Looks like I might miss Olympic run. Feeling miserable. Come and cheer me up....

[Wiifitmama]

I got one of the coveted ballot places in the lottery olympic run on the 31st of march. I have been so looking forward to it. But three weeks ago I injured my IT band quite badly. I have seen a physio for a few sessions and a knee specialist (had MRI to confirm it wasn't anything more sinister). He did a steroid injection which worked for a few days but I have had a relapse (not through exercising as I have been on complete rest) and it is mega painful again. I am sooooo upset about theolympic run. There is only 4 weeks left (as the helpful email they sent out today reminded me) and I just can't see how I have any hope of doing it. I am so sad.

No-one wants to make me feel better??

One last bump before I drown my sorrows in chocolate.

TBH I don't know which event you speak of, I don't undrstand your injury and I definitely don't get your desire to run x miles...

[quick google] ok, first to cross th efinish line, I can get that if you're a runner away.

Sorry to hear you're likely to have to miss something you mind about. Whether \i get it or not that's shit. I understand why you're sad and hope you feel better soon.

How did you injure your IT band?

Sorry to hear that Wifitmama - are you seeing physio again soon? Perhaps all is not lost?

Thanks everyone. Not sure how I injured it exactly but most likely down to never stretching, extremely tight IT band, glutes etc.

I am seeing a new physio next week as I am not confident the current one has enough sports knowledge and is not treating me aggressively enough.

But the reality is that there is just not enough time to realistically be able to run this.

I do appreciate the sympathy though. I am so frustrated at three weeks of no exercise of any kind so far. Very depressing.

I am currently recovering from ITBS (not anywhere as bad as yours by the sounds of it).

Do you have a foam roller? You need to be rolling it out for 15mins a day, it will hurt like buggery but keep doing it. Do both sides as unless you are seriously weird the other side will be tight too.

You also need to be rolling /stretching your other leg muscles too, esp quads, hamstrings and calves. Both legs.

If you can afford get yourslef booked in for some sports massages. They will really help with the tightness.

I have a foam roller but physio told me not to use it yet as I need to just rest the injury. She did some massage but not deep enough in my opinion. That is why I am going to see a diffent one next week as I just feel she is being too conservative.

Oh and make sure you are seeing a sports injury specialist not an NHS physio.

And when you get a bit better video yourself running and get your gait analysed as the way you run may have contributed towards this. Doesn't need to be a great video, just get someone to film you running past them, and then post it on the POSE or chi running forums on fetcheveryone and you'll get some great free feedback from coaches on your biodynamics.

Is your actual ITB band injured, or is the bursa below it inflamed?

Forgot to say, I paid for a session with a personal trainer this week to design me a programme of stretches and exercises to strengthen hips and glutes and improve mobility. She has told me not to do them as they mostly involve bending my knee is some way and she feels this is bad for the recovering it band.

Yes it is the it band, I had a MRI to confirm it.

Things might change - you still have 4 weeks, don't give up hope just yet. I feel your pain though - I have a half marathon to do in 4 weeks and after all my training would be gutted if I developed an injury and couldn't do it

Listen to medical advice over me :-) if you can't roll it out yet I can't see any reason why you can't start work on your other muscles - and you could always roll out the IT band on the other leg :-)

I know it's a total bugger not being able to race, and just depressing to not be able to run at all. But the important thing is to get this fixed, and to get it fixed permanently.

It's frustrating as all my googling shows other people cross training while recovering from IT band injuries, but I have been advised to do nothing. Not even my beloved weights. To be fair, walking hurts like hell so I guess my injury is n the severe end of the spectrum. But it's amazing how not being active can affect mood so severely.

Was it a sudden injury? Did it just 'go', or has it been getting gradually worse for a while?

It was extremely sudden. One day it just started hurting. By the end of the next day it was agony.

Did it go when you were running? Or just walking? Is your ITB inflamed or actually torn in some way?

No, not while running. It happened after a day out n heels (which I am not used to wearing). I was walking on them for 12 hours on and off. The MRI shows it is intact.

Hmm, if it is intact presumably the pain is caused by inflammation caused by friction at the knee.

In which case I (in no way a medical professional) can't see how rolling it out/stretching could make it worse. In fact if you have tight ITBs then it's not going to be able to heal properly unless you stretch it out.

Out of interest, have you tried rolling out your ITB on the good side?

I totally agree with you. And that is why I did the pt session to start stretching everything. I have not tried foam rolling yet either side, but I did try a classic IT stretch (leg crossed into knee of other leg and pulled upwards) and it is way tighter on my"good" side. Presumably as it has not been massaged at all.

I am desperate to get active again. So tempted to go against physio's advice and do something this weekend. Not seeing other physio until Tuesday evening which seems so far away. Also seeing knee Dr for follow up on Wednesday.

Thanks for chatting with me about this by the way :)

If it is inflamed not torn then repetitive knee bending bad (esp if high impact like running), but stretching good. I think it is not getting better because it can't.

Try rolling your ITB on your good side, it shouldn't hurt but I bet it does. Rolling is a lot more effective then stretching, ITB very hard to stretch and some people (like me) just can't.

I am not a medical professional but I would repeat my earlier advice. Roll out ITB on good side all the way from hip bone to knee bone, it will probably really, really hurt (to the extent of making you cry). This is not a bad thing, you are not making things worse. Keep doing this and over time it will become pain free. The first few times as you roll close to your knee you will feel it pulling on your knee, this feels weird and very very wrong, but tis fine.

Still with me? Once you've had a go on your good side have a go on your bad side. If it feels significantly more painful then wait until you have asked physio. If it is no more excruciating than good side roll it out for 15mins then ice until it goes numb.

Repeat daily, as often as you can stand.

You also need to properly stretch your hamstrings, calves and quads.

It is important you do both sides, both sides are probably equally bad and it is just luck that one side went.

Oh, and a massage that is actually going to help you should really really hurt. I was chewing the pillow with tears in my eyes :-)

Xposts, i'm sure our chat is boring the pants of anyone else :-) i know how awful it is to not be able to run though :-(

Thank you. That is very helpful. I am going to bed now but will try it tomorrow. The stretching I did did nOt feel like it was doing anything.