounced, and I look forward to do a few intermittently throughout the day. You can check youtube.com and the Runners World website for these exercises.

If the same thing might happen to you, dear reader, doing the RICE is not enough.

RICE stands for:

R-est

I-ce

C-ompression

E-levation

Better do the RICER.

R-est

I-ce

C-ompression

E-levation

R-efferal.

The stretchinghandbook.com suggested to go to a physician or a physiatrist to check on the problem 48-72 hours after the injury has occur.

So as for me, I have to cancel some of those September gigs, or else, this might get worst. I am imposing a two-four week rest period, and every two weeks, I have to visit the physiatrist for evaluation if there is an improvement or not.

For those interested to visit the Advance Rehab Care and Sports Medical Centre, they are located at the Perpetual Succour Hospital, Gorordo Ave., Cebu City. You can call them at (032) 233-9314. There are two physiatrist there; Dr. Mary Jeane Oporto-Flordeliz and Dr. Jorgen Y. Lim. Dr.Floredeliz is available Mondays-Fridays 9 am-12 noon, but by appointment only. Dr. Lim accepts walk-ins, he is there from 10 am-12 noon. But you better get there earlier since it's first come, first serve basis.