I’ve attended a few more Anusara yoga classes and continued walking around the park. My knees are better but I’m still having issues with my knees. A long time ago, I was told that I had IT band issues but the pain in my knees disappeared and I haven’t thought about it in a long time. Because I’m still really having issues going up and down stairs, I am revisiting the IT Band as a possible culprit.
- Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS or ITBFS, for iliotibial band friction syndrome) is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners according to Wikipedia. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of 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, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking.
- ITBS symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee joint (on the outside of the knee or along the entire length of the iliotibial band) to swelling or thickening of the tissue at the point where the band moves over the femur. The pain may not occur immediately during activity, but may intensify over time, especially as the foot strikes the ground. Pain might persist after activity. Pain may also be present above and below the knee, where the ITB actually attaches to the tibia.
There is a YouTube video that gives an easy exercise that supposed to relieve chronic knee pain caused by the IT Band. He claims that it works faster and less painfully than rolling with a foam roller.
The (Knee Pain) Guru on ‘How To Treatment For IT Band Knee Pain’
I figure that it is worth a shot to try.