You do not have to stop running if you have Anterior Compartment Syndrome. However, in many cases it may be too painful for you to want to run. If you do want to persist with running, taking walking breaks will help you to run for longer without pain.

Taking frequent walking breaks during your runs will allow the muscles that are overworking, swelling, and causing the increase in pressure, to relax a little before the next bout of running.

This video offers some more essential advice when it comes to running with Anterior Compartment Syndrome:

Essential Running Injury Prevention Workouts >>
Free Download [PDF]

What is Anterior Compartment Syndrome?

Anterior Compartment Syndrome (ACS) is a relatively common running injury that afflicts the anterior tibial compartment (the front of your shin). It is a form is Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome (CECS).

In ACS, pressure builds up inside this anterior compartment. The reason for this increase in intracompartmental pressure is still unclear amongst researchers, but one suggested mechanism is the increase in muscle volume (by up to 20%) in exercising muscles of the lower leg.

This pressure can lead to pain and swelling as it compresses blood vessels, nerves and other structures within the anterior compartment.

Symptoms of Anterior Compartment Syndrome

The symptoms of Anterior Compartment Syndrome can include:

• intense localised pain in the shin region, potentially tracking down into the foot.
  tenderness of the shin region.
• a feeling of tightness in the muscles of the lower leg.
• a feeling of weakness in the muscles of the lower leg.
• a tingling or burning sensation.

numbness can also be present in cases where nerves are being compressed.

The anterior shin pain usually sets in predictably after a certain period of running or even walking, and will normally ease within a day of stopping exercise.

Treatment for Anterior Compartment Syndrome

Once you have been diagnosed with Anterior Compartment Syndrome, treatment options are unfortunately fairly limited. Typically surgery will be discussed fairly quickly.

A surgical procedure known as a fasciotomy involves cutting the fascia of the anterior compartment of the lower leg, to allow more space for the expanding tissues to use when you exercise, reducing the pressure in the anterior compartment.

However, it has also been reported (and I have also experienced myself) that making changes to your running gait can be very effective in taking the strain off the muscles (such as tibialis anterior) that often get overused and contribute to the increased pressure in ACS.

When it comes to running technique, all the runners I have treated for Anterior Compartment Syndrome, all of them have come to me as heel striking runners.

As I described in this previous article about changing running technique to conquer Anterior Compartment Syndrome, gradually changing your running form over time, and transitioning from a heel striking running form to become more of a midfoot or forefoot runner will help to reduce your symptoms – in many cases even fix the issue.

Just bear in mind that in changing to a midfoot or forefoot running style, you will be placing more demand on your calf muscles and achilles tendon. To avoid trading one type of injury for another, be sure to follow a structured training plan like this free Return to Running Plan.

Are Compression Socks Good for Anterior Compartment Syndrome?

Simply put, no. Given that Anterior Compartment Syndrome is caused by the increased pressure within the lower leg, adding more pressure to the region through compression is more likely to make your symptoms worse, rather than helping to ease your pain.

Essential Running Injury Prevention Workouts >>
Free Download [PDF]

Does Massage Help Anterior Compartment Syndrome?

Sports massage after exercise can help to return the muscles and other soft tissues of the lower leg to their resting state, reduce pressure within the anterior compartment, and to improve recovery in general.

Regular sports massage has been known to help delay the onset of Anterior Compartment Syndrome symptoms during a run, but certainly isn’t a cure to the problem.

If you do find sports massage to be helpful, every case is different after all, you may want to look into regularly doing some self-massage work on your shins and lower legs with a foam roller or tennis ball.

This video has some techniques for you to try:

Which Running Shoes for Anterior Compartment Syndrome?

When it comes to selecting running shoes to help you recover from Anterior Compartment Syndrome, the need for extra support or cushioning isn’t as important is it often is for injuries like Shin Splints or Runner’s Knee.

In fact the best option in most cases is to look for a shoe that will facilitate your transition away from a heel striking running technique, to a forefoot or midfoot running gait.

