Having dealt with knee pain for many years, it took a long time before I "diagnosed" the problem and found a working solution.
This is my routine and so far it's allowed me to continue hiking and do long rides without worrying about how I feel the next day...
- Stretches (pre-exercise is a MUST, post-exercise and recovery days are good too) - Roll/massage just the upper and lower connection points of the IT band hard, then I do about 3 or 4 different stretches per leg.
- Orthotics (to support my flat feet) - Shims/wedges/insoles may also help depending on the individual. You can Google how to make all these on your own.
- IT specific exercises. Your IT problems won't go away, you need to strengthen the muscles around the IT band.
Sounds like a lot of effort but I just enjoy a video on my phone during the stretches and workouts, which I do concurrently with other exercises.
You won't find a consensus on what works or doesn't work. Each individual is different. I used to think orthotics were garbage, I tried them on their own for years and my pain just got worse. The stretches on their own also don't work. My solution required a 3 prong approach and lots of trial and error along the way. You just have to find different stretches and routines that work for you (some require flexibility or equipment that you don't have) and weed out all the bad advice mixed in with the good stuff if you're researching this topic online.
I found this video very informative about the underlying condition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ds...Prof.Bellemans