ITBS and hiking

[Bear Cables]

Has anyone experienced IT band pain when backpacking? What did you do to treat the pain during a hike and what treatment was helpful to avoid the pain on your next hike?

[rangeley]

I found that letting the injury heal for a few weeks and then eating a couple ibprofens before a hike helped the most. Also for me taking it real slow the first couple of trips after the healing weeks helped a lot.
For me it's the downhiking that bothers my IT band, and i still take caution when downhiking

[tdoczi]

i sadly didnt realize it in time to do anything about it during a hike, but i later got one of those commercially sold IT Band straps and the thing was an absolute miracle cure. wore it all day for about a week, have not had any reoccurrence since. i carry it with me hiking now but havent had to use it.

[Mobius]

To avoid IT issues I try to maintain relatively flexible hamstrings and glutes. The IT band attaches near the knee and up by the glute (butt). I do light stretches after every run, hike, and during breaks. Once that glute tightens up it seems to pull the IT band which then gets irritated down by the knee (at least in my case). It's one of those cases where the pain isn't coming from the problem area. Self-massage with a tennis ball really helps sometimes but it'll hurt. I also do the foam roller deal at home and hit the quads, outer leg, and hamstring. I sorta just rotate around while I roll back and forth.

[burger]

Just do this exercise: http://onemillionruns.blogspot.com/2...b-special.html (If that explanation isn't clear, google "Walt ITB exercise" and you can find other descriptions/videos)

Start with 10 or 20 reps a day and work up to 50. It works for me within days every time I get an ITBS flareup.

[map man]

I developed really bad IT Band pain on my first backpacking trip and researched how to deal with it when that trip was done. The two things that have eliminated the problem for me is that I now use the Cho-Pat Dual Action Knee Strap on both knees on every backpacking trip and I lightened up my footware from medium sized boots to lightweight running shoes or trail runners. I also believe that the running I do now has improved strength and flexibility of my IT Band, but even before I started running the first two things I mentioned had taken care of the problem on backpacking trips.

[Praha4]

I had IT band syndrome back in 2009, still remember it hitting me coming down the north side of Blood Mtn that year, it was not fun. Spent 2-3 weeks in physical therapy back home, and learned all the best stretching exercises, most are described by other posters here. I also use the Cho-pat dual action knee brace on that knee, kind of as a preventive measure. Also use the foam roller at home on that leg. I recommend you do stretches in the morning, on the trail during the day, and at the end of the day. All the muscles and tendons are connected from the low back to the feet, so stretching the hamstrings, low back, IT band, calves, Achilles tendon, and plantar fascia all works together to help prevent injuries. Stretching is very, very important to prevent hiking injuries. I've also started taking yoga once a week back home, which has helped.

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm not anti-stretching, but I also think the idea that stretching is all that is needed to fix/prevent injury is wrong. Strenght training is just as important if not more important to fixing and preventing injury, because your various connective tissues are only used so much while hiking, so as you age you will feel more and more problems, but these problems can be vastly reduced if you exercise all muscles and connective tissue in a vigorous manner.

That's why I'm also against doing rehabilitative exercises only; you're only asking for troubles later on if all you do is corrective exercises.


But if you have an issue, got to at least start with rehabilitation http://news.menshealth.com/it-band-syndrome/

But I would strongly recommend starting strenght exercises as part of your strategy to fight off future injury


Excerpt:

"Strengthening, not stretching, could be the best way to deal with the problem, Canadian researchers reveal.In a small pilot study, nine people suffering from IT band syndrome underwent a 6-week rehabilitation program that focused on strengthening hip muscles like the gluteus maximus (your butt muscle) and gluteus medius (a muscle that helps raise your thigh out to the side). At the end of the study, all the runners were able to run pain-free. The length of their IT bands remained unchanged despite efforts to stretch it, but everyone’s hip strength increased. (Push harder, get stronger, and bulletproof your entire body with The Athlete’s Book of Home Remedies.)