Lightweight running shoes with a lower heel-to-toe drop like a Saucony Kinvara (4mm drop) will make it a little easier for you to change your running form in this way. Just be sure to take my earlier advice… change your running form gradually!

Read Next >>
How to Engage Your Glutes Before Running

The post Can You Run with Anterior Compartment Syndrome? appeared first on Kinetic Revolution - Run Strong, Injury Free - Running Blog.

As a guide, you should expect it to take two to six weeks to recover from shin splints. Runners with more irritable shin pain may take up to six months to fully heal. Runners who rest their shins as soon as symptoms begin usually return to pain-free running more quickly.

The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to quicken your shin splints recovery time. A proactive approach to your recovery will help your shin splints heal, allowing you to return to running sooner.

Build Strength to Prevent Shin Splints >>
Free Workouts [PDF]

Shin splints is often used as a catch-all term to describe many different types of shin pain. However in this article, I’m going to be referring to medial tibial stress syndrome when using the term “shin splints”.

This common injury amongst runners is caused by an overloading of the shin bone (tibia) tissue, particularly the inner aspect (medial side).

Such overloading in the case of runners is caused by the repetitive stress and impact of running itself.

Shin Splints: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention <- You can learn more about the causes of shin splints here…

Let’s take a look at some important factors and common questions that will dictate how quickly you can expect to recover from shin splints…

How long should you rest from running when you have shin splints?

If you begin to experience shin pain caused by shin splints, take a two week rest from running. This break from running will give your tibia (shin bone) the best chance of healing without the added loading of running.

During this two week rest from running, consider low-impact forms of cross training such as cycling, swimming, using the elliptical trainer, or simply focusing on run-specific strength training.

As frustrating as it is to rest from running for two weeks at the first sign of shin splints, you should know that it’s an injury that quickly gets worse if you try to continue running through it.

At the extreme end of the scale, running with shin splints will result in painful tibial stress fractures.

Stress fractures like these are not uncommon in military recruits who have significant external pressures to “push through the pain” and continue to run through their shin pain.

You don’t need stress fractures in your life. Trust me.

Best take two weeks off now, rather than wish you had done so six months from now!

The Hop Test for Running After Shin Splints

At the end of your two week rest from running, your shins should no longer feel tender to touch, and you should be able to hop pain-free 12 times on the affected leg. Thanks to physio Brad Beer for introducing me to this test!

If you still experience tenderness to touch, or you are unable to pass the “hop test”, then you should take another 1-2 weeks rest from running, then re-test. Repeat this process until you can complete the hop test pain free. Use this as your simple return to running criteria.

As you return to running after shin splints, it is important that you slowly and gradually rebuild both the duration of each individual run, and the weekly volume of your running. Your shins need time to adapt to the stress of running once again.

Feel free to use this free return to running plan to guide your training as you start to run again after shin splints:

Return to Running Plan >>
Free Download [PDF]

Do shin splints require surgery?

Treatment for shin splints does not typically require surgery. Shin splints, as with most bone stress injuries typically respond very well to rest and subsequent load management as you return to running.

However, if your shin pain returns as soon you start running after shin splints, having taken the recommended rest, it would be sensible to consider other potential causes for your shin pain, beyond shin splints. Injuries such as tibialis posterior tendinopathy and compartment syndrome can cause shin pain in runners.

In cases where compartment syndrome is the underlying cause of shin pain with running, surgery may be required as a solution if other treatment methods fail.

Will your shin splints get worse if you continue to run?

As previously mentioned in this article, shin splints is not an injury you can continue to run through.

If you continue to run with shin splints, doing so will at best slow your recovery and prolong the shin pain. At worst, it will result in tibial stress fractures and a much longer period of rest from running.

Of course, that’s easy advice to give…

But what if you’re training for a marathon in 6 weeks time?

