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DON’T Foam-Roll Your IT Band!

Posted on: September 23rd, 2013 by Eric Lichtfuss 57 Comments

I think its time to stir up a little controversy and conversation here in the ASM Wellness Blog.  Not negative controversy…just intellectual controversy and polite conversation. I thought I would start with a repost of a topic I covered on my blog, SquareMassage.com: Foam Rolling the Iliotibial (IT) Band.

Foam Roll Muscles Around IT Band

Foam rolling – also called Self Myofascial Release or SMR – is the self-administered release of tension in soft tissues. I don’t care what you call it…as long as you don’t call it ineffective. There is a plethora of scientific and anecdotal evidence to suggest that foam rolling works. That may be why I’ve even seen foam rollers in Best Buy!   If you run or cycle a lot, there’s a chance that you do or will have some IT band discomfort at some point. Frankly, if you are alive, there’s a reasonable chance that you will have some imbalance in your TFL/Glutes. So foam-rolling should be included in your self care regimen, but don’t waste your time working directly on the IT band! I assert that instead of foam rolling the actual IT band, the most benefit is derived from working to strengthen and stretch the muscles surrounding it. Below you’ll find the meat of my original post, and a video made by and “starring” a colleague and all-around nice guy, Kyle Stull NASM-CPT, CES, LMT that supports my assertion. Without further ado…DON’T foam roll your IT band!

The IT band is the source of grief for many people. As a form or self-therapy, many professionals in fitness and bodywork therapies will instruct clients to foam roll their IT band. Foam rolling hurts, but since no pain means no gain, it must be doing some good, right?  Maybe, but probably not so much for the actual IT band. The vastus lateralis (member of the quadriceps group), which resides largely underneath the IT band, could actually derive the most benefit from foam rolling directly on top of the IT Band. However, what else this does, is manage to mash the IT band into that vastus lateralis and help them get even more stuck together than they already are…thus causing further tension in that area. In order to understand this process better, let’s take a look at what the IT band actually does.

IT Band

The Function of the IT Band

The IT band is pretty much just tendon. It doesn’t do any contracting – it transfers the contractile forces of the muscles that feed into it. Those muscles are the tensor fascia latae (TFL) and gluteus medius and maximus (see illustration). Foam rolling will not prompt significant release of the tension in the IT band.The trick is to focus on the muscles that pull on the IT band and give it its tension. As those muscles tighten and pull on the IT band, the IT band is pulled taut against quadricep muscle (vastus lateralis). Eventually, the IT band can get stuck to the quadricep by way of their connective tissue becoming intertwined.

What I propose: getting the IT band unstuck from the underlying muscle and fascia, through massage, in addition to releasing the glutes and TFL  through massage or foam rolling. This has proven to be highly effective for my clients with IT band issues. So, if you are having IT band issues, and if foam rolling directly on the IT band hasn’t been helping, use the video below as a visual guide for how to get that foam roller into your TFL and Glutes effectively.

Kyle Stull, NASM, CPT, CES, LMT presents some options that address the glutes and TFL with your foam roller.

57 Responses

  1. Paige says:

    I prefer a hand held muscle roller so i can bring it with me to the gym, i got a great deal on a golf ball muscle roller which i absolutely love!!
    http://zzathletics.com/Golf-Ball-Muscle-Roller-Massager-GBMR1.htm

  2. Mike Luque says:

    At first I thought this was going to be one of those posts that I rolled my eyes at for having a “catchy” title but then having what I would consider questionable validity to your information. Instead, you spoke directly about what I tell my clients. Pressure directly into the ITB, with the body completely perpendicular to the roller, isn’t beneficial. I’ve always rolled myself and my clients at that 40 degree angle you mention. I still considered it rolling the ITB but I understood the separation you talk about. Rolling at that angle also addresses the positional dysfunction of the TFL/ITB, which tends to roll anteriorly when too tight.
    On a different note, I really like the idea of doing the knee bends and internal/external rotations after rolling the TFL. Totally adding it.

  3. Christian Ruiz says:

    Great article, very precise. I agree that most of the attention needs to be on the muscle groups affecting the IT. Proper evaluation of muscle and gate imbalance should be checked out first, prior to focusing so much attention in one area. Care should be taken with chronic hip and knee problems. In most cases addressing your inner adductor muscles is as important, due to weakness, or tightness at the personal attachments. But, gradual and gentle rolling directly in the IT tendon is effective, because you are improving and realising myofascial tightness. Just avoid direct pressure over your hip bone and don’t roll down to the knee, stay about four finger width above the knee. 2 to 3 minutes is more than sufficient without irritating the tissue, and no pain no gain mentality, throw that out, be gentle to yourself. More focus and attention should be in a good flexibility exercise routine, such as active isolated stretching, to improve the muscular imbalance associated with a tight IT.

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Agreed, all around. I’m glad you pointed out the specificity of not rolling directly on the hip bone, or too close to the knee…I think I might have missed those details in my entry, and I think they’re critical. I’m also an Active Isolated Stretching practitioner, and it has consistently been one of my best tools for clients with ITB issues. Thanks!

  4. Jeremy says:

    This is great info for those with the body awareness understanding what muscles they are actually rolling. Some people just sit on a ball not understanding what the muscle direction is. Get a massage therapist with good knowledge of anatomy ( actually hard to find sometimes). To trace the muscles with pressure and define them for you!!

  5. Jesse James says:

    Nice post Eric. I agree with you about foam rolling the IT Band. Structurally it just doesn’t make sense. I’ve heard anatomist talk about the IT Band being so tight and strong that if attached to two trucks driving opposite directions it wouldn’t tear. Why is it so tight? Maybe it serves as an important stabilization structure of the hip and lower leg. Do we really want to destabilize such a structure? Is it really the source of pain and problems? My question with clients dealing with IT Band pain or dysfunction is what are the Glutes and TLF doing? Are they inhibited? Are they facilitated? Assessing and correcting the way these two structures interact with each other can change the way the IT band feels. Here are more of my thoughts on foam rolling the IT Band.

    http://tao-fit.com/foam-rolling-the-it-band

    Another thought, if foam roller a painful place hasn’t improved it after a week or two, you’re probably focused on the wrong place.

    Thanks Eric.

    Jesse James Retherford LMT NKT FMS
    Movement Specialist
    Life Changer
    http://www.tao-fit.com

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Nice piece, Jesse. It’s great to see and hear all this supportive feedback about this topic. It pains me to hear from new clients who talk about spending lots of time in excruciating pain while rolling the ITB, and saying they only get marginal results. When I suggest this alternative, and they come back, I almost always hear a different story about their results. Kyle (the guy in the video), and I discussed this when we first met, in a workshop with a bunch of personal trainers, and everyone looked at us like we were nuts….then they began to understand it, and now it seems the word is spreading!

  6. Eric Lichtfuss says:

    haha! Sounds resourceful!

  7. Sam Mannings says:

    A lot of points he raised are completely right in my eyes but there is certain things i disagree with. I agree that you should work on the muscles that are acting on the ITB by streching, foam rolling whatever you can do that works for you. I completely agree that you shouldn’t just address that tightness you should also address the causative factor if it’s diffincies in muscle strength, muscle tightness or even biomechanics of running. If you don’t address the actual fault you wont fix the problem!

    To my knowledge there is very limited research on foam rolling in general, so this is simply my opinion. One thing i disagree with is his suggestion that massage will un-stick the ITB from the underlying tissues but foam rolling somehow will do the opposite. If anything I would say it is the other way round.. When foam rolling you could potentially be performing an active release technique. As you are blocking a certain part of the tissue (the point of contact of foam roller) while there is a slight movement or engagement of the muscles above/below the block at the hip and/or the knee. From my knowledge I’m sure an active release technique compared to massage is more beneficial in releasing the tissue and encouraging smooth movement over one another. Also during a massage the patient is relaxed, where as during foam rolling the patients glutes in my opinion must be engage and acting on the ITB. As the glutes are putting tension on the ITB ,shurely that would make it more difficult to cause the ITB to stick to the underlying tissues compared to when all the tissue around that area are relaxed… I have a couple of friends who are currently doing their IP’s on foam rolling and i really think a lot more research needs to be done in this area.

