I Have IT Band Syndrome and My Knee Hurts More When I Increase My Running Mileage

If your knee hurts more when you increase your running mileage, IT band syndrome can make the outside of your knee become painful as repeated running stresses the area.

When you have IT band syndrome, your knee may feel fine when you are running your usual distance but start aching, burning, or feeling sharp after you add more miles. You may notice that the pain used to appear near the end of a run but now starts earlier, especially once you have been running for several miles.

Increasing your mileage gives your knee more repeated running activity before the area has adjusted to the change. You may also notice soreness or tenderness around the outside of your knee after a longer run, with the next run feeling uncomfortable sooner than expected.

Your Knee Pain Starts Earlier As Mileage Rises

You may notice the outside of your knee starts hurting sooner once you increase your running distance.

A run that used to stay comfortable for several miles may now bring on the familiar pain earlier. The increase in mileage means your knee is dealing with more repeated movement during each week, which can make the symptoms show up before you reach your usual distance.

Your Knee Still Hurts On The Next Run

You may start another run with your knee still sore from the longer run before it.

When you increase your mileage quickly, the soreness from one run may not have settled before you run again. You may notice that your knee feels reasonably comfortable at first but becomes painful sooner because the area is still recovering from the extra distance.

Why Your Knee Pain Keeps Returning With More Mileage

Your knee has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your knee feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Knee Feel Better

Your knee starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does increasing my running mileage make my IT band pain worse?

Adding mileage increases the amount of repeated running your knee handles, which can make your familiar IT band pain appear sooner or become more intense.

Why does my IT band pain start earlier after I increase my mileage?

Your knee may be getting more running stress than it has adjusted to, so the pain can begin earlier in a run than it did at your previous mileage.

Can increasing running mileage cause IT band syndrome to flare up?

Yes. A sudden or substantial increase in mileage can make existing IT band symptoms return or become more noticeable during running.

Should I keep increasing my mileage when my IT band hurts?

If increasing your mileage consistently makes your knee pain worse, reducing the distance and allowing the area more time to settle may help prevent continued aggravation.

Why does my IT band still hurt on my next run?

Your knee may still be recovering from the previous run, especially when increased mileage has added more activity than the area is currently tolerating.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.