This is the exact situation I’ve helped runners through many times over the years. As the peak weeks of marathon training kick-in, your shins begin to hurt…

What should you do?

Well, knowing that the ideal answer is to stop and rest for two weeks, the practical solution may look a little more like this:

1. First, you must commit to taking as long as you need for your shins to recover after your marathon.
2. For the remainder of your marathon training, reduce your number of runs per week by 1-2. This will give you more recovery time between each run.
3. Replace your missed runs with low-load alternatives (such as cycling, or rowing). Often replacing a planned speed session with a HIIT workout on the bike or rowing machine, will give you a very similar workout.
4. Focus on continuing to progress your weekly long run while allowing for more recovery before the following run.
5. Try to vary the terrain you’re running on as much as possible, running on soft surfaces like grass where possible.
6. Ensure that you’re doing everything you can to promote bone health, including lifestyle and nutrition factors. You can learn more about this here.

Ultimately, you should listen to your body. If you are able to maintain your shin pain at a level of 0-3 on a scale where 10 is the worst pain imaginable, by following the steps above, then as a therapist I’d be ok with you continuing to train for your marathon.

Just promise me that if you start to feel your shin spins getting more painful (>3/10), either during or after a run, you will stop immediately and take the two weeks off running.

If in the short term you’re able to modify your training and keep running, just know that while your shin splints aren’t getting worse, the injury is also not getting better.

At some point you will need to rest to allow the shin splints to heal once and for all.

What can you do for faster recovery from shin splints?

Your recovery time from shin splints is largely dependent on your ability and willingness to reduce loading on the tibia, by resting from running as the bone heals.

The more you can protect your injured shin from undue loading during the rest period, the faster you will recover from shin splints, and return to running successfully .

As such, please do resist the temptation to sneak out for “test runs” to see if the pain is gone. Commit to taking the two weeks rest before doing the hopping test mentioned earlier in this article, to see if your shin is ready for some light running.

That said, there are a number of things you can do to help you recover faster from shin splints and return to running.

1. Shin Splints Rehab Exercises

Although training errors are largely to blame for shin splints (doing too much, too soon), factors such as tight calves and single leg stability are often cited as being contributing factors.

You can use this period of rest from running to work on rehab exercises to strengthen your calves and improve both ankle and hip stability.

Here’s a video with some examples of exercises you might like to try

Build Strength to Prevent Shin Splints >>
Free Workouts [PDF]

2. Soft Tissue Techniques for Shin Splints

Similarly, you may want to get a regular sports massage to work on any imbalances that might be contributing to your shin pain.

Alternatively, you can try some of the calf foam rolling techniques shown below to help work on any tightness you may feel. Just be sure to avoid the area of tenderness around your inner shins.

3. Daily Footwear for Shin Splints

In some cases, especially if you have a job that requires you to be on your feet all day (e.g. nursing), you should consider whether the shoes you wear for work have an impact on your shin splints. You may find that they do not offer enough support.

This is something you should speak to your physiotherapist about if you’re concerned, as everybody’s feet are different.

Pain relief for shin splints

If you have a particularly irritable and/or severe case of shin splints, you may want to consider some simple forms of pain relief.

The NHS recommends that you can take ibuprofen or paracetamol to help reduce the pain, and that applying ice to the painful area will also help with pain relief for shin splints.

Please DO NOT use pain relief methods, especially medication as a way to get through your next run and to persist with training. Doing so will simply mask your pain and allow the damage to the bone tissue to get much worse.

Remember, pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong and getting you to stop!

Change your running technique to cure shin splints

Beyond simply looking at your running training plan to determine what you need to change in your regular running weeks, so as to protect your shins, we can also consider your running technique.

It’s generally accepted that factors such as overstriding as you run, running with a low running cadence, and running with a cross-over gait can all contribute to more stress on the media tibia, and ultimately be part of the broader picture of biomechanical factors that lead to a runner getting shin splints.

