Comparison of the Effect of Kinesio Taping on the Dynamic Balance and Pain Between Males and Females With Unilateral Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Objective: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common disorders of the knee joint. This condition is characterized by pain, poor proprioception, and altered pattern of vasti muscles activation. Each of these factors are effective in maintaining body balance, the key factor in daily activities such as walking and running. One of the treatments that reduces pain and improves balance in subjects with PFPS is kinesiology tape (KT). Considering the physiological and anatomical differences between the knee structures of both genders and the importance of studying the effect of KT on dynamic balance in men with PFPS, it seems necessary to perform a separate study on male subjects with PFPS to support the use of KT in these subjects. Moreover, there was no study to compare the effect of this intervention on dynamic balance and pain between both genders. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of KT on dynamic balance and pain between males and females with unilateral PFPS. Methods and materials: 30 male and 31 female subjects with age ranging from 18 to 40 years suffering from unilateral PFPS were recruited for this quasi-experimental and non-randomized clinical trial, using simple sampling method. The balance of each subject was assessed using Y balance test before and after KT applied on the patella. In the first stage, the subject performed the Y balance test in anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral directions, repeating three times in each direction. The maximum score obtained from three repetitions in each direction was then divided by the leg length and recorded in percentage as a dynamic balance score. In the second stage, after 5 minutes of resting time and performing initial tests, the intervention was used in these subjects. In this stage, KT was used on affected knee to provide patellar medial glide with a 50-70 percent stretch of its initial length. Effectiveness of the taping method was examined during single leg squat test. For this purpose, all subjects performed unilateral squatting on their affected leg for 10 seconds with 45 degrees of knee flexion before and after KT, while their pain level were recorded using visual analog scale (VAS). In the case of 50% reduction of pain intensity, subjects were allowed to enter the final stage; otherwise, patellar taping was repeated to obtain the appropriate pain reduction. In the last stage subjects with 50% pain reduction were selected to perform Y balance test, exactly as performed in the first stage. Results: According to the paired t-test, within-group analysis of balance parameters before and after application of KT in the affected knees indicated an increase in the reaching distance of the anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral directions, revealing significant improvement of Y balance test, following KT(P<0/05). According to the independent t-test there were no significant differences for standardized balance parameters between males and females before and after the intervention (P>0/05). Additionally, pain was significantly reduced in both genders after KT(P<0/05), however this pain reduction was not significant between two genders (P>0/05). Conclusion: These results suggest that patellar taping is an appropriate therapeutic intervention for improving dynamic balance and reducing pain level among subjects with PFPS. However, the effect of KT on dynamic balance and pain among women and men seems to be the same.