5 years post op, lots of IT Band issues

Rich_65

As the title says, I’m 5 years past surgery on a left side THR (ceramic / Poly).  The joint is doing fine and I’m loving life again!  But I do have one recurring running issue and its all about my IT Bands, mostly on the surgery side but occasionally on the opposite side as well.  I’m partly thinking that maybe I should start a light weight lifting routine or something to possibly strengthen my legs and permanently fight off a seemingly never ending issue.  Wondering how others have faired with any level of weight lifting and have suggestions on painful IT bands, thank you.

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    • August 8, 2021 at 12:42 pm #19737
      Rich_65
      Participant

      As the title says, I’m 5 years past surgery on a left side THR (ceramic / Poly).  The joint is doing fine and I’m loving left again!  But I do have on
      [See the full post at: 5 years post op, lots of IT Band issues]

    • August 10, 2021 at 9:17 am #19743
      ChristopherKelsall
      Participant

      I am five years too. Loving life too.

      The IT band is awesome, because once you know how to deal with it. It is dead simple, but work-oriented.

      If it is indeed your IT band, then it can stand a great amount of abuse to teach it a lesson. Foam roller or if you are a masochist get a rolling pin. Roll with your body weight up and down on the floor back and forth on that IT band. Go for the crying; it will work. Certainly you can dig in with your knuckles, use a lacrosse ball, and do (see YouTube) excercises to stretch as well.

      Typically the IT band goes over the prosthesis a little, make it stretched. This will take time to knead and massage and roll to grow and not be tight like a guitar string against the frets.

      Watch your abductors too, from the groin down to the inside of the knee. Same thing, you can grab that sucker with some massage oil and just run your hand down the leg putting pressure on that abductor all the way down.

      As for a weights program, go for it. Age-related atrophy or sarcopenia is a thing. Fight it off. But your IT band issue comes from various other lower body things like overcompensation due to learning to run with good form (and forgetting too), too much rolling out of the foot or landing on the outside…..on asphalt/concrete. And imbalances etc. Once you fix the IT Band issue, it will return for a visit sometimes. Teach it a lesson again….it’s part of the runner’s injury avoidance fandango.

      Good luck.

    • August 13, 2021 at 3:28 pm #19744
      Rich_65
      Participant

      Christopher,
      Thank you, I’m not a regular foam roller user but I guess it’s time I sign up! Interesting that you mention the abductors… on the surgery side that was my 2nd issue and something I had in mind when I was questioning if I could start doing free weights again.

      So in short I’ll break out the foam roller tonight and hopefully every night for a very long time. Will also put some time into figuring out a weight program program (thinking low weight but very high reps).

      Thank you for the advise, really appreciate it!

      Rich

    • August 22, 2021 at 3:10 pm #19769
      Hip Brother Tom
      Keymaster

      Great response Christopher. Rolling is huge for the IT band.

      Rich as far as weight lifting goes….go for it. Obviously don’t overdo it, but anything you can do to strenghten your hips and legs will be of great benefit. I am currently doing some high intensity cross training and it is beginning to pay off.

    • August 22, 2021 at 4:32 pm #19771
      Rich_65
      Participant

      Thanks Tom! Since Christopher’s post I have been abusing the roller more, was always concerned post op about doing any real weight lifting (staying away from squats especially), mostly from a mental barrier of not wanting to over do it and break my new hip. For now I’ll see what I can to to work up to a quarter to half my body weight with 4 – 6 sets of 20 reps (plus a few other exercises). That seems like a decent range for a runner.

    • August 23, 2021 at 7:55 pm #19772
      ChristopherKelsall
      Participant

      How is that IT band?

      Also, if you abuse the snot out of it in a session, don’t abuse it for a couple of days, because there will be a stress reaction to all the abuse, so you need to let it recover, then abuse it again….stress and recover, just like weight lifting, running and great sex.

    • August 24, 2021 at 3:14 pm #19782
      Rich_65
      Participant

      Christopher, been taking a multi exercise approach. Foam rolling & stretching 5 to 6 days a week, light weight lifting (free squats mostly) twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday) and backing off running distance. Less running sucks but seems to help, Michigan has been very hot and humid this August (90 degrees and +60%) so its been shamefully easy to do that.

      Thus far the IT is still tight but not painful, surgery side adductor isn’t happy either but getting better too. Hopefully I’ll be able to really start picking it up in a week or so. The Grand Rapids 25k Rive Bank Run is in late October this year and I’d really like to have a strong showing.

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