Effect of aquatic and land-based exercise programs on the pain and motor function of weight lifters with patellofemoral pain syndrome

Background: Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common knee joint problems among the athletes. The present study was aimed to compare the effect of aquatic and land-based exercise methods on the pain level and motor function of the weight lifters with patellofemoral syndrome.

Methods: A total of twenty weight lifters with patellofemoral syndrome participated in this quasi-experimental study. They were randomly divided to two groups of aquatic exercise and land-based exercise. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Kujala Scale were used before and after the exercise period to measure the pain and motor function, respectively. To compare the pre-test and post-test scores of the participating groups, dependent t-test was used and to compare the differences between groups, ANOVA was applied.

Results: The results of post-test showed a significant difference in both groups in terms of pain level and motor function compared to pre-test after eight weeks of strength exercise. However, the comparison of data indicated no significant difference between groups with regard to pain level and motor function.

Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, exercise in water and on land can reduce the pain and improve the performance of the patients with patellofemoral syndrome.