Illiotibial Band Syndrome ITBS

[superflyguy]

Bl:w00t:dy hell! no physio appointments until the 11th August! 50 days, what am I supposed to do until then?

Looks like I am going to have to open my dusty wallet and go see someone privately. It seems daft to either wait and do nothing or continue self treament (which may be wrong) for another month and a half.

[wycoller]

tried the ITB roller (used a wine bottle) and very painful on the side I have problems with. After a few sessions, but could only manage 3 rolls a time, it has got much easier.

Discussed it with my physio today and her advice was to go on either side not directly on the ITB. Will give that a go.

[Freypal]

I've got an appointment this afternoon with a physio to discuss ITB. I've had a couple of goes on the foam roller I bought to try it. It's teeth grittingly painful though.

[superflyguy]

Any recommendations for a decent physio in either Harrogate or Leeds?

[cyclops]

tried the ITB roller (used a wine bottle) and very painful on the side I have problems with. After a few sessions, but could only manage 3 rolls a time, it has got much easier.

Discussed it with my physio today and her advice was to go on either side not directly on the ITB. Will give that a go.

The ITB is a tough bit of ligament and very difficult to effect any change on it. I agree with the physio, work on the front and back of the ITB - what you'll be doing there is working on any adhesions (bits that have stuck) between the muscles (quads on front and hamstrings at the back) and your ITB. If you free the muscles and ITB, or at least reduce some of the adhesions there's a better chance you will see some improvement.

[Freypal]

Saw a physio this week and was told I had a number of issues to deal with. ITB being one of them. (Others being tight Hamstrings, flat foot and kneecap tracking problems)

The problem I'm having is that the pain always comes on at the same point. Around 6-7 miles in and i get the intense sharp pain in the outside of my left knee. I have been foam rollering for the last few days which hurts like hell.

It's just difficult to know when to get back to it as I don't really get pain during normal day to day life. It only appears after the same mileage when I run and when I get home the pain will disappear and the only discomfort i will have the next day is when descending stairs but after a day it's completely gone.

I don't know if that means my case isn't that serious ? It's really frustrating having built up my fitness to be struck down.

I don't know if i should leave it for a week or two and try again or how long i should leave it since it's impossible for me to tell until i try to run again. Or i guess a sensible thing would be to try running and if i experience any pain to stop immediately?

Thanks,

[superflyguy]

I have been talking to a few people at work and they opinion of NHS physios was not good. The suggestion is that when I turn up I will simply be told that I have ITBS and that I need to strech it and maybe roller it. Howvere they won't be allowied to actually massage it! Has anybody else experinced this situation? Seems pretty pointless even referring me if that turns out to be true.

[Rob Furness]

I have been talking to a few people at work and they opinion of NHS physios was not good. The suggestion is that when I turn up I will simply be told that I have ITBS and that I need to strech it and maybe roller it. Howvere they won't be allowied to actually massage it! Has anybody else experinced this situation? Seems pretty pointless even referring me if that turns out to be true.

I've not been to them for ITBS before but I have been for ankle rehab and I agree, they're not that great. My appointments were done entirely by a trainee who kept going out to ask the "mentor" if she was right. It didn't inspire confidence and was smashed to bits by the advice of the private physio I went to after having an op on the same ankle much later, he was excellent and each session was around 30 mins (instead of 10mins at nhs) and involved warming up and then performing a series of different exercises to see how I was progressing, followed by some stretches and massage. It worked a treat, I think you get what you pay for really.

Hope you get rid of that fast though mate, it's not pleasant.

[Steve John B]

Any recommendations for a decent physio in either Harrogate or Leeds?

Andy at Get Physio (http://www.get-physio.com/) is good, he knows his stuff and keeps up-to-date with developments in the field. He's fairly blunt but I reckon that's a good thing in this context. Has sorted out various things for me in the past. The one time he couldn't really help (when my back was in spasms) he didn't charge me.

[Alexandra]

Andy at Get Physio (http://www.get-physio.com/) is good, he knows his stuff and keeps up-to-date with developments in the field. He's fairly blunt but I reckon that's a good thing in this context. Has sorted out various things for me in the past. The one time he couldn't really help (when my back was in spasms) he didn't charge me.

I like Andy too. JENNY HERON at the Orchard in Horsforth is also very good, less of a character than Andy but perhaps steadier. Both are strong on Pilates. Jenny is a keen runner and also cycles. I don't think Andy finds much time for sport.

I definitely agree that it's best to abandon the NHS and go straight for a private sports physio. NHS physios can be very conscientious and caring, but they are unlikely to have specialized in sports injuries. They are also often very young and inexperienced. I belong to what used to be called Leeds Hospital Fund, so I get half of my physio fees refunded up to a certain ceiling. This does take a lot of the pain out of seeing a private physio.