High voltage pulsed galvanic stimulation adjunct to rehabilitation program for patellofemoral pain syndrome: a prospective randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of High Voltage Pulsed Galvanic Stimulation (HVPGS) in conjunction with patellar taping on pain and functional levels of patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS). Methods: This study was designed as a prospective randomized controlled study. Forty-five female patients with unilateral symptomatic PFPS were randomly allocated into three groups. All patients were treated with a standard rehabilitation program. In addition, Group-1 received HVPGS in conjunction with patellar taping, Group-2 received HVPGS, and Group-3 received patellar taping. All treatments were applied for six weeks. Pain levels during step-up and step-down activities were measured. Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) was utilized to determine functional level. All tests were done before and after the treatment. Results: There were differences in pain levels during step-down (p=0.01) and during step-up (p=0.02) betweenGroup-1 and 3 and during the step-up activities (p=0.02) between Group-2 and 3 after the treatment. There were no significant differences in functional level between the groups after the treatment (p>0.05). The groups that included HVPGS (Group-1 and 2) had better pain scores during step-up and down activities as compared to Group-3. Conclusion: AdditionalHVPGS application in PFPS rehabilitation may decrease in pain levels during activities including step up and down while functional status remains the same

Keywords

• Patellofemoral pain syndrome, Knee, Electrical stimulation, Athletic tape

Patellofemoral ağrı sendromu rehabilitasyonuna eklenen yüksek voltaj kesikli galvanik stimulasyon: prospektif randomize kontrollü çalışma

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı patellar bantlama eşliğinde uygulanan yüksek voltaj kesikli galvanik stimulasyonun (YVKGS), patellofemoral ağrı sendromu (PFAS) olan hastalarda ağrı ve fonksiyonel seviyeye etkisini incelemekti. Yöntem: Bu çalışma, prospektif randomize kontrollü olarak 2006-2008 yılları arasında Hacettepe Üniversitesi’nde gerçekleştirildi. Tek taraflı semptomatik 45 PFAS’li kadın rastgele üç gruba dağıtıldı. Grup 1’e standart rehabilitasyona ek olarak bantlama eşliğinde YVKGS, Grup 2’ye standart rehabilitasyona ek olarak YVKGS ve Grup 3’e ise standart rehabilitasyona ek olarak patellar bantlama yapıldı. Tüm tedaviler altı hafta boyunca uygulandı. Sonuçlar: Tedavi sonrasında, Grup 1 ile 3 arasında merdiven inme (p=0.01) ve çıkma (p=0.02) sırasında oluşan ağrıda ve Grup 2 ile 3 arasında merdiven çıkma (p=0.02) ağrısında fark bulundu. Fonksiyonel seviye açısından gruplar arasında fark bulunmadı. Tedavi programına YVKGS eklenen grupların (Grup 1 ve 2) merdiven inme ve çıkma sırasındaki ağrısı Grup 3’e oranla daha iyiydi. Tartışma: PFAS rehabilitasyonuna eklenen YVKGS, merdiven inme ve çıkma gibi aktivitelerdeki ağrıyı azaltmaya yardım etmesine rağmen fonksiyonel seviyeye etkisi yoktur

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Patellofemoral ağrı sendromu, Diz, Elektrik stimulasyonu, Bantlama

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