Sports Cream, Ben Gay, Tiger Balm, Heating Pad for IT band stiffness?

[PistolPete]

The worst thing I have going on with my recovery is the stiffness of my IT band.  Would it be a bad idea to use Tiger Balm or a heating pad on this to try to relax it a bit?  I no longer have any swelling from my surgery and I'm 2 weeks post op.

Any ideas?
Thanks,
Pete

[Cantab]

Pete , good question.  I used Biogel alot prior to surgery to loosen up and help with pain in IT band.  My IT band was tender three days ago but with ice and massage it has gotten better.  But the quad is still very tender and tight.  I will ask my PT today when she gets here if I can use a little Biogel, well away from the incision, to help with the stiffness.

[curt]

Guys, don't know if it would hurt too much, but you might try a foam roller to work it over the IT band and outside quad.  The positioning on your side at an early stage might stress your hip, don't know.  I am using it every evening now(since week 6) and its really helping to keep the leg happy.  I don't roll it over the incision too much because, well, I'm a chicken at this point, but the quad and IT band seem to enjoy it.  I used this before surgery and it helped a TON.  Curt

[hernanu]

I used the roller this morning (just habit now), had noticed a little knee soreness after running on the treadmill. I was rolling on it at my usual angle, then tried a more "sideways" angle, since the other was going so smoothly, and found a large kink on my lower IT band area. Rolled on it several times slowly and it feels much better.

I know you're not quite there when your can use this, but will actually be able to use it within a few weeks. It is a great way to deal with the IT band, as curt says.

As soon as I could (about three or four weeks), the PT started doing massage of the IT area, especially the incision area, since she wanted to avoid scar tissue from forming and interfering with the muscles there. Only had a little bit of tightness or pain there, and I attribute it to her efforts with massage.

[ScubaDuck]

This is what I have been told.

Remember that your IT band is not a muscle and therefore can not be "stretched" directly.  By rolling the IT Band you are actually stretching the muscle that attaches in gluteal area.  You can deal directly with this muscle by placing a tennis ball about where your pocket would be on jeans and rolling on that.  This muscle is deeper.  Just be careful because it will really hurt at first.  You will know you are rolling on the right spot when you can feel it pulling at your knee.

Dan

[curt]

    I think Dan is right, and I've used the tennis ball to pleasure my piriformis muscle, but by using a roller you do force the muscles to lengthen which in turn decreases the pull on the IT band.  It also allowes you to control the amount of pressure you put on the leg by supporting yourself with arms and the upper leg, and it also will help work out any tightness you have in the side of the quad.  The other IT stretches (figure 4 - like crossing your leg, or opposite leg over) are probably not a great idea since it might overstress the hip joint at this early stage.
     Whichever ends up being easier to perform will make you feel better.  And as your own masseuse you will know when you are on the "spot".  Good luck with it Pete.

Curt