The following video looks at the least commonly discussed factor of the three; running with a cross-over gait.

Of course, making changes to your running technique can take time and mental effort. However, there’s no better time to do so then during your return to running phase after an injury such as shin splints.

I do hope this article has helped you answer the question of how long it will take you to recover from shin splints, and also given you some ideas of things you can do to help yourself along the way.

Good luck with your recovery. I hope you get back to running pain-free soon!

Here’s an article you might find interesting about improving your running form…

Read Next >>
6 Easy Ways to Improve Your Running Technique

The post How Long Does It Take to Recover from Shin Splints? appeared first on Kinetic Revolution - Run Strong, Injury Free - Running Blog.

If you’ve decided that you want to regain your fitness and start running after a long break, I’ve got five tried and tested tips for you which will help you successfully return to running.

Starting to run again after a long break should be done gradually, with a focus on staying injury free and developing the new habit of running regularly. Aim to spend the first 3 months gradually building your weekly mileage.

So many people decide to make a change in their lives, like starting to run regularly, only to fail in making the habit stick for one reason or another. The following tips will help you to avoid the common issues that would-be runners face, so that running can become part of your life once more.

1. Focus on Effort not Pace

During this return to running phase of your new training regime, the main goal is to keep your running effort easy, as you work on building weekly mileage.

This is for two specific reasons:

• Firstly, your body will not yet be conditioned to the stresses that it experiences when running. Intensity of training is a big factor that increases stress on your body. Thus running at a slower pace will help to reduce undue stress and strain during this important adaptation phase.
• In addition, the second (and perhaps more pressing) issue is the big mismatch between how fit and fast your brain thinks you are, based on your previous memory of running, versus the reality of what your body can handle with your current level of running fitness.

Maybe consider leaving your running watch at home, or perhaps setting it up so that you can’t see your pace, only time and/or heart rate!

Doing so will allow you not to judge yourself while running.

Instead focus on your breathing and aim to maintain control of your breathing pattern, so that you could talk in uninterrupted sentences.

Trying to run too fast too soon will only place more stress and strain on your body, and make it more likely that you sustain a running injury in the first few weeks of your return to running.

2. Follow a Training Plan

Whether starting to run again after years off, or training for the Olympics, all runners are more likely to achieve their goals by following a plan, rather than winging it!

You’ll be more likely to successfully start running again if you follow a specific return to running plan.

Feel free to download a free copy of my 12 week return to running plan here:

Return to Running Plan
Free Download [PDF]

This return to running plan is structured to gradually increase your training load as your body gets stronger and can manage more running week-by-week.

The main goal is to keep you injury-free as you start running again after a long time.

3. Join a Running Club (Real or Virtual)

We all have days where running motivation is low. That’s completely normal. The challenge lies in doing it anyway and continuing to build the habit!

Lots of runners have discovered the simple truth that despite running being an individual activity, it’s often better enjoyed with others.

Joining a running community, either an in-person running club or online community like Strava, can be a great way for you to benefit from the motivation and energy that others bring to the party!

Of course you don’t have to formally commit to a club or community if you don’t want to go down that route. You may find that simply arranging to share a run with a friend once a week does the trick.

Becoming a parkrun regular could also be a great option!

It’s a lot harder to bail on a run when you’ll be letting somebody down

Bottom line: make it awkward for yourself to take the soft option and stay home instead of running. After all, you wanted to run when you made the plans!

4. Set Yourself Running Goals

Having a short term running goal to focus on can be another great motivator when it comes to returning to running after a long break.

Consider entering a local 5k or 10k run, rather than being tempted to jump straight to signing-up for a half marathon or marathon.

You can always use that first event as a springboard in your training to set a good foundation for half marathon or marathon training.

Be sure however to give yourself enough time to build slowly and train for this longer term goal.

In the immediate term, perhaps set yourself weekly goals which could be less time or distance focused, and more about consistency.

You could say that for the next month you want to run 3 times per week. This would be perfect in this return to running phase of your training.

