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I have struggled for a while with Illiotibial Band pain or Illiotibial Band Friction Syndrome when cycling and running, here are some of the things that I have done to get rid of the pain:

When it is inflammed:

  1. Cataflam (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory - NSAID)
  2. Ice
  3. Transact patches (topical anti-inflammatory)
  4. Rest

Prevention:

  1. Hamstring strectches
  2. Massage (cross friction on ITB)
  3. Strengthening of gluteus medius
  4. Stretching of gluteus medius and TFL (Tensor Fascia Latae)
  5. Foam roller
  6. Bike setup correction (moving saddle forward worked for me)

There are some good resources on the Internet, here are some I have read:

Cycling Problems - ITB Pain And Tightness, by Karen Doyle

ITBS Help Site

What have you done to get rid of ITBS?

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2  
Please try to focus on asking a specific question, rather than generating a discussion-board style post, or answering your own question. – Dustin Aug 26 '10 at 16:38
Is 'What have you done to get rid of ITBS?' not specific enough? – Richard Tasker Aug 30 '10 at 7:52
3  
Have you tried getting a professional bike fit to make sure your bike is setup properly? – jenglert Aug 30 '10 at 15:22

3 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

Not sure if my direct pain was related to ITBS - but this cut out a lot of pain I was having. http://www.kneesaver.net/ I am large person and this reduce a lot of pain I was getting in my inner thighs and hip.

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up vote 2 down vote

Part of the solution for me was orthotics in my shoes. According to the chiropractor I was working with, pronation in the feet can cause stress up the leg to the ITB and all the way up into the lower back.

I put orthotics in my regular shoes and my running shoes. My bike fitter was able to put shims in my biking shoes in the cleats to help with pronation on the bike.

YMMV, but it was part of the solution with stretches, ice, the stick, and massage to get rid of the pain.

Good luck.

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up vote 2 down vote

I saw a sports doctor and he performed an ITB release. It was a very quick procedure peformed under local anasthetic where they partially cut the ITB, lengthening it. I walked out of the doctors and was back on the bike a few weeks. Since then I've had no trouble at all. I would really recommend discussing it with your doctor.

Surgery is mentioned on wikipedia. There is more information here

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