My leg has been bothering me since the Drummond Island race, it has been painful to walk and I was afraid it was my iliotibial band. Damage to this is not uncommon in cyclists and runners.
What is the iliotibial band?
Iliotibial band syndrome is due to inflammation of the iliotibial band, a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the leg. The iliotibial band begins at the hip and extends to the outer side of the shin bone (tibia) just below the knee joint. The band functions in coordination with several of the thigh muscles to provide stability to the outside of the knee joint.
What is iliotibial band syndrome?
Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) occurs when there is irritation to this band of fibrous tissue. The irritation usually occurs over the outside of the knee joint, at the lateral epicondyle--the end of the femur (thigh) bone. The iliotibial band crosses bone and muscle at this point; between these structures is a bursa which should facilitate a smooth gliding motion. However, when inflamed, the iliotibial band does not glide easily, and pain associated with movement is the result.
I made it in to the doctor today and he confirmed the problem. He worked on it a bit to try and loosen it up and then wrapped it. I will continue to ice it and take it easy for the next few days. He said I can try riding on it this Sunday. With the Addison race only two weeks away I don't want to stay off the bike for very long. Hopefully it will heal quickly.
4 comments:
Yikes, be careful with that. Scott inflamed his in spin class over the winter and had to take a month off. We have a styrofoam roller that he would lay on top and roll on to loosen up his IT band. It guess it hurt quite a bit but it worked!
Thanks, the tape job seems to have helped, I can walk quite a bit better this morning. I'm to leave it on for a few days. I will ask the doc if I should be wearing some kind of brace or bandage while I ride. I can't stop riding now, maybe after November.
Yeah, check it out. I think that there is a brace that sits below the knee that is designed to stabalize the IT band. I see a lot of runners wearing it.
I saw your post about schedules and expenses. I was talking to Dan Jansen and he wants to get a big group of MIchiganders to travel to most of the Nat end series next year to make it super cheap. I'll keep you posted...since it's pretty far away :-)
Sound like a plan, I usually get a new minivan each year through a DCX lease so mileage is not an issue. With the rack on top four bikes is not a problem with plenty of room inside. If I put on a hanging rack I could probably take two more. Shari wants to do some of them as well.
Post a Comment