The Effect of Additional Mindfulness on Exercise Therapy in Athletes with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

 Aims and background: The use of mindfulness through the psychological components associated with the fearavoidance model could be useful in treatment of chronic pain. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adding mindfulness to exercise therapy in runners with patellofemoral pain. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed in Kermanshah in 1398 Midyear. Thirty women aged 18-40 years with patellofemoral pain syndrome were randomly allocated to Mindfulness-Based (n=15) and control groups (n=15). The mindfulness group received an 8-session mindfulness program in addition to the exercises received by the control group. Daily pain, pain during running, and pain during climbing up and downstairs were assessed by NPRS before, 12 weeks, and 18 weeks after the intervention. Results: The results showed that daily pain, pain during running, and pain during climbing up and downstairs in Mindfulness-Based group is lower compared to control at 12th and 18th week post-intervention; however, there was no significant difference between groups at week 6 (p˃0.05). Conclusions: Adding an eight-session mindfulness program to an exercise therapy program was an effective treatment to decrease pain in athletes with patellofemoral pain syndrome.