In this video I am going to show you a stretch and mobilization for Ilio Tibial Band Pain. This can often get irritated and painful in runners and other athletes. Poor foot, knee and hip mechanics can contribute to IT Band problems and outside knee pain.
This technique is helpful for improving the flexibility of the IT Band and it can also help breakdown adhesions or thickening of the band due to injury or mechanical problems.
It’s a great self acupressure technique too. You can use one or two balls to improve the flexibility of the local muscles, tendons and fascia.
Tweetables:
Stretching and Strengthening Exercises for Iliotibial Band [Click To Tweet]
Lying Iliotibial Band Stretch to Improve Flexibility of the IT Band [Click To Tweet]
Self Acupressure Technique For Outside Knee Pain [Click To Tweet]
Transcript:
Hey guys, this is Manu Kalia, physical therapist and Ayurveda herbalist. So, in this video, I’m going to show you an IT band stretch for those of you who are runners and athletes who are having problems with the IT band irritation or just problems or pain on the outside of that knee. So the IT band is that thick band that goes along the outside of your thigh and then attaches just below the knee. So that band gets quite tight and especially for a lot of runners. So I’m going to show a way to mobilize it or stretch that tissue, break down some of the thickening and adhesions that form in that tissue. There are a lot of stretches out there, but since the band is so tight I think the ball can do a better job.
So we’re going to use two tennis balls that are tied together. Of course, you can use a single tennis ball too. So what I’m going to do is the ball’s going to be sitting centrally, and I’ll show you guys, this way right through there. And you can even get the vastuslateralis or the lateral quad with that too, so all those fibers that are going in this region. So it’s going to sit here and I can of course mobilize anywhere along that chain.
I’m going to lay on my side, so here’s the ball just above the knee, and I’m going to balance on my elbow. This leg guides me, helps me push back and forth, so I’m going to be sliding down, I’m going to hit those tender spots, put a little pressure on, and I’m going to mobilize that tissue. Now, of course, you can hold that position, too, to kind of get that acupressure on that spot, or I can just work at gliding through especially when you get those sticky spots where it’s really sore or tender or it’s really stiff and tight. You can really work at stretching and getting in there and loosening up that tissue.
Now, I’m on my side and I’m going back and forth and I can get up to on the outside of that knee in the IT band, but remember, you can always angle yourself out more towards the front a little bit, too, because it’s not just along that side. So you can get other tissues also along the chain. So I can work through here and I can go out here even further up and hold that position and stretch, stretch, stretch all the way through. So, quite effective. It really helps loosen up all that lateral tissue that’s tightened up and especially gets that IT band.
So if you guys have any questions, leave a comment. Thanks.
