How To Heal A Tight IT Band- Yoga For Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Yoga For IT Band, Do you have pain on the outside of your knee? This may be due to iliotibial band (IT Band) syndrome. This is a long fascia that runs from the hip to the knee and shin on the outside of your leg. This type of pain usually occurs due to overuse of the knee always on the outside or inwards. Pain occurs when the IT band becomes tense, inflamed. This stiffness causes friction on the outside of the knee when the pain is greatest.

The approach is initially conservative and treatments such as cryotherapy, infiltration, laser therapy, and shock waves may be indicated, but don’t forget about functional fitness and yoga.

Yoga exercises for the fascia delta and iliotibial band may also be useful, exercises that reduce stress on the knee and restore balance to the posture, which generally allows for a return to sport.

About Iliotibial Band Syndrome

A persistent pain affecting the side of the knee, especially during (or after) walking or brisk walking: This could be iliotibial band syndrome (also known as runner’s knee).

The iliotibial band is located in the iliotibial region, the last part of the fascia lata, which lines the superficial muscles of the thigh.

It is the most common cause of pain around the knees in runners. This injury occurs as a result of overuse when the connective fibers that stabilize the rubbing of the knee against the thigh bone become tight.

Stretching The IT Band: 5 Poses of Yoga For IT Band

The practice of yoga includes increasing muscle flexibility and strength, lower limb anatomy, lengthening and stretching muscles, and improving movement patterns that will prevent the fascia from forming your IT band. The yoga poses below are a great place to stretch the tight IT band.

There are several yoga postures that focus on the leg muscles to target the IT band area and will promote joint strength and flexibility, along with keeping the IT band properly aligned and reducing friction.

1. Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Prasarita Padottanasana is a Sanskrit word, which is made up of four words. The meaning of the first word broadcast is to spread or wide. The second word pada means feet or legs, the third word uttan means to bend forward or forward bend, while the fourth word asana refers to standing, bending, or sitting in a particular position. It is also called Pose or Posture in English.

The Forward Bend is a very helpful pose to feel for the origin and insertion points of the IT band. This will give a very deep stretch to the side of your upper leg and stimulate the muscles of your hip region, lateral calf muscles, and joints.

A variation of the Wide-Legged Forward Fold will ensure that your glutes, lateral hamstrings, and both legs simultaneously get a stretch.

• To do Prasarita Padottanasana, stand upright by spreading your feet at a distance of 3 to 4 feet on a mat.
• Then keep taking simple long deep breaths.
• Now while breathing keep the spine straight. After this, spread the hands and bring them above the head.
• While exhaling bend down from the waist. Make sure that the spine remains straight.
• After this, place your palms on the ground in line with the shoulders and exhale deeply.
• Then lift the waist a little while exhaling and bow down.
• Now keep the head on the ground in the middle of the hands.
• After this, spread the thighs a little more, if you are stable then you can spread the legs a little more.
• Exhaling press the hands to the ground and strengthen the inclination.
• If your hands reach the feet, then grab the toes and pull inwards.
• After this, inhale and spread the hands in front and slowly rise up.
• While exhaling, bring the hands down.
• Hold this position for 10-15 seconds and do this process 2-3 times.

2. Side Plank (Vashistasana)

Regular practice of Vasisthasana maintains balance in your body. Due to this, there is an equal stretch in your spine from both sides. This helps you to get stability. By doing this yoga, your leg muscles work hard to stay in their position, due to the stability of the muscles, the core muscles are strengthened.

If you are a beginner and just starting out with yoga practice, it can be difficult to balance yourself when you are in this asana. For this, you should keep your knees on the floor while doing Vashishthasana yoga, which gives strength to your hands.

• Sit on your knees by laying a mat on the ground. Keep the soles of both hands on the floor.
• While not moving both the hands, move the body back.
• Straighten the legs. In this position, put the weight of the body equally on both the hands and feet. and balance the body.
• Slowly bend the area from your hand to your left side. Place your left hand on your hip. And let the left foot rest on the right foot. In this position, the weight of your body is balanced on your right hand and right foot.
• While inhaling, raise your left hand in a straight line. And point the fingers in the upward direction. Remain in this position for some time and by bending the neck, look at the raised hand or fingers.
• While exhaling, bring the hands down and come back to the normal position.
• Do the same asana with your other hand as well. While practicing this asana, you can focus your attention on the forehead or the fingers of the raised hand.
• You can take the support of the wall or any of your partner to make balance in the initial time.

3. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)

The low lunge is a great stretch to relieve the tightness of the IT band. This pose stretches the hips, front of the leg, muscles around the knee, intercostal muscles, arms, neck, and chest. Anjaneyasana strengthens the muscles of the hip region, quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, shoulders, and arms. It feels an overall stretch in the deep, inner core muscles as well as the lateral hips, which are essential for building stability. The pose also lengthens the legs and ankles and strengthens your hips.

The asana is entered with a lunge, in which the back knee rests on the ground, the back is arched and the arms are raised and stretched over the head. The toes of the hindfoot are kept facing forward, the heel rises up. The front leg remains in a standing position, the hips are down close to the front leg and the front knee is fully bent and pointed forward. In full posture, the back leg is lifted and grasped with both hands, elbows pointing up.

4. Reclining Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) 

Supta Matsyendrasana is made up of 3 words. Supta, Matsyendra, Asana, in which sleep means lying down, Matsyendra means Lord of fishes and Asana means posture.

This lying-down posture asks you to bend your upper body in the opposite direction to the direction of the legs. It bends the spine and makes it long and strong. Along with this, it stretches and strengthens the muscles of the thigh and hip, massaging the internal organs and ridding them of toxins.

• To start this asana, first of all lie down on it by laying the asana.
• After this, spread both your hands in the line of the shoulder on both sides.
• Then bend the right leg from near the knee and lift it upwards.
• Rest the right leg on the left knee.
• After this, while exhaling, lift the right hip and bend the back to the left side and let the right knee go down and while doing so, keep both hands on the ground.
• Try to keep the right knee completely on the left side of the body.
• Now turn the head to the right.
• In this posture, you stay for 30 to 60 seconds. Then come back to normal position.

5. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

According to Hatha Yoga, the moon is a symbol of peace and energy in the body. The word Ardha in Ardha Chandrasana means half in the Sanskrit language, Chandra means moon, and asana means position. Actually, while doing this pose, the position of the body looks like a half-moon.

This asana is the best permanent IT band stretch that stretches our hamstrings, thereby promoting the flexibility and mobility of the muscles and reducing stiffness.

• Stand straight, heels together, keep a little distance between the toes. Then move the left foot two feet away from the right foot.
• Remember so far you have to keep your hands straight.
• Now move the hands and feet to the triangle pose.
• Now keep the claw of your right hand slightly above the ground. There should be a distance of about one and a half feet between the toes of your right hand and the right foot.
• Move one hand upwards and the other in the same position upwards.
• Now raise your left leg in the air. Remember that in this position, you have to keep a 90 degree angle between both your feet.

Conclusion

Practice the above five poses of yoga for Iliotibial Band Syndrome to avoid sustaining injury or tightness in the IT band. Tight IT bands can be symptomatic of a lack of stamina and flexibility. Yoga is effective in finding and correcting imbalances.