Aloha guys:
I was happy with my leg progress as a reformed couch potato, getting flexible enough to squat below 90 degrees and pulled 275 for 9 reps deadlifting last friday. Yesterday went hiking in the mountains above Pearl Harbor.
At the end of the hike my illio-tibial band at the left side of my knee seized up.
Would this be from the weights, the 4 mile cardio walks, or the 1000 altitude steep down hill to the waterfall at the bottom of the valley?
What do I do to stop the pain?
How do I prevent this in the future.
Thanks for the help!
Wow, two opportunities in one night to reference an old compendium from an ATC course! This sound right?
Iliotibial ?Band? Friction Syndrome-a condition characterized by pain at the lateral femoral condyle during and after weight bearing exercises. Such activities cause great stress to the greater trochanter and the lateral femoral condyle, and the IT band is irritated as it moves posteriorly during knee flexion and anteriorly during knee extension. The pain may also be noticeable superiorly on the femur (in relation to the lateral femoral condyle) point and at the tibial attachment of the IT band. IT band friction syndrome is most common among runners, weightlifters, cyclists, and volleyball participants. Besides pain, signs and symptoms include decreased performance and crepitus of the knee. While excessive weight bearing exercise is usually the cause, several factors can predispose an athlete to IT band friction syndrome. These factors include genu varus (bow legs), discrepancy in leg length, prominence of the greater trochanter of the femur, abnormal foot pronation, and improper training techniques (e.g. excessive mileage, insufficient warm-up). Treatment should include RICE, NSAIDs, and a rehabilitation program that emphasizes flexibility and strength at the hip and knee joints. Steroid injections may be necessary in severe cases of IT band friction syndrome.
A great IT band stretch is get in the supine position, flex your knee to 90-degrees, and attempt to touch your heel to your opposite oblique (you’ll have to pull on your calf). Sounds like you just weren’t quite ready for the workload. A little R&R is probably what it’ll take to get you back to your old self ASAP. Hope this helps.
Eric:
Thanks, sounds like I fell into a popular trap. Rest and stretch I will.
Can’t wait to use crepitus in my next scrabble battle.
Mahalo!