Physical therapy supervised via telehealth successfully reduced patellofemoral pain
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A therapeutic physical exercise program monitored by a physical therapist via telehealth alleviated pain in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to published results.
Researchers from Spain tested the efficacy of a supervised therapeutic physical exercise (TPE) program on 27 patients (mean age of 51 years) with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). An additional 27 patients with similar covariables were assigned to a control group.
According to the study, the TPE group received telehealth indications via email and three phone calls per week, while the control group was limited to indications via email with no phone communication.
After 12 treatment sessions in the span of 4 weeks, patients were evaluated for perceived pain and functional balance using the VAS, the DN4 neuropathic pain questionnaire (DN4), the Kujala score test and the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), according to the study.
After final analysis, the researchers determined patients in the supervised TPE program yielded better results in pain perception, knee function and range of motion compared with the control group. The TPE group had a VAS of 48, a DN4 of 1.9, a Kujala score of 69, an LEFS score of 60 and a flexion score of 126 after the intervention. Comparatively, the control group had a VAS of 63, a DN4 of 4, a Kujala score of 53, an LEFS score of 50 and a flexion score of 111.
“TPE constitutes one of the most valuable tools in our therapeutic arsenal,” the researchers wrote in the study. “Adequate prescription tailored to each patient depending on their pathology, prior state of health and prior levels of physical activity is a demand that the health system and society places on our backs,” they concluded.
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Albornoz-Cabello M, et al. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;doi:10.3390/ijerph18031048.
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