What Causes Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

Iliotibial band syndrome is a very common injury brought about by overusing the connective tissue situated along the knee and outer thigh. If individuals develop this type of injury, they'll likely begin to experience a lingering pain around the outer portion of their knee, which will be at its worst when they're running or exercising in any capacity. The iliotibial band tissues are essential for stabilizing the knee joint whenever it extends and flexes. Overuse of this joint can cause the tissues to become irritated and inflamed, which leads to the iliotibial band syndrome. Thankfully, iliotibial band syndrome can be treated, though the only way to get rid of an overuse injury such as this for good is to use the affected joint as little as possible until the pain and other symptoms begin to subside. The main symptoms iliotibial band syndrome patients will experience include pain along the lateral portion of the affected knee, swelling and redness around the knee, a popping or snapping sound, and severe pain when they climb steps.

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Poor Muscle Flexibility

Among the more common causes of iliotibial band syndrome is poor muscle flexibility within the gluteal muscles. While overuse of the iliotibial band of tissues causes this syndrome, this type of injury likely won't occur unless an individual's muscles are weak or have poor flexibility. The gluteal muscles include the three main muscles of the buttocks: the gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, and gluteus maximus. When these muscles have poor flexibility, the iliotibial band will pull the knee out of its proper alignment, which is what causes this injury. There is a range of reasons as to why the muscles surrounding the iliotibial band could lose some of their flexibility, the primary of which include inactivity, injury, and not stretching as often as recommended. If individuals haven't exercised much as of late and then decide to run for a lengthy period, the loss of flexibility in the muscles surrounding the iliotibial band could bring about this injury.

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