Health blog Category: Hip
The IT Band’s role and Preventing IT Band Syndrome
By: Alyssa Burke, PTA
The IT Band is a part of body that is somewhat of a mystery to many. You’ve probably heard of the IT band. But are you confident about where it is or what it does? We’ll answer these questions today. The IT band is the abbreviation for the iliotibial band. This band is an extension of your hip muscles. It is a long band of connective tissue or fascia that runs down the outside of your thigh from your hip to just below your knee.
Ever feel like you’ve overstretched a muscle?
A common cause of hip pain that we treat at Loudoun Sports Therapy Clinic is a hamstring injury. The hamstring muscle group is located on the back side of the thigh and is made up of three muscles. These three muscles originate on the hip bone and attach at the knee joint. When these muscles contract, the knee bends into a flexed position. When they relax, the knee is able to straighten back out. The hamstrings work together with the quadriceps muscles to control and stabilize the knee joint.
Read full blogIt Bears a Large Brunt of Our Weight
The hip joint is one of the most stable joints in the body, but unfortunately that does not keep this joint and region of the body from developing issues and producing pain.
There are multiple structures in and around the hip joint that can produce pain in this area of the body:
- Labrum– the ring of cartilage around the rim of the socket of the hip joint.
What does the IT band do and how do IT band problems start?
By: Mike Bills, MS PT
What is the IT band and how do problems start here? There are a number of muscles on the outside of your hip that attach to the IT band. The job of all of these muscles is to keep the hip joint structures open, help support the joint and then create the movement of the joint. Most commonly what happens in a patient who is experiencing some level of IT band problems is that the muscles on the outside of the hip that are working to hold the hip together while we move the leg are overworking.
Trouble standing up or sitting down because of hip pain?
People frequently come to physical therapy with different complaints involving the hip. The number one complaint being pain localized to the hip joint and muscles surrounding the joint. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the hip and even the lower back. These issues create difficulty moving the joint and generalized weakness in the affected leg.
Hip pain affects people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, because the hip is a weight-bearing joint, most people find difficulty in creating lasting relief for their symptoms.
Tightness or Pulling Sensations on the Outside of the Leg…
By: Kiara Holmes, ATC
Knock Knock!
Who’s there?
IT Band
IT Band who?
IT Band me from the system again and said they’re gonna keep a tight watch on me!
There’s some fun physical therapy humor for you! Today we’re going to talk about the IT band. So what is the IT band?
First of all, it has nothing to do with computers or technology. The IT band, known as the Iliotibial tract, is a band of tissue that runs from your hip to your knee.
Trouble lying on one side because of discomfort?
By Cierra Washington, ATC
Bursitis. Tendonitis. Muscle Strains. Labral Tears. Hip impingement. Osteoarthritis. These are all common hip issues that can be seen throughout all ages and activity levels. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that allows for multi directional movement, as well as rotation. The hip joint, also known as the acetabulum, gets its structure from the head of the femur (the ball) and the articulation of the pelvis (the socket).
Ever felt sharp discomfort when climbing stairs?
Hip problems make daily activities like simply walking difficult and painful. When you talk to your physical therapist or doctor about your hip pain, it’s important to be able to describe exactly where your pain is located. This helps confirm that your hip is actually the problem. It’s not uncommon for us to hear a patient say ‘my hip hurts’ and then once we’ve done a full evaluation of their area of pain, we find they actually are having a back-related problem.
Read full blogWhat are the core muscles and what do they do?
By: Rachel Herrmann, DPT, PT
When most people think of the core, they think of the abdominals and doing sit-ups and generally know that one needs to have good core strength. Beyond that, most people don’t know much else about the core.
So what are the core muscles and what do they really do?
The core muscles consist of the muscles surrounding and providing stability and postural control to the torso, abdomen and pelvis.
Problems in the body’s largest ball and socket joint
By: Jessica Freedman, ATC
The hip is the largest ball and socket joint in the human body. The joint consists of the head of the femur articulating with the rim of the pelvis, with a ring of cartilage (the labrum) sitting between the two bones. When functioning properly, the hip joint allows us to move our legs smoothly in many different directions. However, if something is disrupting the hip, these motions can become very painful, making activities such as walking, running, or even standing difficult.
