Conservative Treatment in People with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Abstract

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is the most common cause of anterior knee pain in athletes. Symptoms are increased with running, ascending and descending stairs, squatting and activities involving knee flexion. Risk factors include abnormal Q-angle, muscle imbalance, muscle tightness and poor quadriceps flexibility.

Goals of treatment in people with PFPS are to  decrease pain, to increase muscle strength and flexibility, and tochange patella alignment.

There are many conservative treatments for PFPS such as thermotherapy, cryotherapy, strengthening exercise, flexibility exercise, patella taping, and knee bracing. Strengthening exercises and flexibility exercises, closed and open kinetic chain exercises, especially quadriceps exercises are particularly effective in treating PFPS. While patella taping and knee bracing could enhance proprioception input and change patella alignment during the time of use, there is some conflicts of these effectiveness on pain reduction, and long term effect of taping. Therefore, it is essential that the conservative treatment for PFPS should include therapeutic exercises, especially quadriceps exercises.

Key words: Conservative treatment, Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS)