ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of sling exercise therapy (SET) combined with shock wave therapy for the treatment of iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). MethodsA total of 60 ITBS patients were randomly divided into observation group or control group, with 30 cases in each group. Patients of the control group received SET, and the observation group received SET combined with shock wave therapy for treatment. Both groups received treatment for 4 weeks. The pre- and post-treatment Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score for knee joint when jogging and walking up and down stairs, Low Extremity Function Scale (LEFS) score, and flexor muscle group peak torque, extensor muscle group peak torque, and flexor muscle group peak torque/extensor muscle group peak torque (F/E) value of knee joint were compared between the two groups. ResultsAfter treatment, NPRS score for knee joint when jogging and walking up and down stairs in both groups was lower than that before treatment, whereas LEFS score, and flexor muscle group peak torque, extensor muscle group peak torque of knee joint in both groups were higher than those before treatment, as well as the observation group exhibited superior indices as above to compare with the control group (P<0.05). In addition, F/E value of the observation group was higher than that before treatment and of the control group after treatment (P<0.05), but no statistically significant difference in F/E value was found between the control group and before treatment (P>0.05). ConclusionSET combined with shock wave therapy can effectively alleviate knee joint pain in ITBS patients, which has crucial significance on low extremity function recovery and knee joint stability, exerting superior effects to single SET.