IT band syndrome is a common ailment among distance runners, but it has many different ways of manifesting itself. The common symptom of IT band syndrome is pain on the outside of the knee right where the IT band connects to the knee joint. You can also have pain up the IT band anywhere between the knee and the hip. And sometimes the IT band will be bothersome in the hip joint or on the outside side of the hip joint where the TFL muscle is located – the TFL is the muscle that the IT band connects to.
However, another relatively common issue is pain on the inside of the knee right where the top of the patella meets the quadriceps. What can happen is the fascia of the outside quad muscle can get “stuck” to the IT band, causing the IT band to become overactive and irritated but also to pull the quad out of proper alignment. This pulling effect can cause acute pain on the inside, rather than the outside of the knee.
Diligent foam rolling of the IT band and quad as well as stretching of the IT band should resolve the issue within 1-2 weeks.