“The IT band is like a chunk of leather, and it will never stretch,” says study author Reed Ferber, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Calgary and director of the Running Injury Clinic. “By foam rolling and stretching, you only minimize the symptoms.”

[Pedaling Fool]

P.S. I recommend to stay far, far away from NSAIDs or any other drugs.

[Bear Cables]

Thanks for all of the input. I began analyzing why my IT flared up these past two hikes, April and Oct. I have been hiking for 17 years, no problems and though, yes, I am getting older I stay in good physical condition. But I realized the common denominator in my fitness and the incident of pain was that I had stopped my routine of cycling 10 miles 4 days a week or working out on the elipical 40 min 4 days a week . I think I lost some muscle strength in my quads, glutes and hamstrings. Although I do reformer pilates 2x a week that apparently isn't enough. My plan is to let the tenderness subside, continue stretching but mostly get back to my fitness routine.

[Mitey Mo]

I eat Ibuprophen every 4 hours before and during the hike to minimize swelling. I also got the Cho-Pat knee brace that surrounds the knee (miracle device). Sometimes I hurt, but mostly I dont

[MuddyWaters]

Has anyone experienced IT band pain when backpacking? What did you do to treat the pain during a hike and what treatment was helpful to avoid the pain on your next hike?

Once, basically due to taking steep downhills too fast, I started feeling a tearing/pulling pain there on the outside of the knee while hiking fast downhill on the second day of a week long hike. Not one to slow down, I didnt change pace like I should have. After a couple of 20-21 mile days, on the 3rd day my knee was hurting not just on the downhills, but also on the uphills and on flat ground too. I started taking ibuprofen, which helped for a while , from 30min to 2hrs or so after taking it. The 3rd day was 22 miles, and by the end of the day I could barely take a step. What started out feeling like tendonitis on the outside, now felt like tendonitis below the kneecap as well.

Id never had any kind of problem like this before.

I didnt have enough Ibuprofen to mask this kind of pain all day for 4-5 more days, so I decided when I reached a gap in the morning, I would call someone to pick me up. So I managed to walk fairly carefully on level ground to the gap without much issue, called a shuttle provider, got a "maybe" answer with a hefty price, so decided to see if I could hike anyway. I started the climb out of the gap, and holy crap, no way in hell. I sat down after a few steps, and called other shuttle providers. More "maybe" answers. Enough of the BS, I started limping uphill without bending my knee, pulling with my glutes and hamstrings. Using my hiking poles heavily on downhill to slow my motion so no impact on the bad leg.

I limped that way for about 45 more miles till I got to a good place to get off the trail, over some good climbs on well graded trail. I basically limped about 16 mpd, usually starting about 1.5 hrs before daylight. My knee really didnt hurt the same way, it in fact the tendonitis feeling felt better after a couple days of this, but it hurt in a different way. The joint hurt. I was a bit worried i had done some damage, but after several days and some stretching it felt much better. In a couple of weeks it felt normal again.

Once certain muscles quit working right because of the tendonitis, irritation, or whatever you want to call it, others get either overworked or out of balance, the kneecap quits tracking properly, and the whole knee goes to crap. I thought I could walk thru it, didnt work out that way, everything got progressively worse till it felt like my knee was all f'd up. I remember how tight and over strained the muscle on the outer-front of my shin felt after the IT band issue started.

Slow down, and take it easy at the first discomfort. And carry a big bottle of ibuprofen.

[Alligator]

I use a combination of tactics: foam roller, strength training, and a knee brace and trekking poles while hiking.

[fredmugs]

Thanks for all of the input. I began analyzing why my IT flared up these past two hikes, April and Oct. I have been hiking for 17 years, no problems and though, yes, I am getting older I stay in good physical condition. But I realized the common denominator in my fitness and the incident of pain was that I had stopped my routine of cycling 10 miles 4 days a week or working out on the elipical 40 min 4 days a week . I think I lost some muscle strength in my quads, glutes and hamstrings. Although I do reformer pilates 2x a week that apparently isn't enough. My plan is to let the tenderness subside, continue stretching but mostly get back to my fitness routine.