5. Cross-Train to Prevent Running Injuries

As previously mentioned, the main focus of this return to running phase is to prevent running injuries while re-building your running fitness.

Injury, after all, is the main reason why both new and returning runners give up on their training.

It’s a well known fact that runners who cross-train and make time for strengthening exercises experience fewer running injuries.

You really can’t afford to ignore this aspect of your weekly training schedule.

Build Strength & Prevent Running Injuries
Free Workouts [PDF]

Particularly during this return to running phase, you may be carrying a little more weight than you would ideally like to run with. That’s totally normal.

If you do feel a little overweight, and know that you are injury prone, consider swapping one of your running sessions per week with a non-weight bearing cardio alternative (like swimming or cycling). This is particularly relevant for runners who have suffered with injuries such as shin splints and plantar fasciitis in the past, where bodyweight does unfortunately play a role.

Check out this core strength routine for runners to get some inspiration:

I’m sure that these tips will help you to successfully start running after a long break.

With the correct approach and return to running plan, you can rebuild your fitness very quickly and find yourself running better than ever.

Good luck!

Read Next >>
STRENGTH TRAINING FOR RUNNERS

The post How to Start Running After a Long Break appeared first on Kinetic Revolution - Run Strong, Injury Free - Running Blog.

Learn to run like Kenenisa Bekele with this breakdown of his iconic running technique.

In the video above, I analyse Kenenisa Bekele’s running technique and discuss what runners like you and I can take away from watching one of the fastest marathon runners in the world. I’ll explain how we can apply these observations to our own training, and each become better runners.

Kenenisa Bekele is one of the all-time greatest distance runners. The footage used for this running analysis video shows him winning the Vitality London Big Half in 2020 with a course record time of 60 minutes 22 seconds.

Fix Your Running Technique >>
Free Training Guide [PDF]

Lots of different factors contribute to Bekele’s prowess as an endurance athlete. One such factor is his great running form. Kenenisa Bekele provides a great example of proper running technique for distance running, that we can all aspire to!

The five aspects of Kenenisa Bekele’s running form I highlight in this video are:

1. FOOTSTRIKE & STRIDE ANGLE

You’ll see that Kenenisa Bekele runs with a midfoot strike, rather than running aggressively on his forefoot, as you might expect from a sprinter. Neither does he land on his heels, as the majority of runners do.

Bekele runs with a midfoot strike, landing close to beneath a flexing knee, rather than overstriding.

He creates a long stride without overstriding, and is able to do so because of the stride angle he creates at the hips – the separation between peak hip extension and peak hip flexion, at terminal stance (the point that his trailing foot leaves the ground).

Such a large stride angle allows him to cover more ground during flight phase.

To emulate this, you can focus on exercises that help to improve hip mobility, and running technique drills to help you “run from the hips”. Hill sprints are a fantastic way of achieving this.

What is Overstriding? Distance Running vs Sprint Technique <- Learn how to find out whether you’re overstriding…

2. STRIDE WIDTH & FOOT PRONATION

Kenenisa Bekele runs without allowing his feet to cross the midline of his body, rather than displaying the type of crossover gait which sometimes occurs as a result of poor core and hip stability, and is also quite commonly seen in forefoot striking runners.

Why is Stride Width Important? <- Learn more about stride width here…

You can see that Bekele strikes the ground with his feet in a supinated position. His feet then roll inwards through pronation during the “loading response” period of his stance phase.

This is completely normal; pronation is something we all do to a greater or lesser extent when we run and walk. His transition from supination to pronation is more pronounced on his right side.

3. RUNNING CADENCE & GROUND CONTACT TIME

Maintaining a high running cadence (stride frequency) not only helps you to prevent overstriding it also allows you to keep a short ground contact time. When you maintain a short ground contact time, your limb stiffness is increased. This increase in limb stiffness allows for a more efficient transfer of energy throughout the body, and into the ground as you run.

