IT Band

My next abused muscle post is going to be on something that is not actually a muscle at all. However it's a common structure that every massage therapist, personal trainer, and physical therapist has struggled with at one time or another. It's a pretty familiar term for athletes and it can be a real pain. We are going to spend some time talking about the IT band.

Chances are if you have used a foam roller, you have been told to roll out your IT band. Rolling out your IT bands is painful, and probably hasn't helped you a whole lot. It's time to stop abusing your poor IT bands. The iliotibial band is a thick band of connective tissue on the outside of the knee, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running and walking. A lot of times runners will develop tight IT bands that can irritate the knees and hips. 

The IT band's fibers blend into a small muscle called the tensor fascia latae or the TFL. The TFL can cause lots of problems with the IT band. Sometimes the TFL is overworking for lazy hip flexors, if that's the case the TFL will pull on the IT band and cause it to be tight and painful, even if that isn't where the problem actually is.

If you are having issues with the outsides of your knees and your IT band is tight and painful, get assessed and find out WHY. Stop the abuse of muscles that don't deserve it!