SupremeOuter knee pain at the same mile, every run?
The first few miles feel fine. Then a sting on the outside of your knee builds until you have to stop. Stairs hurt the next day, especially going down. You've foam rolled your IT band until you're bruised and it still comes back.
Nick Monczakowski 4.9 from 74 Google reviews · 13+ years
The run that always ends early.
IT band pain has a pattern. It usually starts at the same point in a run and gets worse until you stop.
Feeling good
Nothing to notice. You think today might be different.
A tightness
A vague ache on the outside of the knee. You keep going.
The sting
Sharp pain every time your foot lands. You walk home.
The stairs
Going downstairs reminds you all day.
The band is the messenger. The hip is the cause.
The IT band barely stretches.
It's a thick strip of connective tissue, not a muscle. Rolling it hard mostly just hurts. The muscles that pull on it are what change.
The hip lets the knee drift.
Weak or switched-off glutes let your knee fall inwards as you land. The band gets pulled tight over the outside of the knee with every stride.
Too much, too soon.
A jump in mileage, a new hill route or a camber you always run on the same way. The tissue hasn't had time to adapt.
Above the knee, not just on it.
TFL
The small muscle at the front of the hip that tensions the IT band. Often the real culprit.
Glute max & medius
Release and wake-up work so the hip controls the knee again.
Vastus lateralis
The outer quad sits under the band. When it's tight, everything above the knee feels it.
Calves & feet
How your foot lands changes how your knee tracks. Checked and treated if needed.
IT band myths. Busted.
“I need to foam roll it harder.”
Tap to flip →The band itself doesn't really stretch. Rolling the muscles around it gently helps more than grinding on the band.
“I should stop running completely.”
Tap to flip →Usually you can keep running, just shorter, flatter and slower for a while. Nick will help you plan it.
“It's a knee problem.”
Tap to flip →You feel it at the knee. The cause is usually at the hip, which is where most of the treatment goes.
One hour. Back to full runs.
- 01
Talk
Your mileage, routes, shoes and exactly when it starts to hurt.
- 02
Assess
Hands-on assessment of the hip, thigh and knee, plus how you stand on one leg.
- 03
Treat
Release of the TFL, glutes and outer quad that pull on the band.
- 04
Plan
Simple hip strength work and a plan to build your runs back up.
Back running. In their words.
“By the end of my sessions I understood how other parts of my body had been compensating and the massage solved the issue with my knee.”
Jo · Knee“Came with calf problems and knee pain was very helpful and knowledgable good experience and would recommend”
Dean · Calf & knee“I'm convinced Nick is half sports therapist, half magician! I went to see Nick having badly injured my right calf 4 weeks out from the Copenhagen marathon… finished in 3h 6mins.”
Charlie · Marathon runnerBefore you book for your IT band.
Can sports massage help IT band syndrome?
Yes. Treatment works on the TFL, glutes and outer quad that pull on the IT band, which eases the pain at the outside of the knee. Combined with hip strength work, most runners get back to full distance.
Should I foam roll my IT band?
Gently rolling the muscles around it can help. Grinding hard on the band itself mostly causes bruising. Nick will show you what's worth doing.
Can I keep running with IT band pain?
Usually, with changes. Shorter runs, flatter routes and stopping before the pain starts. Nick will help you build back up without setting it off.
How many sessions will I need?
Most people improve clearly within 3 to 4 sessions with hip strength work at home.
Where is the practice?
Beverley Road, New Malden KT3 4AW. About a 10-minute walk from New Malden station with free street parking nearby. Open Monday to Friday, 11am to 7pm.
When to see your GP first
Call 999 or go to A&E straight away if you have a hot, red, swollen knee with a fever, or you can't put weight on your leg after an injury.
Call NHS 111 or see your GP before booking if you have knee pain with any of these:
- Swelling inside the knee, especially straight after a twist
- Your knee locks, catches or gives way
- You can't fully straighten or bend your knee
- Pain that's constant, even at rest or at night
Not sure? WhatsApp Nick a quick description first. If massage isn't the right first step, he'll tell you before you book.
Runner's knee has neighbours.
Finish the run you started.
- £80 first session, assessment included
- Mon–Fri 11am–7pm
- Near New Malden station · free street parking
- Personal reply from Nick, usually same day
“At 42 I couldn't jog without pain. With a tailored treatment plan Nick changed all of that.”