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Hey there, Sam.
      I’m not sure what your qualifications all are, but I can say that, as a massage therapist and a personal trainer, I know that I can grasp the IT Band a bit better, and certainly with much more control, when I’m performing massage as opposed to during foam rolling. This gives me the opportunity to manipulate and mobilize it with more control, and somewhat separately from the vastus lateralus muscle underneath.
      I think I understand what you’re getting at with the “blocking,” and while I would agree that this can create some separation of the ITB and the vastus lateralus above or below the point of blocking/contact, the tissues right at that point of contact are getting mashed together….so I wonder how good the net result is going to be, there. Not useless…but I’d wager it’s not optimal.
      I completely disagree, however, with your proposition that the glutes pulling tension into the ITB would prevent it from sticking to the underlying tissues. That tension is a contributing factor in creating adhesions between the two layers – they are pulled so tightly together that the interstitial fluids which should lubricate those surfaces against one another cannot flow and lubricate as intended. As a result, fibers begin catching on one another and adhering. One analogy a colleague presented for the ITB and the vastus lateralus, in terms of tissue density and how they get stuck together was to think of the ITB and almost like a very strong fishnet, and the vastus lateralus as ground beef. When that fishnet is pulled taught over top of the beef, it will sink into it, and they won’t be able to move independently of one another until they are separated. Not the most elegant analogy, but kind of accurate, in some respects.

      • David Williams says:

        Have you heard of conflict of interest?

        You’re suggesting massage because you are biased and predisposed to the benefits of people booking such treatments.

        I would suggest personal trainers are likely to be less skewed, as they don’t generally sell the foam rollers and are interested in clients stretching, recovering – although certainly it’s in their interest to keep people using them and gaining fitness rather than bowing oh due to injury.

  8. […] and Foam Rolling are great ways to get this area to relax and feel better.  Check out Don’t Foam Roll Your IT Band from the Atlanta School of Massage’s blog and this video with Kyle Stull from Trigger […]

  9. Kyle says:

    Great article Eric!
    I would like to add, though, that the title seems a bit harsh. As I mention in the video, and as you mention in the article, there are several things which influence the IT Band. While I agree that ONLY rolling the IT Band is not going to make as much change and the most improvement is gained by adding movement, it does not hurt anything to roll the IT Band. In fact, for a beginner, it’s not a bad idea for them to take a softer roller and get some pressure on it. Initially, that extra movement my be too much, cause too much pain, and the user may not be able to maintain proper alignment and posture while rolling and adding in those motions.
    The main point I would stress would be that the changes are not necessarily made to the IT Band itself, but to the muscles beneath (as you said).
    Keep up the good work!

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Hi, Kyle!
      Thanks for the comment. The title is definitely a little harsh, and it’s intended to be that way. A little something to ship some heads before tempering the statement with more information! 🙂

  10. George says:

    The Glute med does not attach to the ITB. It attachs to the greater trochanter of the femur. The Glute max and TFL do. Just a side note

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Fair enough. Yet some anatomy texts point towards Glute Med also attaching to the ITB. in any case – targeting the glutes as a group, with the intention of addressing the tension-creating members of the ITB seems successful! 🙂 So, I’m not going to edit the post, or your comment, and hopefully we can all just roll with it!

  11. […] new ways of torturing myself, such as slowly rolling my TFL and outer quad (as demonstrated in this video) and rolling my glutes and calves with a lacrosse ball.  Earlier this week, I discovered a huge […]

  12. […] an inflammation in the area that you can irritate even more by crushing it with the roller. Another interesting prospective from a massage therapist stresses that by rolling directly over your IT band you squish it into the […]

  13. Kevin says:

    How long will I have to do this exercise before I will see some relief? I know you can’t put a specific timeline on it, since every person is different, but a general guideline would be helpful. I’d really love to be able to run again. Should I do this exercise and do some short runs to see if there is any progress or should I do this for a week or two and then try running? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Kevin – so sorry for my delayed response. Please see the reply for the next comment that came in chronologically after yours. I hope it’s been helping!

  14. Taylor Moneypenny says:

    This is a fantastic post! For the past 4 years or so I have dealt with a CONSTANT soreness in my left glute, hip, and hip flexor areas. Nothing seemed to work for me at all but after doing this stuff with a foam roller, targeting the vastus lateralis, I honestly can say I finally feel some relief. I guess my questions are basically the same as Kevin’s above me, but other than that thanks so much for this and I look forward to seeing what long term results I can achieve with this exercise.

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      So sorry for the delayed reply – I had prolonged trouble with my login. Ultimately it was user error. *sigh*

      It’s tough for me to say how long each individual will need. It will depend on the factors helping the dysfunction to set in, and if they are part of a “normal” routine that’s not likely to change easily, or was it something out of the ordinary that created an abrupt change in muscle balance (like when I ran Tough Mudder this year…those calf cramps and the days of pain after were an exception to my normal routine).

      I would recommend continuing or discontinuing your activities based on how you feel. If the pain isn’t so bad that it would have kept you from running, etc, without this intervention, then keep going for it, but make a point of being diligent about your self-care before and after your runs.

  15. matt says:

    No offence but I’ll take Joe DeFranco’s word over yours.

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      No offense taken, except that you felt the need to share that without any additional insight.
      This approach has been reached separately by myself, and my friend Kyle, as well as other reasonably intelligent people, and it’s been siccessful for many, along the way.

      What’s Joe DeFranco’s take? I’d love to read more, as there’s certainly more than one way to skin a cat, and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for others.

  16. […] love this video and use it as my guide for foam rolling. This is the article the video is from if you want to read a little more detail {it’s really […]

  17. Sarah says:

    Stumbled across this video while looking for alternative options for a client who likes what I’m doing for her in our massage sessions, but her body isn’t responding as positively as I would like. Thank you for the knowledge and options. I will definitely pass this info along to her and hope that it helps!

  18. matt says:

    I am a competitive cyclist and have been experiencing inner knee pain (medial). i have proper shoes, cleats and bike fit. my trainer has suggested i do some foam rolling so your article has given me some context as I was just rolling up and down my IT band.

    I believe the source of my pain may be coming from the fact that I had a bone fusion in my right foot (metatarsal) when i was a teenager. My foot therefore tends to supination which is the shoe (via stiff carbon soles) inhibits to keep proper foot/peal alignment. I am wondering what the IT Band may have to do with the pain of my inner knee? In addition to IT Band rolling, my trainer has me doing the following stretches: Quads Upper abductors, Hamstring/ I.T. bands illium/sacrum, hip flexion, and hip flexion extenion.

    thanks for any thoughts/help!

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Hey there,
      It’s tough for me to be able to suggest a whole heck of a lot without seeing you stand and move. The stretches you indicate are a little vague,and tough to nail down exactly what’s being addressed. I’m also not entirely sure I understand you correctly: you tend to fall into supination of your trouble foot?

      If so, then there’s the possibility that your medial (inside) knee is affected by the foot/ankle being forced into a more neutral position than they prefer, making muscles hang out in shortened/lengthened positions they aren’t accustomed to. My initial thought is that there’s the possibility that tibialis posterior may be involved, but I seriously think that the problem is more likely a bit upstream and more complicated, having to do with how your upper leg and hip compensates for the foot/ankle position, and then how that compensation is altered or disallowed while on the bike. If youa re in Atlanta, we can try to set up an appointment for assessment. If not, I’d be willing to chat about options for me to provide my opinion via video chat or emailing/sharing videos.

      Sorry I’m not able to be any more specific help at the moment!

