After watching The Biggest Loser tonight I saw Darus's knee injury, which I know all to well. The ileotibial (IT) band syndrome injury has been my number one show stopper in running my marathons. It is an excriciating knee pain when running, but disappears when walking. The IT band is the muscle that stretches from the hip, goes over the femur head, runs along the lateral side of your leg, crosses over your knee, and inserts into your tibia. As friction is added to the muscle from the knee bone it becomes inflammed and irritated causing immense amounts of pain. This usually becomes a problem when running increased number of miles as in training for a marathon. The hips of women are created in such a way that we tend to be pronators, and pronation can be a cause along with bow leggedness. It's an injury that takes 4-6 weeks of rest to heal.
There are multiple way
s to help prevent the injury. The number one way being to stretch. The best way I can explain this stretch is to stand against something such as a tree or the back of a couch. While standing cross your right leg over your left. With the left leg behind the right, shift all of your weight into the left hip and hold the stretch, then do it vice versa for the right IT band.
I have also bought "The stick." The stick is like a roller for your muscles. When the stick is rolled over your muscles it breaks up muscle adhesions that form to
your bones. The idea behind it is that if your calf muscles are tight then they pull tighter on the thigh muscles, and when this tightness occurs the more friction between the muscle and bone. So start rolling out your muscles from foot to hip. A kitchen rolling pen can also be used for this. To really get the upper thigh muscles lay on the pen and roll back and forth. It can be bought at almost any marathon expo. I have also found it at the running store in Chicago.
http://www.thestick.com/how/index.cfm
Glucosamine with chondroitin and msm also will increase production of synovial fluid in your knees and help with the lubrication of your knees and joints. I have talked with a physical therapist and it must have the msm component as well as the chondrotin. However I am not a pill taker and can not remember to take them. It takes 4 weeks for the vitamins to be at a helpful level.
One of my races I wasn't only feeling it in my knee, but my hip too which the IT band crosses. Luckily that was a shorter race. However if you get to race day like me, and are determined to run the race no matter what there are a few things you can do. I have a stretchy Ace knee brace, inwhich I have put bags of ice to numb the pain. I have also taped my knees before to provide a bra so to speak, that will support my knee and help hold the muscle up when it's being pulled from below. My knees always feel lighter when I wear a brace or tape them. There are also IcyHot/Bengay pain patches that can be stuck on the knee that will last 5 hours. I stick them in my knee brace to help hold them on since the sticky side of the patch doesn't stick the best. Finally you can take Tylenol or Tylenol aches and pains. Tylenol is metabolized through the liver; however, never take Ibuprofen, Motrin, etc. Those are metabolized through the kidney, and with the high amounts of water being drank during marathons it will lead to kidney failure.
There are multiple way
s to help prevent the injury. The number one way being to stretch. The best way I can explain this stretch is to stand against something such as a tree or the back of a couch. While standing cross your right leg over your left. With the left leg behind the right, shift all of your weight into the left hip and hold the stretch, then do it vice versa for the right IT band.I have also bought "The stick." The stick is like a roller for your muscles. When the stick is rolled over your muscles it breaks up muscle adhesions that form to
your bones. The idea behind it is that if your calf muscles are tight then they pull tighter on the thigh muscles, and when this tightness occurs the more friction between the muscle and bone. So start rolling out your muscles from foot to hip. A kitchen rolling pen can also be used for this. To really get the upper thigh muscles lay on the pen and roll back and forth. It can be bought at almost any marathon expo. I have also found it at the running store in Chicago.http://www.thestick.com/how/index.cfm
Glucosamine with chondroitin and msm also will increase production of synovial fluid in your knees and help with the lubrication of your knees and joints. I have talked with a physical therapist and it must have the msm component as well as the chondrotin. However I am not a pill taker and can not remember to take them. It takes 4 weeks for the vitamins to be at a helpful level.
One of my races I wasn't only feeling it in my knee, but my hip too which the IT band crosses. Luckily that was a shorter race. However if you get to race day like me, and are determined to run the race no matter what there are a few things you can do. I have a stretchy Ace knee brace, inwhich I have put bags of ice to numb the pain. I have also taped my knees before to provide a bra so to speak, that will support my knee and help hold the muscle up when it's being pulled from below. My knees always feel lighter when I wear a brace or tape them. There are also IcyHot/Bengay pain patches that can be stuck on the knee that will last 5 hours. I stick them in my knee brace to help hold them on since the sticky side of the patch doesn't stick the best. Finally you can take Tylenol or Tylenol aches and pains. Tylenol is metabolized through the liver; however, never take Ibuprofen, Motrin, etc. Those are metabolized through the kidney, and with the high amounts of water being drank during marathons it will lead to kidney failure.
After the race, REST! Stay off of your knee running for 4-8 weeks. It'd probably heal faster if we didn't have to use our legs for walking. Legs and feet take longer to heal when we are on them. However walking won't add to the injury. Walking is not as intense, causing the quick and constant friction that running does.
No comments:
Post a Comment