Return to Play
An athlete can return to full activity when pain has resolved, and he/she has achieved normal flexibility of the ITB. To prevent recurrence of the injury, the athlete should have regained full muscle strength of the proximal hip and knee musculature.
Complications
If the injury has not been fully rehabilitated before the athlete returns to play, ITBS can become a chronic condition.
Prevention
The athlete should integrate active stretching of the ITB and maintenance of strength of the proximal hip musculature into his/her training program. Athletes should be aware of aspects of their training programs that may provoke ITBS (eg, overtraining, running on banked roads) and should make appropriate alterations. [22] By working with their physicians, trainers, physical therapists, or coaches, athletes should identify and correct problems with their equipment (eg, bicycle seats that are too high, worn-out athletic shoes).
Prognosis
The prognosis for ITBS is excellent if the athlete maintains ITB flexibility and corrects the intrinsic factors that lead to this injury. The athlete must also avoid the extrinsic factors that provoke ITBS.
Education
Provide the athlete with educational materials that describe ITBS and its management. An individualized, written training program must be developed for each athlete through collaboration with the athlete and a physician, physical therapist, or athletic trainer.
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The Ober test.
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This illustration demonstrates active stretching of the iliotibial band (ITB). The athlete stands a comfortable distance from a wall and, with the contralateral knee extended, leans the proximal shoulder against the wall to stretch the ipsilateral ITB.
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This illustration demonstrates iliotibial band syndrome stretching that is performed in a side-lying position.
