What is the IT Band?
The IT Band is a part of the body that is somewhat of a mystery to many. You’ve probably heard of it but are you confident about where it is or what it does? We’ll answer these questions today. The IT band is the abbreviation for the iliotibial band. This band is an extension of your hip muscles. It is a long band of connective tissue or fascia that runs down the outside of your thigh from your hip to just below your knee. When there is inflammation related to the IT band, it is often noticed along the outside of the knee or the pain can refer up to the outside of the hip. This inflammation and the pain that often comes along with it is known as IT band syndrome.
If you have IT Band syndrome, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Pain and/or tenderness on the outside of your knee
- You may also notice clicking or popping with movement
If this is ignored, it can lead to poor mechanics and has the possibility to lead to pain in other joints. The pain could worsen and could start to keep you from your exercise, sports and recreational activities. Or it could progress and cause you to have pain with simple every day activities like walking, using the stairs or even sitting or standing.
Physical Therapy can help if you are suffering from IT band syndrome. We will assess your symptoms and create a plan of care to focus on stretching, strengthening and correcting body mechanics to get you back to your activities and goals with less pain and better mechanics.
By Dr. Billy Beaudreau, PT, DPT, MTC, OCS, FAAOMPT