Iliotibial Band Syndrome

If you’ve got nagging pain on the outer part of your knee, especially if you’re a runner, it could be a symptom of iliotibial band (IT band) syndrome. It’s an injury often caused by activities where you bend your knee repeatedly, like running, cycling, hiking, and walking long distances.

Your IT band is a thick bunch of fibers that runs from the outside of your hips to the outside of your thigh and knee down to the top of your shinbone. If your IT band gets too tight, it can lead to swelling and pain around your knee. IT band syndrome usually gets better with time and non-surgical treatments.

The main symptom is pain on the outer side of your knee, just above the joint. Early on, the pain might go away after you warm up. Overtime, pain will worsen and other symptoms include:

• Aching, burning, or tenderness on the outside of your knee.
• Feeling a click, pop, or snap on the outside of your knee.
• Warmth and redness on the outside of your knee.