Do you run for exercise? Do you play sports? If so, you might end up with a sports-related injury known as Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS). It’s an overuse injury of the connective tissues located on the outer part of the thigh and knee. When you have pain and tenderness in this area, especially just above the knee, you might have ITBS. It’s a common cause of pain for runners and bicyclists.
If you were to look under your skin, you’d find the iliotibial band begins in the pelvis, runs down the outside part of the thigh, and then crosses the knee to attach into the top part of the shinbone. It’s a thick band of tissue that’s meant to stabilize the outside part of the knee through its range of motion. When it’s good, you don’t notice it; when it’s bad, you’re in pain!
Normally, when you flex your knee you don’t have pain. But if your iliotibial band experiences inflammation then pain can occur, typically along the outer aspect of your knee joint. If you don’t do anything about this, you’ll likely develop decreasing knee range of motion. If you can’t move your knee like you want to, then you can’t do the physical things you’re used to doing, and that decreases your quality of life.
Ever hear of a high school football player whose season is cut short because of knee issues? Or a runner who wishes he or she could run but the pain is just too much to bear near the knee? ITBS is no joke; It’s painful. That said, chiropractic care can help decrease the inflammation in order to decrease the pain. With good chiropractic care, ITBS can be dealt with so people can get back to doing the sports they love, like cycling and football.
If you’ve got pain near your knee, why not make an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic in Forest Lake? Call 651-464-0800 or email info@lakewoodschiropractic.com.
Recent Comments