Blog

Maggie Gebhardt, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT

The Iliotibial Band, IT for short, can be the cause of a lot of knee pain in runners. In particular pain on the outside of one’s knee. There is a lot of information out there on how to manage this type of pain with lots of gizmos and gadgets for one to purchase. However, what most people do not realize that this issue often stems from poor hip mechanics causing overuse if the IT Band. When there is poor hip stability due to weak hip muscles, primarily the glutes, there is an increased reliance on the IT band to stabilize the knee. The pain one experiences is from the inflammation at the site where the IT Band attaches to the outside of the knee. Until the proper mechanics of the lower leg are restored it can feel like one is caught in a painful cycle of pain and irritation with any activity. Thru the use of many therapeutic techniques, the Physical Therapist can interrupt that painful cycle and get you back out on the road again!