Question

Your client, Ryan, starting jogging recently and he informs you that his right IT band has been feeling stiff. He also mentions that his right knee tends to buckle inward when climbing stairs. Which corrective exercise is likely to decrease his IT band stiffness and reduce inward buckling of the right knee?

A) Quadriceps stretch
B) Calf raise
C) IT band foam rolling
D) Hip abduction exercises

Answer 1

For reducing IT band stiffness and knee buckling, IT band foam rolling and hip abduction exercises are most effective. Foam rolling loosens the IT band, while hip abduction exercises strengthen stabilizing muscles that prevent knee buckling.

Step-by-step explanation:

To alleviate stiffness in the IT band and reduce the inward buckling of the right knee that Ryan experiences when climbing stairs, the most effective corrective exercise would be IT band foam rolling. Foam rolling can help loosen the IT band and alleviate tightness along its length. This may decrease the likelihood of the knee buckling inward as the IT band becomes more flexible. Additionally, to address the tendency of the knee to buckle, hip abduction exercises are beneficial as they strengthen the muscles that stabilize the hip and knee, particularly the gluteus medius. A strengthened gluteus medius can prevent the inward motion of the knee, which is commonly associated with IT band stiffness and weakness in hip abductors.

Although a quadriceps stretch can be useful for overall leg flexibility and a calf raise can help strengthen the lower leg, these exercises do not directly target the IT band or hip abductors; therefore, they would be less effective for Ryan's specific issues in this case.