Can Acupuncture Treat IT Band Injuries?
Runners, mountain bikers, skiers—all you leg sport people—listen up. That constant, nagging pain on the outside of your knee is not uncommon, but it’s also not normal. Pain on the outside of the knee can be caused by a few different things, one of which is issues with the IT (iliotibial) band. This “band” is really a thick piece of connective tissues that runs from the outside of the hip to the outside of the knee. It is an extension of the tendon of a muscle located in the front of the hip called the TFL (tensor fascia latae). This thick band of tissue’s purpose is to add stability to the lateral knee (outside of knee). With proper body mechanics it also acts like a spring to the hip when it shifts from absorbing weight in the planted leg during gait to recoil out of it.
However, imbalances in the function of the hip muscles and weakness in the glutes can lead to increased tension in and issues with the IT band, which is often referred to as IT band friction syndrome (ITBFS).
IT band issues are generally a chronic issue that comes on over a period of time of overuse or a change in the type of exercise or type of terrain used. Constant rubbing of the IT band over the bones on the outside of the knee during running can also lead to ITBFS.
ITBFS pain can often present as a sharpness or burning sensation on the outside of the knee. Severe cases can cause pain that is continual even when walking and using stairs.
How can acupuncture help heal an ITBFS injury
Acupuncture can help treat IT band issues by decreasing inflammation, decreasing the tension in the tissue and addressing the imbalance in the hip muscles. In addition, because of acupuncture’s holistic effects that can cause global effects, there are reactions in the nervous system which can helps address the body’s response to the pain, how the pain is perceived as well as the mental and emotion effects of the injury.
In the perspective of Chinese Medicine, an injury like this is seen as qi and blood stagnation and is often accompanied by an imbalance between the GB and Liver sinew channels.
With acupuncture and rehabilitative exercises that help strengthen the hips, patients with ITBFS can expect to notice changes within a few week of weekly treatments, though best results are seen with twice a week treatments for the first two weeks. Reducing exacerbating activities for just a few weeks in the initial stage of recovery can help the body in optimally healing the area.
Got knee pain that’s not from the IT Band? Check out this post for a longer list of knee injuries.
Resources:
Callison M, Schreiber A, Ryan NT, Livermore M, Scoggins A. Sports Medicine Acupuncture : An Integrated Approach Combining Sports Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. San Diego, Calif. Acusport Education; 2019.