IT band syndrome treatment for outer knee pain that stops your run.
Sharp on the outside of the knee at the same point in every run? We find what is loading it, from the hip down, then build you back up over six to eight weeks.
Not IT band syndrome? You leave with written findings and where to go next.
What our clients say.
Google reviews from our clinics in Kings Cross and Hampstead.
“After struggling with Achilles tendon pain that had prevented me from running properly for some time. The rehabilitation was structured around gradually increasing my capacity rather than rushing the process. I was given clear guidance on loading, recovery and exercise progression, which made the whole process much easier to understand. Excellent clinical approach and very professional throughout, single handedly by one practitioner only. Highly recommend this clinic for anyone in Hampstead”
Khánh Lê Duy
Google review, Hampstead, October 2026
“Absolutely excellent therapist. I arrived with horribly tight and tense shoulders and neck and after a thorough consultation I got a thoughtful and bespoke treatment addressing the issues I raised and more I didn’t know were there. Alexander was very professional and polite and clearly knows what he is doing. I will be back!”
Marie-Claire Strawbridge
Google review, Kings Cross, April 2026
“I injured my ankle playing sport a few months ago and was still having stability and flexibility issues. Alexander did a very thorough assessment, getting to the root of the problem and building plan for going forwards - highly recommend!”
Hector McDonald
Google review, Kings Cross, August 2026
Does this sound like your knee?
Sharp pain on the outside of the knee
It starts at the same point in every run, then forces you to stop
Worse running downhill or down stairs
Fine at rest, and fine again the next day until you run
Two or more? Book the assessment and we will confirm what it is. Book your assessment
Why foam rolling and rest have not fixed it.
The IT band is a thick sheet of tissue that will not stretch or roll out, however hard you press. The pain comes from the outside of the knee taking more load than it is ready for, often because the hip is not controlling the leg or the running load jumped. Rest settles it, then it flares at the same point on your next run. What changes it is finding where the load comes from and building the hip and leg back up, with someone checking it is working. That is what the programme is for.
The Achilles Method: one practitioner, three phases.
1
Assessment
We confirm it is IT band syndrome, and look from the hip to the foot for what is loading the knee.
2
Tension Release
Hands-on treatment to settle the hip, the outer thigh and the tissue around the knee.
3
Strength Rebuild
A strength plan written for you, so the hip and leg can take your running again.
Your plan is explained in the room and given to you in writing.
Prices: two ways to start.
START WITH THE ASSESSMENT
£129
Blueprint Assessment · 75 minutes
- ✓Find out what is driving it
- ✓Written findings and a plan
- ✓Go ahead with the programme and the £129 comes off
The IT Band Syndrome Programme
£765
8 sessions · 6 to 8 weeks
- ✓Starts with the Blueprint Assessment
- ✓Saves £99 against the same sessions one by one
- ✓The same practitioner at every session
If the assessment shows the programme is not right for you, everything except the assessment is refunded.
Changed your mind? Cancel within 14 days of booking and pay only for the sessions you have used.
Payment options, session validity and receipts+
- Book the full programme online and your first session is the Blueprint Assessment.
- Already had the Blueprint Assessment? Your seven remaining sessions are £636, in full or in two payments of £318.
- Started session by session? Switch to the programme within 14 days of the Blueprint Assessment and every session you have paid for counts towards it.
- Sessions are valid for 4 months from your first session.
- Written notes and home exercises between visits.
- A full receipt and paid invoice for every session, so you can claim it back if your policy covers treatment.
Find us in London.
Both clinics sit a short walk from the station. Open the map to check your route, or tap through for directions.
The same person, every session.
From your assessment to your last session, you see the same practitioner: Alexander Khang, an ISRM Level 5 Soft Tissue Therapist, at Kings Cross or Hampstead. He is not a registered physiotherapist. If your case needs a doctor or a registered clinician, he will tell you and refer you.
935
appointments
729
clients
5.0
from 265+ reviews
Kings Cross 260 Pentonville Road, 3 minutes' walk from Kings Cross St Pancras
Hampstead 40 Rosslyn Hill, 6 minutes' walk from Hampstead station
Questions before you book.
About the programme
Can I book the whole programme now?+
Yes. Book it online and your first session is the Blueprint Assessment. If the assessment shows the programme is not right for you, we refund everything except the assessment. You can also cancel within 14 days of booking and pay only for the sessions you have used. Prefer to meet first? Book the Blueprint Assessment on its own, and if you go ahead the £129 comes off the programme.
Do I have to stop running?+
Usually not entirely. Stopping completely lowers what the knee can take, so it flares again at the same point when you go back. We agree a distance and pace your knee can handle at your assessment and build up from there.
How long does it take?+
The programme usually runs over six to eight weeks. Your assessment sets the plan for your knee, and you leave with the plan to carry on.
What if it is not working?+
If it is not moving, the plan changes, or we refer you on.
Is Alexander a physiotherapist?+
No. Alexander is an ISRM Level 5 Soft Tissue Therapist, not a registered physiotherapist. Physiotherapy on this site describes a type of service, not a registration. If your case needs a registered clinician or a doctor, we tell you and refer you.
Can I claim on health insurance?+
We do not work with private medical insurers. We provide a full receipt and a paid invoice for every session, so if your policy or health cash plan reimburses treatment, you can claim it back yourself.
About IT band syndrome
What is IT band syndrome?+
IT band syndrome is pain on the outside of the knee, where the iliotibial band, a thick sheet of tissue running down the outside of the thigh, passes over the knee joint. It is one of the most common causes of outer knee pain in runners and cyclists.
Should I foam roll my IT band?+
Rolling can ease the tension around it for a while, and if it makes you feel better that is fine. It does not lengthen the band, which is as tough as a tendon, and it does not change what the knee can take. Building strength around the hip and knee does.
Why does it start at the same point in every run?+
Because the knee can take a certain amount of load before it complains. Each run uses that up at the same rate, so the pain arrives at a similar time or distance. The programme raises that limit, so the point moves further out.
Is it my knee or my hip?+
Often both. When the hip does not control the leg well, the outside of the knee takes more of the load. That is why the assessment looks from the hip down to the foot, not only at the knee.
Do I need a scan first?+
Usually not. IT band syndrome is normally confirmed by assessment. Imaging helps after a twist or a fall, when the knee locks or gives way, or when progress stalls, and we will tell you if yours is one of those.
Who gets it?+
Runners who have added distance or hills quickly, cyclists, and anyone training for a first half marathon or marathon. Whether you run the Regent's Canal towpath near our Kings Cross clinic or the hills of Hampstead Heath near our Hampstead clinic, the assessment and the programme are the same.
When does outer knee pain need a doctor?+
Go to A&E or urgent care if the knee swelled within hours of a twist or a fall, if it locks or gives way, or if you cannot put weight on it.
See your GP first if the knee is hot, red and swollen, if you feel unwell or feverish, if you have numbness or tingling down the leg, or if pain wakes you at night and does not ease with rest. We screen for all of these at your assessment and refer you on if your case needs it.
Start with the assessment.
75 minutes. Written findings. £129, taken off the programme if you go ahead.