Very regularly - it's one of the most common overuse complaints I see in runners. There are two main presentations. The first is snapping hip, where the ITB flicks over the bony point of the lateral hip as it moves, creating a clicking sensation. Annoying more than painful in most cases, but worth addressing.

The second, and more common, is ITB friction syndrome: pain on the outside of the knee from the band repeatedly rubbing against the lateral femoral condyle during running. It builds gradually and tends to hit at a very predictable point in a run, then gets earlier and earlier until people can't run at all without pain.

The usual triggers are a sudden spike in distance or intensity, running on hills, worn-out shoes, foot pronation, or a stiff midfoot and restricted ankle range.

Underneath all of that, poor lumbo-pelvic stability and weak glutes are almost always part of the picture. The ITB is compensating for what the hip and pelvis aren't doing properly.

Manage pain first, always. Get an Ice Mate Pro and a compression sleeve on it to settle the inflammation before you do anything else. Trying to roll or stretch a hot, angry ITB makes it worse, not better.

Once the acute pain is under control:

• Roll the ITB with a Footeez to release the band itself
  
• Trigger the ITB and glutes with a Pocket Physio MAX to get into the deeper muscle tightness
  
• Stretch quads and ITB with a Stretchband to restore flexibility through the whole lateral chain
  
• Strengthen the glutes with Mini Band resistance exercises to improve pelvic control during running. This is what stops it coming back

Also look at your footwear and foot mechanics. Worn-out shoes and poor pronation control are common contributors that no amount of rolling will fix on their own. A podiatrist consult is worth it if foot mechanics are clearly part of the problem.

It's rare. The ITB is an exceptionally thick, tough band of connective tissue. It doesn't tear easily. Proximal tears do occasionally occur, usually degenerative rather than from a single traumatic event.

More common is direct trauma to the lateral thigh from a hard contact in sport - a collision or direct blow that contuses the area and impacts the vastus lateralis underneath the band. That's not a tear of the ITB itself, but it can make the whole lateral thigh extremely sore and limit function in a similar way. Either way, get it assessed so you're treating the right thing.

This one is highly dependent on how long you ignored it before seeking help...and I say that without judgement, because in my experience, runners ignore ITB warnings more than almost any other injury.

The pattern I see constantly is someone who felt the tightness at the 30km mark of a marathon, pushed through to the finish, and then couldn't walk properly afterward. That group can take months to settle, the band is severely irritated and needs real rest before it responds to rehab.

Present early, while you can still modify training rather than stop completely, and the picture is very different. Most people with mild to moderate symptoms can continue running at a reduced load as part of their recovery strategy, progressing back to full training as the tightness resolves and the underlying glute weakness is addressed.

The lesson: don't wait until the pain forces you to stop. The earlier you act, the faster and smoother the return.