Kenenisa Bekele has a running cadence of 180-190 strides per minute with at his half marathon race pace (around 4:37/mile).

How to Increase Your Running Cadence <- Learn simple techniques to improve your stride frequency (cadence)

4. VERTICAL OSCILLATION (BOUNCE)

The world’s best distance runners tend to run with very little “bounce”. They waste little energy moving up-and-down and channel all their effort into efficiently moving forwards.

Kenenisa Bekele is no different. Running with a fast cadence and short contact time will help you to reduce your vertical oscillation and bounce less when you run.

Fix Your Running Technique >>
Free Training Guide [PDF]

5. RUNNING ARM ACTION & UPPER BODY ROTATION

The gentle and relaxed torso rotation you see in Kenenisa Bekele’s running form is a form of counter-rotation to balance out the action of his legs and pelvis. With his upper and lower body working in an opposite rotational pattern, it allows him to use his core muscles more effectively to help drive himself forward.

For more information about how runners use the anterior oblique sling, check out this previous video: Eliud Kipchoge Running Technique Analysis

I can’t wait to see Kenenisa Bekele running the London Marathon 2020 later this year!

Let me know how you get on with trying to apply these principles of Kenenisa Bekele’s running technique to your own running.

Good luck!

Read Next >>
Proper Running Form: Six Ways to Run More Efficiently

The post 5 Ways You Can Run Like Kenenisa Bekele: Running Technique Analysis appeared first on Kinetic Revolution - Run Strong, Injury Free - Running Blog.

In the marathon training Livestream above, I share five of the biggest mistakes made by runners of all types (and particularly first-timers) during marathon training season.

I wish I had been told these realities before my first marathon back in 2011! However, if you follow the marathon training tips in this video, you’ll be able to run stronger and faster on race day.

If you’re currently training for a marathon, be sure to avoid making these common training errors to stay running injury free and keep building your fitness consistently in training for your marathon.

1. Give Yourself Adequate Recovery Between Runs

Not respecting the need for proper recovery between tough marathon training workouts is a big mistake! In your weekly training schedule, be sure to leave as much time as possible between sessions that are particularly intense, like hill reps or interval workouts, and your longer marathon training runs.

Free Marathon Training Plans <- If you're looking for a marathon training plan, check out these free programmes

2. Don’t Play Catch-Up on Missed Sessions

While all the sessions on your marathon training plan are of course important, some are ultimately more important than others.

Try not to miss any training sessions on your beginner marathon training plan… but if you do absolutely have to, be sure to make sure it’s your midweek easy runs that are sacrificed in place of a rescheduled long run.

Of course, sometimes life gets in the way (work demands, family commitments, illness…). If you have to miss a run or two, don’t stress about it and suddenly start juggling your week so that you can catch-up on runs.

Doing so will inevitably result in you sacrificing recovery time between runs and increase the likelihood of you picking-up overuse injuries like ITB syndrome or shin splints.

Instead, identify your key sessions – when training for your first marathon, this is the weekly long run – and make a commitment that “no matter what, you’ll find a way to get the long run done each week” even if you have to sacrifice a midweek easy run to make it happen.

3. Not Taking Easier “Adaptation” Weeks

Going hard every week of your marathon training plan, until taper is never a good idea. This is as true for seasoned marathoners as it is for first-timers!

Remember, every fourth or fifth week of your training plan should have you easing the training load significantly, so as to allow your body to recover properly before you push hard again for the next block of three or four weeks.

These easier weeks (or adaptation weeks) will allow your body to recover properly from the stresses of training hard in the preceding weeks, and put you in a better place to push hard for the following cycle of three or four in your training plan.

This type of training periodisation in your marathon plan allows you to follow a sustainable rhythm of building cumulative training load, then de-loading and recovering, and will help you both physically and mentally to reach marathon day fit, strong and un-injured.

4. Resisit the Temptation of Panic Training!

More is not always better!

