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I am not a physical therapist or orthopedic surgeon. My advice comes from years of suffering from ITB/ patellofemoral and finally beating it.
Rest is most import to begin. However, without changing anything even a slow gradual return to activity will be a slow gradual return to the same pain without fixing your deficiencies.
Seek a physical therapist trained in FMS (functional movement screen) or similar methodology.
The old mantra of a weak VMO and tight TFL/ITB is a ridiculous oversimplification.
If you have a structurally normal/uninjured knee like I did the issue likely lies in the hips (strength and mobility) and or (less likely) the ankle rather than the knee itself. The knee is a hinge joint so the hip is the major player. Wish I knew this from my first therapist and not my 3rd or 4th. Like everything else not all physical therapists are equal.
I also slowly (over months to a year) transitioned to zero or low heel drop shoes and think this helps as my shoe is not forcing my foot/ankle/knee/and hip into a position it doesn't like. If you decide to do this I recommend you do it very slowly or become a casualty of the "barefoot fad".
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