Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of Kinesio® taping and electrical stimulation in the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Methods: Thirty patients (26 females, 4 females; mean age: 32.9 ± 12.2 years) with patellofemoral pain syndrome were equally divided into two groups; the KT group receiving Kinesio® taping and an exercise program, and the ES group receiving electrical stimulation and the same exercise program. All patients received stretching and strengthening exercises for the lower extremity under the supervision of a physiotherapist in the outpatient unit 3 times a week for 6 weeks (18 sessions). Patients were evaluated for pain (visual analog scale), range of motion (using a goniometer), muscle strength (manual muscle test), functional condition (step test, triple-jump test, knee flexion test and Kujala patellofemoral score), and quality of life (SF-36) before and after treatment.
Results: Visual analog scale scores were reduced by 3.33 and 3.93 and Kujala patellofemoral scores increased by 8.93 and 9.66 for the KT and ES groups, respectively. Both these improvements were statistically significant (p<0.05). While improvements were observed in functional tests, range of motion, and muscle strength values in both groups; there were no significant differences between the two groups (p>0.05). There were statistically significant improvements in the SF-36 scores in both groups (p<0.05) and these improvements were of a similar rate (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Kinesio® taping and electrical stimulation have similar effects on decreasing pain, improving functional condition, increasing muscle strength and improving quality of life and neither are superior in the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome.