Hip Abductor Muscles Strengthening's Effect on Lower Extremity's Function of Runners With Illitotibial Syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) is among the most common injuries in distance runners. Thus, the present study investigated the effect of a special strengthening exercise program for abductor’s muscles according to NSCA protocol, on pain reduction and lower extremity function improvement among elite distance runners with ITBS. Materials and Methods: The subjects of the present study were 32 elite distance runners who were randomly divided into two groups of control and experimental (n=16/group). The experimental group performed the exercise program for 8 weeks; however, the control group followed their routine program. The pain was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale of pain (VAS) and the lower extremity function was assessed by the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). In the statistical procedure, the repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni test was applied to determine the within-group and between-groups differences of the study variables, and for assessing the stability level of protocols’ effect on the experimental group and comparing the stages, respectively. The significance level was considered 0.05, test power as 95%, and effect size as 0.7; SPSS was used for all data analyses. Results: The present study data indicated that the strengthening exercise program on hip abductor muscles caused a significant decrease in pain (P=0.0001). The lower extremity function manifested a significant improvement in the experimental group after 8 weeks of strengthening exercise protocol (P=0.0001); it was durable even 3 months after the end of the exercise program. Conclusion: Hip abductor muscle strengthening, based on NSCA protocol, can be an effective approach in reducing pain and improving lower extremity function in elite distance runners with ITBS.

Physical Therapy Approaches for the Treatment of Iliotibial Band Syndrome: A systematic review

“…Research by Beers et al, (2008) [42] showed a significant difference in hip abductor strength between healthy and injured leg before intervention which was ameliorated after 6 weeks of abductor strengthening. Imeri and Gheitasi's (2020) [44] study on hip abductor strengthening resulted in a significant decrease in pain, improvement in lower extremity functionality after the intervention and 3 months follow-up. Research by McKay et al, (2020) [43] examined the effectiveness of 3 different exercise programs: stretching, conventional exercise and experimental strength training with the results showing a significant improvement in balance and lower extremity function ability in the A-stretch group, without, differences between the 3 groups.…”

“…Imeri and Gheitasi's (2020) [44] quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a hip abductor strengthening exercise program in reducing ITBS symptoms and improving lower limb function. A total of 32 elite distance runners with a positive Noble's test were randomly divided into 2 groups: the experimental (n=16) and the control group (n=16).…”