ILIOTIBIAL BAND SYNDROME

Overview and Facts

Iliotibial band syndrome or IT band syndrome is an overuse injury on the outer part of the thigh and knee. It causes pain and tenderness, especially just above the knee joint.

It is often caused by repetitively bending the knee during physical activities, such as running, cycling, swimming, and hiking.

The IT band is a group of fibers that is mainly the length of the upper leg, from the hip to the top of the shin.

When greatly overused, the IT band may be tightened, which can cause the band to rub against the outside of the knee and can lead to pain and swelling.

IT band syndrome may begin as mild pain and will worsen if left untreated. The best treatment for this is to stop doing the activities that are causing the pain to occur, which, in more severe cases, surgical options may be needed.

Types and Symptoms

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of IT band syndrome may vary slightly from a person’s intensity of doing activities that cause the pain, which includes:

Pain when doing other activities involving the outside of the knee
Aclicking sensation when rubbing against the knee
Lingering pain after doing an activity
Kneetenderness
Sensitivity in the butt area
Redness and warmth around the knee

Symptoms typically begin a short time after starting a particular activity.

The most common symptom of IT band syndrome is pain on the outside of the knee that gets worse if the person continues to do the activity neglecting the pain where the rubbing against the outside the knee continues causing the severe pain and the swelling a person may experience.

Diagnosis & Medications