As mentioned above, sometimes life gets in the way, and we suddenly realise that our marathon is only 5-weeks away, rather than 16-weeks!

Training often then goes into overdrive in an attempt to make up for the lost time.

If you find yourself in this situation, you should focus on building mileage in the weeks you have available and adjusting your marathon goals accordingly.

Runners who try and overreach with the training time they have remaining are setting themselves up for failure and frustration.

Training for a Marathon in 5 Weeks <- For a good example of this; here's how (and why) I trained for Berlin Maraton in five weeks!

5. Don’t Try to Fit Too Many Types of Session into a Given Week

Consider training on a 14-day cycle, rather than a 7-day cycle if you want to find a way of incorporating track intervals, hill reps workouts, tempo sessions and other types of quality work into your marathon training week. Trying to fit all these sessions into a 7-day window will leave too little time for rest and recovery.

Good luck with training for your first marathon!

FREE MARATHON TRAINING PLANS >>
DOWNLOAD NOW

The post Five Essential Training Tips I Wish I Knew Before My First Marathon appeared first on Kinetic Revolution - Run Strong, Injury Free - Running Blog.

The simple answer is: Yes, most runners will be able to continue training with IT band syndrome.

However, if you do continue to run with iliotibial band syndrome, while you’re unlikely to do any long-term damage, you will most likely delay the time it takes your body to make a full recovery.

Running through IT band syndrome, while possible if you’re willing to endure some discomfort, will extend the time it takes before you can once again run without knee pain.

If you’re currently suffering from iliotibial band syndrome, you’ll be all too familiar with the pain around the outside of the knee.

You’re also maybe wondering if you can continue marathon training with iliotibial band syndrome.

Every year, lots of runners successfully train for, and complete marathons despite suffering from iliotibial band syndrome. However, you will most likely need to adjust your marathon training plan, and race goals to take the injury and its symptoms into account.

Later in this article, I’ll explain how you can adjust your training plan to enable you to continue marathon training with IT band syndrome.

First, let’s begin by getting a better understanding of the injury itself…

Fix Your Knee Pain >>
Free Rehab Guide [PDF]

What is Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

Iliotibial band syndrome is an inflammatory response of the fat pad between the insertion of the iliotibial band – a thick layer of connective tissue – and the bony prominence around the outside of the knee called the lateral femoral condyle.

As an overuse injury, IT band syndrome often strikes runners as they increase their training load in preparation for an upcoming event, such as a marathon or half marathon.

Historically, we thought of iliotibial band syndrome as an issue of friction (repetitive bending of the knee), but more modern evidence suggests it is more an issue of compression.

What Causes IT Band Syndrome? <- Learn more about the common causes of iliotibial band syndrome

Image via @afranklynmiller. Illustrated by Levent Efe

IT band syndrome is relatively common in endurance athletes, especially distance runners and cyclists due to the repetitive nature of both the running and cycling leg action.

Symptoms typically present on the outside of the knee, rather than around the kneecap, and once aggravated generally become more severe as a given workout progresses in duration.

Running a Marathon with Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Let’s get to the big question for those of us with training for a marathon, half marathon, or similar running event…

Will running through IT band syndrome cause you further damage?

The answer to this question is actually very simple:

As uncomfortable as it may be, running through the pain of IT band syndrome is unlikely to cause you any further damage.

Think of iliotibial band syndrome as an issue of irritated tissue, rather than one of damaged tissue.

Continuing to run with iliotibial band syndrome is unlikely to result in further tissue damage, but may make your symptoms worse in the short-term by continuing to irritate the already inflamed fat pad.

My typical analogy here is to think about scratching an insect bite:

Scratching an insect bite rarely makes things better. In fact, we often regret doing it, and would have been better leaving the insect bite alone to let the body’s natural healing processes occur!

So, what can you do to encourage the healing process, treat the pain, and reduce the irritability of your IT band syndrome?

