What is it?
IT band syndrome (ITBS), called "lopersknie" in Dutch, causes pain on the outside of your knee, just above the joint. The pain comes from a tendon that runs along the side of your thigh and attaches just below your knee. Runners and cyclists who train a lot get it most often.
You feel a burning or stabbing pain that gets worse during sport and eases when you stop. Walking at an easy pace is usually fine. The pain is annoying, but it does no harm.
Pain behind or around your kneecap is a different complaint, called patellofemoral pain. Our knee pain page covers it.
Common causes
- Training much more in a short time, for example for a race
- Taking up running and training too much
- Going straight back to your old training after a break
- Lots of running or cycling
How we diagnose
We ask when the pain starts, how far into your run or ride you are, and what changed in your training. Your physiotherapist examines your knee and hip and rules out other causes, such as kneecap pain.
With VALD Force Decks and Force Frame we measure the strength of your hip and leg muscles. We build your exercise programme on those results.
Treatment approach
You cut back on sport: shorter, slower and with more breaks. Keep that up for at least 1 to 2 months, and stop completely for a few weeks if sport is very painful. Stay fit with swimming, easy cycling or walking.
You get exercises and a plan to rebuild your training, with supervision in our gym.
Expected recovery
If you cut back on sport, ITBS usually settles within a few weeks to months. Surgery is almost never needed.
You then build up gently, starting with short distances. If the pain returns, you do a little less again.