      –Eric

  19. Rui says:

    It is great to help people whatever tool we use. As long as we do it to the best of our ability.
    Picking on your initial statement of creating a constructive and scientific controversy I would like to ask you some questions:
    – with the majorities of stretching techniques, massage, foam rolling we tend to work on tight tissues. Why? I mean, muscle only contracts. And it needs a brain or medula signal. So why to they get tight? And why do the majority of the industry go after that tightness? What’s the cause of that tightness?

    – my other questions are: in the video you mention how important is to foam rolling the glut max to increase stability. How do you know that after foam rolling you get more statibily? And where? And how accurate is that tissue manipulation? There are a bunch of other muscles under the gluts… And will everyone need to foam roll for the same amount of time?

    Many thanks

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      My oh my, what a lot we could get into there. Firstly, the video was made by my friend Kyle Stull, and carries into content regarding corrective exercise, which he is better versed in than I am. So I’m not the very best person to address your thoughts there. That said, NASM conducts a good deal of research to support the efficacy of their methods, and to guide the development of new methodologies, so I trust that there’s plenty of evidence and experience to support that the rolling can help support glute stability.

      To further address that, and your above question, there’s a major nervous system component to most tissue manipulation. Sure, we get a nice mechanical effect when we roll or get a massage, and it’s helpful. But the accompanying “recalibration” of the nervous system and the proprioceptors in and around the targeted tissues is where the real magic happens, in my eyes. So, this neurological effect can help with the resting muscle tone (contraction), and the ability for a muscle to effectively engage to stability and support, as with the glutes). The research is, indeed, stil relatively young on all of the benefits of foam rolling, but there seems to be some agreement that it’s helpful in a variety of ways.

  20. Mark Watts says:

    Outstanding video and instruction, very informative. Haven t thought of the internal rotation while rolling the TFL. Thank you for sharing this.

  21. Rui says:

    I couldn’t find any research about foam rolling to improve joint stability or muscle contractibility. Especially from NASM. Do you have any links?
    And, no offence, NASM is a great institution but when it comes to rehab their approach to tighness its a bit rubbish. Stretch the tight muscle, reenforce the opposite side of the axis… Way to easy, lazy and ineffective approach. Everyone would be without problem if it worked.
    I totally agree with you when you say that the magic happens neurologically. What we should be asking when we stimulate or inhibit it’s what are we affecting, and if we are being precise. With almost any technique there is a lack of precise assessment and re-assessment. Ie: a sit and reach is the most useless assessment. What are we assessing?? Flexibility? Of what?? There are loads of joints involved.
    I hope im passing the correct message. I’m not trying to prove right or wrong but to create more awareness in our industry and challenge our beliefs.

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Is it really a lazy approach, or just not complicated enough to sound fancy? How about Gray Cook’s work with the FMS? Some think that it’s an oversimplified method. But it’s been highly effective for some people, and adopted by plenty of collegiate and professional sports teams, where peak human performance is what they strive for as a full time job. You know they’re not wasting their time with ineffective things.
      I don’t think that simple or intuitive equates to useless, whatsoever, and I do think NASM’s method is pretty common-sense, when you look at it.
      I completely disagree that the NASM CES method is lazy. On the contrary, I think it’s time-consuming and tedious. Your assertion that everyone would be pain-free if it were that simple assumes that every human being is taking the time to execute those correctives. That begins with exposure, and knowledge of the technique, and proceeds to compliance. If others find the technique as tedious as I do, then even people with some knowledge and exposure still have to comply with a tedious, time-consuming correctives routine. I know I loathe sitting around, taking the time to do CES-style correctives. I’d much rather do a Turkish getup or KB arm bars for their multi-faceted demands and results. But that’s just me – the sum of my exposure, skills needs and preferences.

  22. Dan says:

    Golgi tendon organs are the reason to put pressure on the IT Band.

    • Eric Lichtfuss says:

      Sure, and I think I mentioned that it certainly can help. But it’s SO. DARN. UNCOMFORTABLE. Plus, we can effect many of the same GTOs when addressing the muscles that tension the ITB, itself (some – not all, I’ll grant you). So, I ask the rhetorical question of why we would bother rolling the ITB, directly.

