Comparing the Effect of Exercise Therapy With Kinesio Taping on Pain and Electrical Activity of Muscles in Women With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Background Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most prevalent knee disorders. In fact, one in four patients with knee disorders suffers from this syndrome.  Objective The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy of 8-week exercise therapy with and without Kinesio taping on the pain and Vastus Medialis Oblique/Vastus Lateralis (VMO/VL) electrical activity ratio in women with PFPS. Methods In this quasi-experimental study, 45 women with PFPS were participated. They were randomly divided into three groups of exercise therapy, exercise therapy with Kinesio taping, and control. Their pain and muscle activity were evaluated by visual analogue scale and surface electromyography, respectively before and after treatment. Paired t-test and one-way ANOVA were performed for statistical analysis.  Findings The results reported a significantly reduced pain and improved VMO/VL muscle electrical activity ratio in both experimental groups (P<0.05) but there was no statistically significant difference between both groups in reducing pain (P˃0.05). Moreover, more reduction in onset delay of the electrical activity of VMO relative to the VL was observed in the group that performed exercises with using Kinesio tapes (P<0.05). Conclusion Kinesio taping as an effective complement to exercise therapy is recommended for the improvement of patients with PFPS.