Background: Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a relatively common diagnosis in outpatients presenting with anterior knee pain. Patellofemoral pain syndrome can be defined as retro patellar or peripatellar pain resulting from physical and biochemical changes in the patellofemoral joint.
Aim: This study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of functional mobilization approach in terms of pain and function in young adults with patellofemoral pain syndrome and the clinical efficacy of foot orthoses with functional mobilization in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Methodology: 60 adults with patellofemoral joint pain. Each participant was randomly allocated to one of the two groups (a or b) using block randomization method. The two groups were as follows: group a: functional mobilization of foot and ankle + exercises and group b: full length medial wedge insoles + exercises. A 12 week treatment program was prescribed for each patient, and each patient was assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks (pre- and post- intervention) for primary outcomes using lefs (lower extremity function test), nprs(numeric pain rating scale)and fpi(foot posture index).
Results: Patients from both groups demonstrated clinically significant improvement in primary outcomes with regard to self-reported pain and function upon completion of the study. A significant difference was also seen in foot posture. Post hoc analysis determined that post-intervention follow-up measures significantly improved (p < 0.05 for all) as compared to baseline values in terms of pain and function .Functional mobilization was more effective in reducing pain (mean difference 0.1) and orthoses were more effective in improving foot posture. Group b showed no immediate change in pain and function initially, indicating that improvement occurred at a slower rate in this group. Pain and function improved faster in group a. However, the magnitude of change in foot posture was seen more in group b.
Conclusion: Therefore, incorporating functional mobilization of foot and ankle in addition to conventional therapy in physical therapy clinical practice in future may improve short term beneficial effects with regard to pain and function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.