BACKGROUND: Although different conservative treatment options have been proposed, there is a paucity of research on the management of iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) in runners. OBJECTIVE: To compare two treatment protocols for ITBS; radial shockwave therapy (RSWT) and manual therapy (ManT). Both therapies were administered concurrently with an exercise rehabilitation programme. METHODS: The study was designed as a randomised controlled clinical trial. Twenty-four runners with ITBS received 3 treatments at weekly intervals of either RSWT (n = 11) or ManT (n = 13). In addition, all subjects followed an exercise programme for at least 4 weeks. Main outcome measures were established as mean differences (MD) in pain during treadmill running. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in pain reduction between the two interventions at 4 weeks (p = 0.796), and 8 weeks (p = 0.155) follow-up. Thus, both groups reported similar magnitude of reduced pain during the intervention (p = 0.864). The shockwave therapy (SWT) group reported a 51% decrease in pain at week 4 (p = 0.022), and a 75% decrease at week 8 (p = 0.004). The ManT group showed a 61% reduction in pain at week 4 (p = 0.059), and a 56% reduction at week 8 (p = 0.067). CONCLUSIONS: RSWT and ManT were equally effective in reducing pain in subjects with ITBS.

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