ITB pain
This is a very common problem we see in clinic with our runners and cyclists. Many of them are foam rolling the sides of their thighs, either this doesn’t solve the problem or if they stop the problem comes back. This is a classic case of treating the symptom and not the cause. To get to the cause you need to do a bit of investigative work, once you identify the root cause you can start getting the problem resolved. This is half the battle won, but often the exercises given to the client skip over some fundamental basics - this is the area Peta works with and it is the reason she receives the Google Reviews you may have read about. Solving ITB issues means looking at your posture, how your muscles are working and your flexibility. Often when you seek help you are given an overwhelming amount of rehab work to do and in many cases the exercises are specific enough for your problem, for instance many clients with ITB problems are given single leg squats bit find their problems still remain. Peta offers a stepped approach look at the real basics, once you have these working most of your gym work will take care of the rest (as long as you are willing to do the remedial work given and there are no underlying structural issues, such as a torn meniscus).
Over to Peta (myofascial release):
So many of my clients come in complaining of knee pain, usually the runners and cyclists are those most keen to fix the problem and see good results because they are motivated to get to the bottom of the problem. This usually means doing some assessments, muscle testing and remedial work - muscle engagement and/or flexibility - to get the body back working in sync and able to withstand the increasing loads from an training plan that is ramping up. When I hear of someone with ongoing pain despite having done rehab exercises, I will retest those areas and find an exercise that is effective rather than the ones taught on physio or sports massage courses. As clients progress with their exercises I can change them to work with the improved muscle function and build on the foundation we are creating. Many rehab plans fail because the muscles have no foundation to build on. This is a small part of my time in clinic because I pass on the responsibility to my client to put the time into fixing themselves - it’s free and it allows me to focus on the bits a foam roller will never access. Foam rolling is like trying to unpick a tapestry with a rolling pin. I apply my years of myofascial release experience to fixing the problems that come from loading the ITB due to incorrect biomechanics. One can’t work without the other - you have to do the corrective work and I work on the problems within the fascia. If you are a therapist reading this to try and learn from my posts - I will be starting a training clinic - you can register here to be kept up-to-date.
If you are a runner or cyclist with ongoing knee or ITB problems and want to free yourself from the agony of foam rolling your ITB, please book in - I’d be delighted to help you.
Back, neck and shoulder problems still plague our desk bound clients and we do many sports massage treatments to keep them pain free. This month our sports massage clinic has been clients from Moorgate, Spitalfields, Oxford Circus, Barbican, Old Street, Limehouse, Canary Wharf, Bank and London Bridge.