      To me it really boils down to the fact that greatest compliance will often yield greatest results. If rolling the ITB directly is painful, and folks (myself included) will avoid doing it long or frequently enough to be productive, then might we not be better off to look at other options which may, or may not, be slightly less effective? By performing the second choice technique more frequently and regularly, I’ve found many clients get better results than if I only encourage the first choice option, and then they don’t follow through.

      So – it was a rhetorical question, not a physiological question.

      So, while any given self-care technique

  23. K. Thompson says:

    Thanks so much for the video. I took up cycling about 10 weeks ago and over time began to experience pain on the back of my right knee. After doing research I came to the conclusion that it is IT Syndrome. I followed the guidelines in the video this morning and believe my knee already feels better. My questions are: should I stop cycling until I am pain free or cycle and then come home and use the foam roller as instructed? Should I be doing this routine on both sides of my body or just the painful side? Thanks for your helpful advice!!

  24. Kayla says:

    Oh my goodness I’m so glad I found your video! Just tried rolling my TFL and it is so tender. I started experiencing IT band pain on the side of my knee about a month ago, although at the time I wasn’t sure what was wrong. My physical therapist told me to roll my ITB for 5 min a day from the top of my hip to all the way down past my knee. Well I did that for a few days but it seemed to just make it worse, especially in the morning. I hope I can make some progress by focusing on these other areas.

  25. Doug says:

    Very good article and thorough discussion regarding IT Band.
    I have had chronic ITB problems and tried rolling with everything there is, and have been doing
    Active Isolated Stretching for years. I’ll try rolling per your recommendations.
    Two questions: I see you use the grid, I just came across something called the M80 which appears
    to be firmer than the grid, is there any benefit to using a firmer roller for the ITB release?
    Do you have a specific protocol or routine for AIS stretches that you recommend? I have Mattes’s
    book and know pretty much all the stretches but was wondering if you have a series of stretches that have worked best for you.

    Thanks

  26. Rachid says:

    I’ve been sidelined with IT issues for 9 weeks. I’ve had dry needling, massage therapy, and yoga to try and alleviate my pain so I can get back to running. I noticed that the dry needling in my glutes helped with pain for the next day but wouldn’t last. I started rolling the hell out of my glutes medius and minimus. It helped tremendously allowing me to run pain free. I found this site after researching more and incorporated your advice into my routing. I follow your routine for the TFL and flutes. Then I take the lacrosse ball to finish off my glutes. Also, I use a basebal or lacrosse ball on my bicep femoris (long and short head) which was also bothering me. I finish all of this off with some stretching (pigeon pose and figure four). It takes about 15 minutes but I can run pain free. Thanks for the information!

  27. Cenia Castro says:

    A bit late to the party, but hey…

    A few weeks ago I was on my long run, tripped and hurt my outer/upper leg/hip area. Didn’t fall, but the sudden movement to catch myself must have been enough to hurt the area. Went to the doctor today and he told me it was my IT band and told me to get a foam roller to ‘release’ it. It’s difficult to do something properly when all you have are two pictures and words to tell you how to ‘Hip Roll’. Ended up stumbling into this site and I’m sure hoping that it’ll help with my recovery.

    Haven’t been able to run in two weeks due to a sharp pain that occurs after the day I decide to run a bit. I’m suppose to be training for a half-marathon so I’m a bit panicky. What was described here makes perfect sense to me, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get back on my feet very soon (maybe even stronger than before). Thank you for sharing the video, it seems that there have been many people that have benefited from this.

  28. Adam says:

    I am a below knee amputee, so obviously have a gate imbalance. I have been running, squating and deadlifting this year and lately I have been suffering with a catching feeling in my left knee which is my good side that has increased into a dull pain. I have been stretching and using the foam roller on my IT band and so far it feels much better.

    I will certainly be trying what you have suggested here also.

  29. Joan says:

    Hello, I have had plantar fascitis for over a year and have found your blog since i was looking for IT band help. In your video, when you bend the knee, should it be resting on the ground? Also, as your supposed to work down, would you keep doing the knee bend, or only when working on the hip area? Thanks so much for your help.

