Effect of Strengthening versus Neuromuscular Training on Pain and Functionality in Individuals with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a disorder that commonly affects young adults and athletes and causes disability in physical function and quality of life. Therefore, effective management strategies, including but not limited to exercise interventions, are necessary to relieve symptoms and improve outcomes. Methods: A total of 45 PFPS patients were randomly assigned to either a group receiving strengthening exercises (EG 1) and neuromuscular training (EG 2) combined with conventional Physical Therapy, or a control group (CG) that only received conventional Physical Therapy. The interventions were conducted 3 times/week for 4 weeks. Kujala AKPS and KOOS scores were measured before and after the intervention period. Results: The AKPS and KOOS scores improved significantly in all the groups after the interventions (p<0.001). The greatest improvement was observed in the EG 1 group, followed by the EG 2 group, and the least improvement was observed in the CG. However, a significant time, group, and interaction effect was demonstrated regarding AKPS (p<0.05) and KOOS (p<0.05) through repeated measures of ANOVA. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that strengthening exercises are more effective than neuromuscular training and conventional therapy for treating PFPS. This study provides consistent evidence to support the use of targeted exercise interventions to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for individuals with PFPS. Keywords: Exercise, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Physical Function, Quality of Life.