How to Ease the Pain with IT Band Pain Syndrome Stretches

IT Band Pain is uncomfortable.The IT Band is the connective tissue that runs along the outer thighs. One of the most common injuries that runners and speed walkers suffer is the tightening and inflammation of the iliotibial band.  This injury is also known as the IT Band Syndrome. It happens mostly among these athletes because the swelling is usually a result of a prolonged intense workout. It can also be due to increased activity that causes the leg to turn inward.

Possible Causes of IT Band Pain

It is possible that you feel the tightness in your IT band even without exercise. It can simply be a consequence of just having weak hips, a misalignment on your pelvis or having tight muscles connected to your IT band. For example, the gluteus maximus in your buttocks or the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) in your thighs. [From Wikipedia —”The tensor fasciae latae works in synergy with the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles to abduct and medially rotate the femur. The TFL is a hip abductor muscle. To stretch the tensor fasciae latae, the knee may be brought medially across the body.”]

How to Try to Prevent IT Band Pain

There are a few things you can do to prevent IT band pain syndrome. Going for deep tissue massages is highly recommended by physical therapists. You can also invest in a foam roller and a yoga mat to stretch out the muscles connected to your IT band.

One of the easiest and most effective stretches is the wall IT band stretch. It’s very simple — all you need is a wall to execute this stretch.

To start, face your right side to the wall. Be sure and stand a little bit more than an arm’s distance away from it. Next, lean your right hand on the wall and keep your right arm straight. Next, place your left hand on your hip. With your legs straight, move your right hip toward the wall. Move until you feel a stretch in your right outer hip. Make sure to squeeze your glutes and engage your abs.

You need to do this for 30 seconds, rest for 5 seconds and then repeat for 30 seconds again. It is always best to do this stretch on both sides. Although it seems so easy, this stretch really does work wonders in releasing the tightness in the muscles around your IT band.

There is also a wonderful stretch where you stand straight and cross one leg in front of the other. Then, you bend forward at the waist and try to tough your toes. You will feel the stretch in your IT band in the leg that is in the back. Reverse your legs and repeat.  You’ll want to hold each stretch for several seconds, rest and repeat.

If you are into yoga, poses like the revolved triangle or revolved forward fold also can do a lot in releasing the tension around the muscles surrounding your IT band.

Additional Solutions to Help with IT Band Pain

A nice additive to give you extreme relief during your stretches is using a soothing muscle cream.

In addition to keeping your feet healthy and helping with dry cracked heels, our Edorai Foot Cream does soothe sore muscles.  So, you can feel free to rub a little over the sore areas on your legs. Edorai Foot Cream contains wintergreen essential oil which is an effective anti-inflammatory. Wintergreen oil helps in easing pain and cramps in your aching muscles. Our Edorai Foot Cream also contains arnica. which is a natural pain reliever.

In addition our Edorai ‘O, So Nice!’ Soothing Cream  delightful relief for aches and pains, is wonderful for helping reduce inflammation and ease the pain in your IT bands. The combination of CBD, jojoba oil, coconut oil and arnica will provide relief so you can get back to your regular activities.

By incorporating self-care, foam rolling and regular stretching in your daily routine, you will definitely help reduce the tightness in your IT band. You will also minimize the discomfort you feel in your movement.