  30. A good tip for using a roam roller for IT band tightness is to focus on the TFL muscle at the top of the IT band, where it joins the hip. This is the area that will respond most to a roller 🙂

  31. Amy says:

    I have shared this video SO many times- thought it was about time I thanked you for posting it. This has been a go to for all of my running friends and friends who have just started in the sport- and its been a life saver for me- I use these techniques every time I foam roll- which is pretty much daily. So, thank you!

  32. Lauren Betenes says:

    How often should you be doing this??

  33. Thor says:

    Please change your title to ad “directly” at the end. A have had to explain this article to a few friends that only read the titles and stopped foam rolling….. with added discomfort.

  34. Valerie Cluff says:

    I have had issues with my IT band for almost a year. It started while I was pregnant with my 9th child. I thought maybe it would improve after I had her and started exercising again, but the running an elliptical machine only make it worse. I have tried all kinds of Google advice, a friend of mine who is a PT, a personal trainer, a sports trainer, yoga stretches, and nothing made it better sometimes it almost felt worse. Just a constant ache all day long. I saw this video yesterday and tried it. Oh man it hurt soooo bad! But seriously… Instantly the ache was gone! I can’t believe it. I did it again today after running and still feels good. I am so glad I found it and hope as I continue it will be on the way to healing. Thankyou!!!!

  35. Valerie Cluff says:

    Any suggestions for plantar fasciitis ?:/

  36. Guy Holley says:

    Thank you for this video and giving an in depth explanation of how to really treat ITBS. The trainers at my gym would always say just roll it….smh. After completing the video I instantly felt relief. I do have a few questions. 1) Is it safe to the routine longer? 2) I was able to feel much in my glue using the foam roller, do you have any other suggestions to help release there?

  37. Dee says:

    I’ve struggled with an IT Band injury since 2003. I gave up running and still have problems when I do my workouts – rower and cycling.

    I’ve sort of done the same old IT band rolling that I was doing 13 years ago! This is sort of mind blowing right now!

    I have an IT flare right now and I have so many questions.

    1) how often should I do this for my flare (when regular activities (Orange Theory workout) hurt a bit and I can “feel” the IT band

    2) how often should I roll for maintenance?

    3) I have a knobby style rolller. Is that bad for this area?

  38. raj says:

    GREAT INFORMATION, GREAT POST.

  39. Leslie says:

    I’ve been telling my clients this exact approach for years. It completely makes sense to them, especially when it’s broken down in laymen’s terms. After that the proof is in the pudding, so to speak.
    The actual science behind it is our muscles receive the majority of blood supply as opposed to mature tendons, which have significantly less. Create the blood flow where it’s easily and naturally accepted by treating the muscles pulling on said tendon. Address the problem, as your treating the symptom. So excited to see people thinking outside the box…. Great article!!

  40. Melissa says:

    Thankyou for sharing about the not using a foam roller for your IT Band! Has anybody figured out that massages work ?! As a licensed massage therapist I have massaged ALOT of IT Bands over the years! I have always released the tightness! This made me think of a gut at my gym.. he uses a rolling pin HAHAHA! He carried it in gym bag! When any muscles of his are tight he rolls them out! I seen and heard him yelling up a storm when he dies it in the gym lol! I think he may be a few marbles short! ????????

  41. Geno says:

    As a pain management therapist and trainer, I have always told my patients the ITB is just that, a band. This band is made of connective tissue; connective tissue…connects….thus working on surrounding musculature rather than the band/tendon itself is more beneficial. Deep pressure to the ITB can cause further injury to the band itself and exacerbate knee and hip pain. Great posts guys!!

SensAbility is the teaching clinic of ASM Wellness
It's where Atlanta School of Massage, Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics and Atlanta Personal Trainer Program
provide a wide range of wellness services to the public.
2 Dunwoody Park South
Atlanta, GA 30338
Phone: 770-454-7167
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2 Dunwoody Park South, Suite 105
Atlanta, GA 30338
Phone: 770-454-7167