IT Band Treatment
You are looking for IT band treatment you can do right at home. If your Iliotibial Band is tender and inflamed, you may feel like you’d do anything to get some relief! Check out these proven ways you can get relief at home. Icing the Area Try icing the sore area for 10 – 20 minutes at a time. Various sizes and styles of icepacks that you can keep in your freezer are available at most drugstores. Or, use a Ziploc bag with ice cubes or crushed ice. Add a little water to the ice bag so it will conform to your body. Another thing you can do is keep paper cups filled with water in your freezer. Peel the top of the cup away and massage the ice-cup over your IT Band in a circular pattern, allowing the ice to melt away. If you don’t have anything else handy, you can always use a bag of frozen peas or corn. It’s a reusable treatment method that is also edible! Before you begin, don’t forget to elevate your leg. Okay, so you’re not a contortionist, but try to prop your leg up above the level of your heart while icing--this will further help reduce swelling. Did you know that icing for too long can actually causes frostbite? Be sure to watch the clock, and do NOT ice longer than 20 minutes. Don’t allow ice to sit against your skin without a layer of protection. Either continually move the ice as if you’re giving yourself an “ice massage,” or use a thin towel between the ice and your skin.
Stretching Stretching is a key element of IT Band Treatment. When done correctly IT Band stretches can lengthen and decrease pain. There are a number of stretches that specifically target the IT Band area. Click on this article to find out which stretches can work into your IT Band Treatment right now!
Pilates Exercises
Pilates exercises are great for IT Band Treatment because of their low-impact nature. There are no pavement-pounding or other jarring motions involved. Also, with Pilates you focus on stretching and elongating your muscles as you strengthen them. Recently, health experts have found that people with a weakened or fatigued gluteus medius muscle in the hip are more likely to end up with IT Band syndrome. This muscle controls outward movements of the hip. If the gluteus medius isn’t doing its job, the thigh tends to turn inward. The IT Band becomes tightened against the bursa on the side of the knee. Pilates exercises such as the side kick series detailed in my e-book will strengthen the gluteus medius. Check out great pictures and descriptions in the Pilates ebook available here today!
IT Band treatment can be helped by using Pilates exercises. They have worked for me to help ease the ache and tension in my IT Band area.
Knee Sways Position: Lay on your back, feet flat on the mat and hip distance apart, arms at sides. Movement: Inhale to prepare, then exhale and allow both your legs to sway to the side, keeping your feet on the mat. Your pelvis and lower back (lumbar spine) will rotate. Inhale, come back to center. Exhale as legs drop to other side. Do 6 on each side. Tips: Keep your ribcage on the mat—remember, movement is from the waist down. Think of “anchoring” your shoulders.
Single Leg Stretch Position: Lie on your back, pull one knee into your chest and extend the other leg long, feeling your hip open up. You can lift your head and shoulders off the mat, or keep them down on the mat. Movement: Switch legs and pull the other knee into your chest as the opposite leg stretches out. Repeat 8 -10 times per leg. Tips: Be sure not to lose your neutral spine by overarching your back. If your back arches, bring your legs higher off the mat during the exercise. Imagine your leg stretching for miles and miles, as the big toe lengthens away from the hips.
FOAM ROLLER You can also use a big foam roller to help stretch the area. Lie sideways on the roller and slowly roll from hip to knee. As you roll your body weight along the foam, you massage through restrictions in your muscle and fascia. For more detail on this method Click on this article to find out which stretches can work into your Iliotibial Band Treatment right now!
What your doctor can do to help your IT Band Treatment If the swelling and pain persists, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications or suggest an injection of cortisone into the bursa. Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication that may help reduce the inflammation and take away the pain. Your doctor may also prescribe an'orthosis', which is a special insole that supports your foot and prevents too much inward rolling of the foot. Excessive inward rolling of the foot during exercise can cause your shin bone to rotate inwards, placing excessive stress on your IT Band.
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