THE FOAM ROLLER WAS NEVER GOING TO FIX THIS

The pain arrives at the same point in every run. Mile four. The same hill. Forty minutes in, every time.

You've been told it's your IT band rubbing over the outside of your knee, and that you need to stretch it and roll it until it loosens up. So you've rolled it. Hard enough to leave bruises. Months later, you still can't get past mile four.

Here's what nobody told you: the iliotibial band is anchored to your thigh bone. It doesn't slide back and forth. It can't be stretched - it's far too strong for that, and rolling directly over the sore spot compresses a structure whose entire problem is compression.

The pain is coming from a richly innervated layer of tissue underneath the band, and it responds to something completely different.

In this book, orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Geier gives you the plan that actually works:

- Why your knee hurts at a predictable distance and quiets within minutes of stopping - How to be sure it's IT band syndrome and not one of the conditions that mimic it - What to do in the first two weeks - without losing your fitness or shutting down completely - A complete hip and core strengthening program, with modifications for every age and ability - Progressive loading and impact work that prepares you for the descents that hurt most - Gait retraining, footwear, and bike fit: what the evidence supports and what to skip - An honest look at injections, PRP, regenerative treatments, and the rare case for surgery - A criteria-based return-to-running plan, and the maintenance habits that keep it from coming back

For runners, cyclists, hikers, athletes and their parents, weekend warriors, and anyone whose job keeps them on their feet.

Stop rolling. Start rebuilding.

Dr. David Geier is a triple board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina, with a focus on regenerative treatment. He is the author of That's Gotta Hurt: The Injuries That Changed Sports Forever and writes and speaks widely on sports injuries and treatment. He is the author of the Active Life Orthopedics Guides series.

This book is general information and education. It is not medical advice. Please consult your physician about your specific injury before beginning any exercise program.