I was actually going to suggest that. When I jacked up my knee hiking in Maine in 2005 I started cycling to rehab it. Haven't had any knee issues in maybe the last 6 years. Plus I didn't have any altitude issues when I hiked the JMT last year.

[garlic08]

That and Achilles issues put an effective end to my hiking about when I turned 40. Like others above, I was loathe to simply mask the pain with drugs. A doc I respect says that's like removing a smoke detector during a fire. So I stopped backpacking and started doing things that didn't hurt, like day hiking, cycling and skiing. I was one step away from hiring pack animals for backcountry trips. Llamas started looking like fun.

Then my wife hiked the AT solo and discovered all sorts of ideas about hiking with a lighter load. I tried that and it worked. It turns out I have a load threshold above which I have problems. Since then I've hiked over 10K miles with zero tendon pain and zero drugs.

[Chain Saw]

Happened to me this years section hike. But my IT had been giving me fits prior to hike bc of rugby. I took a lacrosse ball (I know it's heavy) but it's dense and I worked the hell out of my IT every morning, lunch, and evening plus lived off Ibu. Hurt to the point it was overworking everything else and ended trip with sore knee and hip and was limping badly but finished.


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[Praha4]

Recommended physical therapy for IT Band syndrome involves a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises. Here's a link to some more info: http://www.athletico.com/2012/06/05/...and-solutions/ Taking NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen (Advil) or Naproxen Sodium (Alleve) are also helpful, when taken in moderation and in accordance with recommended dosage. Of course, like any drugs, everyone should probably consult their doctor before taking NSAIDs. I've taken Alleve for years when necessary, and it works better for me than Advil or Tylenol. Many other hikers take Advil when needed. If you develop ITBS, you will first have to rest the area involved, allow the body to heal, then start some kind of physical therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises, maybe some swimming or bike riding too. You probably need to take another look at your footwear, the insoles, etc that you are wearing. I have never had any more issues with ITBS after doing recommended stretching and strengthening exercises, and also do yoga at home, and do several stretching exercises along the trail while hiking. Good luck!

[GreatDane]

I found a lot of information about why ITBS happens and how to treat and/or prevent it on the Runner's World magazine website. I got knocked off the trail last September with it, despite what I thought at the time was plenty of strength training. Took months to heal. Turns out I hadn't properly targeted all of the leg and butt muscles in my strength training. Now I'm religious about doing the ones that will prevent the problem, and doing more stretching. Hope it works!

[Dogwood]

Has anyone experienced IT band pain when backpacking? What did you do to treat the pain during a hike and what treatment was helpful to avoid the pain on your next hike?

Although I think it was, I can't say 100% it was the ITB as I've never needed to see a MD or trainer for it. It usually goes away by itself. FOR ME, I consider it a rather minor issue even when(if) it does(did) happen. Little did I know I was doing strength training and specific ITB stretching exercises as I've been involved in hard surface running, competitive organized tennis and basketball, high impact aerobics and hiking/walking for many yrs. When on a long distance hike and when I thought my ITB was bothering me I added those stretching exercises back into the mix and have used impromptu ITB braces(like a Chopat knee brace) made from duct tape, strips of cloth taken from something like a bandanna, and even something like a rope or wire. Gotta be careful though in releasing this impromptu brace regularly and not making it too tight. *I don't know if any of this is right though as I'm no expert or even know for sure that was the issue that I was having but these things have always given relief. I'm not so sure I would be eager to or simply settle for regularly popping pain relievers though JUST to mask this pain as that doesn't address the underlying causes. This is an issue among runners so I would check up on getting more info through running related outlets.