Sunday, October 12, 2008

ITBFS


Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome. A runner that has Genu Varum (bow legged); and who's sport requires them to run in straight lines will be prone to this type of tendinitis. The stretch pictured above should be a regular part of this athlete's program. The athlete stands in a slight stride stance, with the involved leg behind, toes of both feet pointed straight ahead . The back knee is kept in full extension. The foot is supinated by way of a slant board (just prop a T shirt underneath the medial border of the foot if you don't have one). The right arm is relaxed at the side, then does a maximal left lateral overhead reach, then returns to the starting position. 3 sets of 20 reps are performed. Note: Watch for the athlete "bailing out" in the the transverse plane. If this occurs, you may need to place the athlete's lead foot more medially, and/or move closer to the wall.


Performing myofascial release with this stretch is easy!:

1. Position either hand midway down the athlete's lateral thigh, with the heel cephalid & the fingers caudal.
2. Press firmly into the thigh, then direct your tension distally.
3. On subsequent sets, place the hand proximally and distally along the path of the ITB.
4. It may also be helpful to place your hand on the anterior border (VL), or the posterior border (BF).

The athlete is actually doing the release himself, with minimal intervention by the ATC.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Joe,
Thanks for the added stretch for this. I usually have the kids do the foam roll followed by self stretch of calves (incline board), kneeling or standing hip flexor stretch, and then follow with activation exercises for the glutes and finish it off with dynamic exercises for the glutes. I know recipe rehab if frowned down upon but I have great success with this. Now I will have one more "tool" to add with the stretch you just showed.
I have also posted about ITBFS on my blog over at www.trainbetterllc.com if you want to check it out.