Effects of Training Frequency on Patellofemoral Pain Rehabilitation.

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Strengthening 2 times per week: This group will consist of participants with patellofemoral pain and will receive treatment twice a week.

Strengthening 3 times per week: This group will consist of participants with patellofemoral pain and will receive treatment thrice a week.

Study summary

This clinical trial aims to determine the optimal frequency of exercise therapy for improving pain, function, and quality of life in participants with patellofemoral pain. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does exercising twice a week provide the same benefits as exercising three times a week for individuals with patellofemoral pain? What are the optimal dosage, volume, and weekly exercise frequency for treating patellofemoral pain?

The investigators will compare two groups of participants: one group of participants receiving exercise therapy twice a week and another group receiving exercise therapy three times a week. Both groups will follow the same exercise protocol targeting the muscles of the hip and knee joints.

Participants:

84 volunteers (both male and female) with patellofemoral pain Physically active individuals aged between 18 and 40 years

Interventions:

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups Both groups will perform the same exercises for hip and knee muscle strengthening Group A will exercise three times per week Group B will exercise two times per week The intervention will last for six consecutive weeks

Assessments: Participants will be evaluated at the following time points:

Before the intervention After the 4th and 6th week of intervention 6 months and 1 year after the end of the intervention

The primary Outcome Measure will be pain intensity.

Secondary Outcome Measure:

Anterior knee pain during daily activities Kinesiophobia Pain-related self-efficacy Chronic pain-related self-efficacy Catastrophizing Muscle strength 3D Movement analysis

Data Analysis:

The investigators will use an intention-to-treat analysis, which means that all participants will be included in the study, regardless of whether they completed the treatment as planned.

Appropriate statistical tests will be used to compare differences within and between the two groups, considering the time points and group factors.

A 5% significance level will be adopted, which means there is a 5% chance that the results are due to random variation rather than the treatment effect.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Pain intensity — Evaluations will occur at five time frames: 24 hours before the first treatment session, after the 4th and 6th weeks of treatment, and 6 months and 1 year after the last session.
  Visual Analog Pain Scale: This scale aims to quantify the intensity of pain experienced by the patient. The scale consists of 11 points, with a score classification from 0 to 10. A score of 0 represents "no pain at all", and 10 means "the worst pain possible". Patients will be asked to rate their anterior knee pain intensity levels based on the past fifteen days. The minimum clinically important difference for improvement will be a decrease of 1 point on the scale.

Trial sites (1)

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