Before surgery I of course tried pretty much everything: seeing a PT,
cortisone shot, autologous blood injection, the strap you mentioned,
ultrasound, electrophoresis, foam roller, etc. Clearly most cases aren't as
bad as mine, and I think the main reason mine is so bad is that initially I
had a horrible doctor who encouraged me to "tough it out and look up
stretches on the internet" instead of sending me to a PT like he should
have.

It's good you're seeing a PT this early. Just make sure they confirm the
diagnosis of itbs and be very devoted to doing what they tell you. They'll
probably show you some stretches and work on strengthening your quads,
glutes, and hips. They might also do some massage, ultrasound, and possibly
electrophoresis. And they'll want you to ice. Ice is fine, but also keep
in mind that too much cold can hurt you in the sense that it'll tighten
things up, which is exactly what you're trying to avoid!

I am not a fan of the itbs band (eg, pratt strap). It did not help me
whatsoever. I think one of the main reasons it didn't is that, while I'm
not a tub of lard, I do have a little fat on my legs which made it such that
pulling the strap tight made the strap curl up and dig into my leg in a
painful and ineffective manner. That said, I suppose the strap works well
for others. An Ace bandage applied in the same way is a cheap alternative
worth trying I think.

I would stay away from the elliptical. If you can do it without any pain
then go for it I guess, but I think swimming is your best bet. Your it band
gets aggravated whenever you bend your knee, so if you're doing swimming
kicks in which you can keep your legs more or less straight the whole time
there should theoretically be no aggravation of the it band.



On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 2:28 PM, Donna Gonzales <abilibby2@...> wrote:

> Thanks for the advice. Prior to surgery did you go to a physical
> therapist? and did that help? I will be seeing one next week and want to
> know what to look out for, or what questions to ask.
> Also, have you tried an itbs band? did that help?
> I was thinking of maintaining my cardio on the elliptical machine but do
> not know if that will further aggravate my leg. I was going to start that
> next week.
>
> --- On Fri, 10/10/08, Alex Perkins
<taperkins@...<taperkins%40gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> From: Alex Perkins <taperkins@... <taperkins%40gmail.com>>
> Subject: Re: [itbs] New to the group
> To: itbs@yahoogroups.com <itbs%40yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Friday, October 10, 2008, 11:17 AM
>
> Donna, stop running until you have absolutely zero pain. I know this
> probably doesn't even seem like an option to you, but take it from someone
> who hasn't been able to run for two years and just recently had itbs
> surgery. I don't want to scare you too much, but you really should be as
> cautious as possible. Plan on taking 2-3 weeks off and in that time do lots
> of stretches, massage (foam roller is best), and quad + hip strengthening.
> Figuring out the ultimate cause of your itbs is also extremely important.
> In my case I suspect (although am not 100% sure) that it had to do with
> running on sloped sidewalks and overtraining in general.
>
> Best of luck, and I hope this is the last time we hear from you on this
> email list!
>
> On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 7:08 AM, Donna Gonzales <abilibby2@yahoo. com>
> wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> > I am new to this group and looking for any and all tips on how best to
> > heal, strengthen, and otherwise continue to run with itbs. I have been
> > sidelined from an upcoming marathon and I cannot express how ultimately
> > frustrating it is.
> > thanks
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]