Below I’ve detailed a simple approach you can take to treating IT band syndrome…

Four Steps to Healing Iliotibial Band Syndrome Quickly

As with all injuries, a treatment plan for IT band syndrome needs to be designed for the individual. That said, these simple steps will usually be involved:

1. Reduce Your Training Load to Give Your Knee Pain a Chance to Settle

Whether, we’re talking about iliotibial band syndrome, patellofemoral pain (runner’s knee), or many of the other common “overuse” running injuries, training load management is essential to get your pain under control.

A reduction of your training load will help reduce the aggravating factors for your symptoms, and put your body in a position to heal more effectively, and reduce the irritation.

Of course, this is difficult advice to hear if you’re training for an upcoming event…

If you’re keen to continue training for your upcoming marathon, for example, try shortening the length of your runs but increasing how often you run.

Be sure to remember the following:

• The pain of IT band syndrome is usually aggravated by longer runs.
  Once severely irritated, your knee will take time to settle down before you can recommence your training.
• Weekly mileage is arguably more important than your long run duration when it comes to marathon training.
  However, You can keep your weekly mileage high with more frequent shorter runs, without aggravating your knee with longer sessions.

Training Load Management for Runner’s Knee <- Learn how to manage your injury without having to stop running completely

2. Get Pain Relief for Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Bearing in mind the inflammatory nature of the IT band syndrome, taking advantage of anti-inflammatory strategies are an important step to take in managing the injury.

Ice & Cryotherapy for Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Exactly how and why ice and cryotherapy works is very much still up for debate, but using an ice pack local to the irritated area can usually help with pain relief for IT band syndrome.

Anti-Inflammatory Medication for Iliotibial Band Syndrome

I usually advise that runners discuss a short course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (ibuprofen or equivalent) with their GP or pharmacist and if symptoms are severe or irritable enough, a guided corticosteroid injection may be warranted.

Cortisone Injections for Runner’s Knee? Here’s What You Need to Know… <- Learn more about steroid injections for knee pain here

3. Increase Your Muscular Strength & Endurance

Building strength and endurance in key muscle groups around your knees and hips is a vital part of the rehabilitation process for runners dealing with iliotibial band syndrome.

Here’s a simple IT band syndrome rehab routine you might find helpful:

Muscles such as the quadriceps and glutes, and hamstrings will often require strengthening by way of a exercise-based rehab programme. In addition to strength, stability exercises will help your body control stress and strain on the knee as you run.

Check out the following link for more details about rehab exercises for runners who suffer from knee pain…

Fix Your Knee Pain >>
Free Rehab Guide [PDF]

4. Improve Your Running Technique

You may want to also consider changing the way that you run, to help you recover from iliotibial band syndrome.

This process isn’t straightforward, but if your symptoms are related to flaws in your running form, this may be something you need to change.

Most runners with ITB syndrome will benefit from either increasing their running cadence (step rate) or step width to help reduce excess strain on their IT band.

Proper Running Form: 6 Ways to Run More Efficiently <- Check out this article on how to improve your running technique

How Long Should You Rest From Running with Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

This question is, again, always specific to the individual runner. My answer will usually vary depending on the point in their training at which the pain of their IT band syndrome begins to become uncomfortable.

Some runners may need to rest completely from running for a period of time; while others may only need to reduce their running volume.

It all depends on how severe (how much does it hurt) and irritable (how long does it hurt after aggravation) your symptoms are…

If your symptoms are both severe and very irritable, a period of 2-4 weeks is usually sufficient to reduce/rest and allow other treatments to take effect, before you can consider gradually returning to running again.

If you absolutely have to keep running, this can usually be achieved with the help of an injection, but be warned, symptoms will always return if a complete rehabilitation approach is not applied.

As I always say: Rest from running alone isn’t sufficient… You have to work on the underlying weak links that predisposed you to iliotibial band syndrome in the first place.

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Discover the Underlying Causes of IT Band Syndrome

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