Once I was able to run again and my knee was holding up pretty well, I started getting pains on the sides of my knees in both legs. After a visit back to the orthopedic he told me I had IT band syndrome. Plenty of runners get it and it is due to the muscle rubbing and causing inflammation which then causes pain.
"Some people are more prone to IT band problems than others. Those people include women, those who have had knee ligament replacements, those with flat feet, and runners who tend to over or under pronate while running." -Runners World
.....really? REALLY?! Give me a break...
I am a woman with completely flat feet who had ligaments replaced in her knee who over-pronates when she runs. Damn.
And when I say I have flat feet...I mean flat...like a pancake..or like Kansas...or any other really flat thing. See below...and ignore the fact that I need a pedicure very badly. :)
I also over-pronate. Which means I run on the outside most part of my foot. I have to wear motion control running shoes to help me run at a neutral angle.
There is no cure for ITBS...just ways to control and ease the pain. This is mostly just stretches and exercises. However, today I was introduced to something called "The Stick". It is a massage device that you use to roll up and down your thigh to loosen the IT band. It works wonders! I also use it for my shoulders, calves, and back.
Since I fit every description of someone prone to having IT band problems the least I can do is be armed with The Stick!
No comments:
Post a Comment