Ankle Crank and IT Band Syndrome

The exercises & techniques to keep your body healthy for footbag.
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mc
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Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA

Ankle Crank and IT Band Syndrome

Post by mc »

Hey folks, I've been getting some IT band syndrome on my right knee. My right ankle is slightly crankier than my left (because of years of one-sidedness), and I CRANK it when I crank it. It occurred to me today that cranking my ankle might be tightening the bands in my leg and causing them to inflame, and when I put my fingers under my knee where it hurts, I can feel the tendons moving as I crank.

Does anyone know anything about tendons and bands and stuff and know if I could be on to something with this? maybe I could get an ankle brace to de-crank me a little bit, and that will help. thoughts?
BRICK!

rfa::never give up::
nyfa
Guest_2
Egyptian Footgod
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Post by Guest_2 »

Check out that thing Takumi wears on his leg below the knee. It looks like a giant sweat band. Not to be technical or anything, but I bet that would really, really reduce the abuse your legs are taking
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Chim-Chim
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Location: Chicago

Post by Chim-Chim »

this is what you mean? Pro Tec brand "tandem back of knee wrap"
Image

they're about $15-20
Jake Raye
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Post by Guest_2 »

yeah-I should get them ;-)
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Caleb
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Post by Caleb »

Just my opinion that isn't officially or mediaclly informed:

The IT band runs from the outside of the hip to the outside of the knee. I don't know if an ankle crank would effect that. But you do really get into your clippers so you may be onto something. If it is the IT band, once you bend your knee past 90 degrees you'll probably feel a pop on the outside of the knee cap. That is from the band being so tight and the tendons being inflammed enough to pull the knee cap out of its normal, linear range of motion.

I don't like braces on knees, ankles, or anywhere else unless they're absolutely necessary. But that's just my fear of being dependant on anything. So, I managed to nurse a similar and severe version of the tendonitus I explained above with some carefully planned stretching and exercise.

Here's one particular stretch I had in my blog for the IT band. It's a subtle stretch so you may not feel it much or at all if this isn't the problem:

-Lean stiff against a wall with your left shoulder on the wall and your feet a couple feet away from the wall (as if you're like a ski propped against the wall). Now pull your left hip toward the wall slowly. You'll be pulling your lower body sideways stretching out the IT band which runs from the outside of the hip to the outside of the knee. Repeat on the opposite shoulder/hip.

Also, I find that a lot of freestylers (including myself until I had to go through physical therapy) are misinformed and misguided as far as staying healthy and pushing yourself/your sport goes. So I started a blog specifically for posting whatever good info I've come across in my recovery and to make my workout routine an example of active, supplemental exercise with footbag shred. Check it out if you feel the need and I hope you heal up quick Matt.
Steel City Freestyle

Caleb Abraham
hackeysnacker

Post by hackeysnacker »

I'm in the same boat as you, here's a good stretch I found on a site that erik chan posted a link to

Iliotibial Band Stretching / Knee Exercises:
Stand up. Cross right leg behind left leg moving crossing knee beyond the midline of the body. Lean the hips to the left side, the stretch being felt on your right hip, side of the leg and knee.

Sit in chair: Bring right foot to outside of left leg, bringing knee towards opposite shoulder so that the knee crosses the midline of the
body.

the first one REALLY stretches the hip area well, and once u get past the hip stretching you'll start to feel it a bit below the knee
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Jack Wei
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Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Post by Jack Wei »

Man, I have IT band problems too...on my left knee. It develped before I started freestyling, me and my friends did Jester and Super Jester tricks and one day the band just popped out of place and I couldn't walk for like 3 hours. It's SO PAINFUL, I even went to a physiotherapist, but it really didn't help that much. Freestyle for me eliminates the IT band poppin' out problem and I have pretty much avoided doing Super Jesters completely.

Usually to fix the leg when the IT band pops out of place (you can't straighten out your leg, feels like you are ripping it), Just sit down

Image

in the position, but without the weird toe crank :? and softly push on your knees with your arm, and eventually the band will pop back in, should only take like 5 seconds. When I first had this condition, I didn't know how to fix the problem, so I tried forcefully to straighten my legs but it never worked and I think that made the leg worse. What's more was that I thought the band was going to pop back in on its own (it happened once) so I just sat there and waited...for 3 hours!!!!! :x If your IT band ever pops out of place, do that move I just told you about. :D
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