IT Band (or illiotibial band) pain is a common orthopedic condition that occurs on the outside part of the knee. Foam rolling the IT band is a common IT band pain treatment, but most of us do it WRONG! In this video I’m demonstrating the best way to foam roll your IT band correctly to decrease tension, decrease pain, and help you return to normal function. Keep reading below for more!

JARED’S FAVORITE FOAM ROLLER: https://urlgeni.us/amzn/drjaredfoamroller

OTHER VIDEOS YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL:

COMPLETE IT BAND KNEE PAIN ROUTINE: https://youtu.be/UPCIvo7vvv4

BEST STRETCHES AND EXERCISES FOR IT BAND PAIN: https://youtu.be/c9uPHuLtkZI

PATELLOFEMORAL (KNEECAP) PAIN TREATMENT: https://youtu.be/j4pkM4ZO6hM

BEST STRETCHES AND EXERCISES FOR KNEE PAIN: https://youtu.be/IqGmwwrEcgw

The illiotibial band (or IT Band) is a large, thick tendon that runs down the lateral side of your leg. It originates up on the front 1/3 of your hip bone, comes down your leg, crosses your knee joint, and attaches into the outside of your shin bone (tibia).

Because of this arrangement, the tendon is actually in front of the knee joint pivot point when the knee is extended straight but the travels behind the knee joint pivot point when the knee is bent.

Any increased tension in the IT band can result in too much rubbing over the femoral condyle (big round boney spot just above your knee) which can lead to friction which ultimately results in pain. This pain is often sharp, intense, and happens with movement.

The solution to this problem is to logically decrease tension in your IT band; using a foam roller is one very effective way. But here’s the thing that EVERYONE DOES WRONG!! Your IT band is a TENDON! It is CONNECTIVE TISSUE and it does NOT STRETCH or ELONGATE!

Since there is no way to decrease tension or “stretch” your IT band itself, you have to start focusing your efforts on all the MUSCLES that attach TO the IT band in order to make treating this area more effective.

What are the muscles that act on the IT band that make it tight?

You have 4 primary muscles that influence the IT band. They are:
TENSOR FASCIAE LATAE: this is a small hip flexor on your anterior hip.
GLUTEUS MAXIMUS: the large hip extensor in the back of your hip ties into the IT band.
VASTUS LATERALIS: the quad muscle on the outside part of your upper leg.
BICEPS FEMORIS: the lateral hamstring muscle that inserts right in the same area as the IT band on the outside part of your shin bone.

Decreasing tension in these areas will impact the IT band and help you experience relief from your knee pain symptoms.

RELEVANT TIME STAMPS TO THIS VIDEO:
Description: 0:38
KEY to this video: 2:17
Anatomy: 3:03
Where to buy a foam roller: 4:35
How to roll your Tensor Fasciae Latae: 5:44
How to roll your Glutes: 6:28
How to roll your Quad: 6:59
How to roll your Hamstring: 7:39
Jared's BONUS IT Band stretch: 8:22

Now here’s the other important part - it’s one thing to treat the symptoms of IT band syndrome by performing these foam roller exercises. It’s quite another to treat the actual CAUSE of the tension so that the pain doesn’t return!

You need to supplement your foam rolling with the right stretches and exercises to promote relaxation, elongation, and strengthening in these muscles to keep the pain away.

Next week I’ll be launching a follow-up video - “The Best Stretches and Exercises To Treat IT Band Pain” - so you know how to properly rehab this injury. Look for it to come out in one week; I’m excited to share it with you!

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Thanks so much everyone, and I’ll see you again soon!