How Long Does a Cortisone Injection Take to Work for IT Band Syndrome?

A local anaesthetic can make the outer knee feel better shortly after the injection, but this temporary effect may wear off. The corticosteroid is intended to settle irritation near the iliotibial band, and its benefit is usually judged over the following days rather than immediately. IT band syndrome is often aggravated by repeated bending and straightening of the knee, especially during running or downhill movement. Less pain does not automatically mean the tissues are ready for full training, and the injection does not correct running load, hip weakness, or other contributing movement factors.

Follow the clinician's instructions about rest and dressing care. Avoid running, hills, repeated stair work, and other movements that reproduce outer-knee pain until you have been told to progress. Once comfortable, increase activity gradually and consider physiotherapy for hip and leg strength, flexibility, and training-load changes. Keep a simple note of pain during activity and the next day. A delayed flare can show that the increase was too quick, even when the knee felt fine during exercise.

Contact the clinic if redness, warmth, swelling, or pain at the injection site is getting worse, or if fever or general illness develops. Seek urgent help for severe pain, inability to walk, new leg weakness, or rapidly increasing swelling. If symptoms remain unchanged after the timeframe given by your clinician, arrange a review to reassess the diagnosis and rehabilitation plan.

Ask when you may walk briskly, cycle, run, or return to sport. Clarify which exercises should wait, whether the injection is part of a broader rehabilitation plan, and what to do if pain improves briefly and then returns.