How to Treat ITBS Knee Pain Caused By Improper Shoes

If you're a runner or hiker, you may be familiar with ITBS knee pain that usually starts after a few miles and increases steadily. It's on the outer side of the knee, and can affect one or both legs. It's worse when going downhill.

The frustrating part is that after a day or two of rest, you may feel fine, but a few miles into your next run or hike, the pain begins again.

ITBS stands for Iliotibial Band Syndrome. The iliotibial band runs down the outer side of the leg. When the band rubs against the bones at the knee joint, iliotibial band syndrome creates the characteristic pain.

There are many causes and a variety of treatments, and what works for one person may not work for another, which is another frustrating part of ITBS.

After trying several treatments, I discovered my ITBS pain was caused by improper shoes, and once I corrected the cause, the pain hasn't returned. If you have the same cause, here's how to solve it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Give your legs a rest, and wait until your ITBS pain has settled down before trying any changes.

2. Compare different shoes or insoles until you find one that encourages your foot to angle more toward the inside as you land, compared to your current shoes. If you're using shoes designed to correct overpronation (shoes that prevent your foot from angling toward the inside), try another kind. Shoes designed to correct overpronation stretched my iliotibial band slightly at each step, just enough to cause problems. While overpronation can be bad, ITBS was worse!

3. Think about your natural gait. Are you trying to keep your feet level and not letting them roll naturally to the inside? I discovered that I was, to compensate for an old injury in my left foot that was long gone. It was a bad habit, that caused ITBS in my left knee, even with the correct shoes. Once I solved both problems, my ITBS disappeared. If your ITBS pain is due to one or both of the same reasons, maybe yours will disappear also!

Tips & Warnings

• If a doctor is helping you treat your ITBS, be sure to get his or her advice before trying any changes.