EFFECTS OF KINESIO TAPING ON THE PERCEIVED PAIN AND NEUROMUSCULAR PERFORMANCE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PATELLOFEMORAL PAIN SYNDROME
knee; quadriceps muscle; isokinetic; electromyography.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is defined as anterior or retropatellar pain. It is one of the most frequent musculoskeletal dysfunctions in the knee, that affects mainly, the female population and whose treatment is controversial. Objective: To analyze the immediate and late effects of Kinesio Taping (KT) in the electromyography activity of the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), in the isokinetic performance of the quadriceps femoris and the pain of subjects with PFPS. Methods: Randomized clinical trial, in which 54 volunteers, with a mean age of 23.70 ± 3.76 years were randomized into three groups and performed one of the following protocols: (1) control group - remained in rest; (2) group with tension - application of KT with tension in the VMO region; (3) group without tension - application of KT without tension, in the same region. All volunteers were submitted to the evaluation of pain intensity, electromyography activity of the VMO and the VL and the dynamometric parameters in three different moments: before the application of KT, after the application and 72 hours after the application. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 20.0). A mixed model ANOVA was used to verify intra and intergroup differences, with a significance level of 5% (p ≤ 0.05). Results: There was a significant intergroup difference in pain intensity in the 72h evaluation between the no tension group and the control group. Dynamometric variables, peak torque normalized by body weight, mean peak torque, mean power and total work did not show significant difference between the groups evaluated. No differences were observed in the electromyography variables, VMO/ VL ratio and time of onset of VMO activation in relation to VL. Conclusion: Kinesio Taping, applied to the vastus medialis obliquus, does not promote immediate or late changes in the isokinetic performance and in the electromyography parameters of patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. However, was observed a reduction in pain, in the no tension group after 72 hours of application.