Massage prolonging injury?

[matthew]

Right here's the back story, 6months ago I ran the Rosedale rumble and at the end of it I hurt. Pain in my legs like no other. Since then i've been stretching and foamrollering my quads, itbs, glutes etc in an effort to loosen them up. My physio says my IT band is loose and my muscles aren't in a bad way but there is still aching around the top of both knees and pain in the outsides of both legs when I run/cycle.

So here's my question can over use of the foamroller damage the tendons/muscles and cause prolonged pain? Does anyone have experience of this? As type I think I can guess the answer....

Cheers,

Matt

[mr brightside]

Right here's the back story, 6months ago I ran the Rosedale rumble and at the end of it I hurt. Pain in my legs like no other. Since then i've been stretching and foamrollering my quads, itbs, glutes etc in an effort to loosen them up. My physio says my IT band is loose and my muscles aren't in a bad way but there is still aching around the top of both knees and pain in the outsides of both legs when I run/cycle.

So here's my question can over use of the foamroller damage the tendons/muscles and cause prolonged pain? Does anyone have experience of this? As type I think I can guess the answer....

Cheers,

Matt

I recently found out i have awful kneecap tracking, which in me causes the symptoms you are describing. Apparently it and ITB syndrome are very closely linked and TBH i reckon i've got some of both. I always used to find that quad stretches relieved the pain above my kneecap very rapidly which i used to think was a shitty cruciate ligament, if it works for you then i'd get reassessed. It'd also be an idea to whine at the NHS until they send you for a scan of some sort, you can get referred into the Musculoskeletal Service fairly easily and you might get lucky and get a good physio, i'm on first name terms with most of Leeds' NHS physios now.

[cyclops]

Right here's the back story, 6months ago I ran the Rosedale rumble and at the end of it I hurt. Pain in my legs like no other. Since then i've been stretching and foamrollering my quads, itbs, glutes etc in an effort to loosen them up. My physio says my IT band is loose and my muscles aren't in a bad way but there is still aching around the top of both knees and pain in the outsides of both legs when I run/cycle.

So here's my question can over use of the foamroller damage the tendons/muscles and cause prolonged pain? Does anyone have experience of this? As type I think I can guess the answer....

Cheers,

Matt

I guess if you were using the foam roller excessively it could cause damage, which might then prolong the pain/injury. but you'd have to be going at it for considerable time. has yr physio shown you how to use the roller? main thing is that you don't roll over joints/bony structures (like yr knee at the front, back or sides) as the soft tissues are less dense in those areas and therefore prone to being injured through essentially crushing.

when your physio says yr IT band is loose - do they mean it's elongated and stretched (in which case it might not be doing its job of stabilising the knee properly) or that the ITB isn't adhered or stuck to your muscles (which is exactly as it should be). does that make sense?

there's lots of info I would ask a client about this to help me understand what's happening and why - things about your training and stretching routine, and without all the information its hard to know whether it is the rollering or a combination of factors that are contributing to the continuing pain. pain lasting 6 months is into the chronic stage and your physio should be able to diagnose exactly what is wrong and why, and then give you corrective advice to rehab in the correct way.

hope this helps
Lynne

[matthew]

I think it might have been excessive with me rollering to close to the knee. I have a doctors appointment on Friday to see what he says, my older brother is a trainee doc who thinks it might be deep muscle bruising but said he couldn't really tell over the phone... but reckoned a month of "rest" and anti-inflammatories might help. Either way I'll push for NHS physio and referrals to have it checked out.

when your physio says yr IT band is loose - do they mean it's elongated and stretched (in which case it might not be doing its job of stabilising the knee properly) or that the ITB isn't adhered or stuck to your muscles (which is exactly as it should be). does that make sense?

His comments where that it's not what you'd expect an ITB causing the pain of ITBS to feel like i.e. not a steel cable. I try to stretch lots, if I've run maybe 20min worth for a 5mile run or hour long bike. I'd also stretch if I hadn't done exercise.