There’s some controversy about whether the IT band and other fascial tissue can actually stretch. Our perspective is the the use of the foam roller in conditions like IT band syndrome may not actually stretch or lengthen the Iliotibial band, but the use of the foam roller can help release adhesions between the IT band and other structures such as the vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, gluteus muscles and tensor fascia lata.

You can support your body weight with your arms and the other leg to take some of the pressure and weight off the IT band if you find that rolling on the foam roller is too painful initially.

The GRID foam roller is available from TP Therapy for $39.95 + shipping

Sports Health-High Impact Sports Participation May Improve Bone Mineral Density in Mature Ath
A recent sports medicine study on bone density in older athletes  in the November/December issue of Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach determined that there may be significant gains to be made when older athletes participate in higher impact exercise activities.A total of 560 senior athletes with an average age of almost 66 years that took part in  2005 National Senior Games were enrolled in the study. Each Olympian received a Senior Athlete Health Registry Questionnaire and then had their bone mineral density testing performed via a calcaneal quantitative ultrasound of the heal of their dominant foot. The study found that participation in high-impact sports was a significant predictor of improved bone mineral density of the foot when compared to the athletes who participated in lower impact sports once the athlete’s age, sex, body mass and use of osteoporosis medication were controlled.

• IT Band
• Stress Fractures
• Runner’s knee
• Shin Splints
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Achilles Tendonitis

Iliotibial Band Syndrome (IT Band Friction Syndrome)

IT Band problems usually present as pain on the outside part of the knee or on the outside of the hip. The main causes of IT band syndrome are due to weak glute/hip muscles that then allow for increased strain across the iliotibial band.

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Stress fractures are another common overuse injury that can result in a long rehabilition and time away from running. Most stress fractures occur as a result of repetitive overloading of normal bone. If the overloading occurs for too long without enough recovery in between episodes, then a stress fracture can occur. Catching a stress fracture in its early stages, where there may just be local irritation to the bone is key to limiting the amount of time away from running. Running biomechanics play a large role in the development of stress fractures. A running form that increases the contact force can quickly overload the bone.

Most runners have experienced shin splints (or medial tibial stress syndrome) at some point of their running career. “Shin splints” are an inflammation of the calf muscle attachment to the shin bone. Shin splints often hurt at the being of a run, or after cooling down afterwards, but may resolve temporily during the run. A key concept to battling shin splints is a focused stretching and strengthing program of the calf muscles to decrease the stress the muscles place on their attachment to the shin bones.

Plantar Fascitis

Plantar fasciitis often presents as a sharp pain to the heel with the first couple of steps in the morning. The plantar fascia is a band of fibrous tissue that originates from the heel bone (calcaneous) and attaches to the bases of the metatarsals (toe bones). The plantar fascia acts a spring that helps elevate the arch of the foot and distributes the force across the foot during the ground contact time of running. The heel pain can increase and persist throughout the day

A recent small study on the benefits of yoga for low back pain published in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine by researchers at Boston University found that 12 weeks of hiatha yoga had a significant improvement in low back pain in comparison to patients that continued traditional treatment for their low back pain. The study followed 30 patients that either participated in a 12 week hiatha yoga class and received instructions on home yoga exercises or continued their current treatment for their low back pain prescribed by their doctor.

At the end of the 12 week peroid, the yoga for back pain group had an 80% decrease in their use of medication for the low back pain and 73% of the yoga group felt that their back pain had improved compared to only 27% in the “treatment as usual” group. There was also a measurable  decrease in the severity of the pain reported by the yoga group with the reported change in low back pain reduced by roughly one-third from when they started the 12 week program – a significant change when compared to the “no yoga” group that only reported about a 5% decrease in their low back pain after 12 weeks of seeing their doctor and taking various pain medications.

Commentary – We’re not surprised by the results of this yoga for low back pain study. Many of the patients that we see with low back pain tend to have either significant core and low back muscle weakness or an inability to utilize their core muscles properly. A well-instructed yoga class that emphasizes core stability can go a long way in not only decreasing a patient’s low back pain, but also cut down on their need for medications as well.

After the 12 weeks, those in the yoga group had far lower pain scores than the control — their pain decreased by a third, compared with 5% in the control group. The yoga group also decreased their use of pain medication by 80%, while the control group’s medication didn’t change. At the end of the study, 73% of the yoga group said they had overall improvement in back pain, compared with 27% of the control group.

“Our pilot study showed that yoga is well-received in these communities and may be effective for reducing pain and pain medication use,” said Dr. Robert Saper in a news release. Saper, the lead author of the study, is also an assistant professor of family medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine and director of integrative medicine at Boston Medical Center. The study appears in the November issue of the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.