The student is now away to sit his final exams so I was seen by someone else.
After checking my history in my notes I was asked to lie on the bed so she could examine my knee. The usual bending and twisting ensued (I am fairly used to this due to extensive physio following a severe knee injury a couple of years ago) when she started to feel the right side of my thigh. Now my thighs were sore during the walk but I put that down to them complaining that the climbing did not result in a cocktail with a view of a city or a large selection of shoes for perusal but no it transpires that I have ITBS - Iliotibial band syndrome.
From wikipedia - Definition
ITBS is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed.
So the physio taped my knee with Kinesology tape which per this paragraph I got from a athlete site about what Lance Armstrong has been seen wearing should do to help:
This exciting new discovery is kinesiology tape, the very thin, very lightweight, very stretchy, colored tape that has been seen on numerous athletes since coming to prominence in the Beijing Olympics. Applied over a fatigued muscle, kinesiology tape accelerates the recovery process by increasing blood flow and removal of waste products. Applied to an injured joint, it can prevent harmful movement while still allowing a safe range of motion. This is a huge benefit to professional athletes who prefer to continue training and/or competing through minor injuries.
So hey I might be a unknown wannabe runner from Scotland but now I can say I have something in common with one of the world's greatest athletes
In all seriousness do you think the world is trying to tell me to hang up the trainers? With only a 10k under my belt I have already shelled out for custom made insoles to help the shin splints, attend physio for knee problems and now I am taped up in an attempt to tackle ITBS. When I cross the finish line in Dingle it will not only be a brilliant feeling it will be a physical miracle!!!
2 comments:
nae chance, you want to be able to (a) run away from DQ if required
(b) run to DQ if required
You don not need to be fast to do either.
stanb
For what it is worth I've hit ITB problems too, but a combination of strengthening exercise [lie on side, legs together, raise upper leg 20 times x 3 sets every day each leg], stretching, and carrying on running with a bit of compression over the knee and only until mild discomfort [not pain!] is noticed is working a treat.
Advice was taken from Tim Noakes' "Lore of Running" and seems to be working, with mileage creeping back up again.
All the best and keep positive - you will recover soon.
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