The efficacy of acupuncture combined with physical therapy compared with physical therapy alone in the conservative treatment of patellofemoral pain in sports medicine clinic

Abstract

Objective : To evaluate the efficacy of the acupuncture therapy combined with physical therapy in the conservative treatment of patellofemoral pain caused by patellar chondromalacia and the efficacy of acupuncture therapy combined with physical therapy for increasing the quadriceps muscle activity. Design : A randomized double-blind clinical trial. Setting : Hei Long Jiang Sports Medicine Clinic, Harbin, China. Patients : Ninety-six patients with patellofemoral pain caused by chondromalacia were randomly assigned in the treatment (trt grp, n = 48) or control group (ctrl grp, n = 48). Interventions : Patients received acupuncture therapy or placebo acupuncture therapy (different points) in experimental Gr. or control Gr. for 30 days and were followed up after the treatment in Hei Long Jiang Athletic Department. All patients received accompanied conventional physical therapy for patellofemoral pain since the commencement of the trial. Results : There was significant difference (p = 0.001) between 2 groups in terms of severity of patellofemoral pain after the treatment. The reduction rate of pain in experimental Gr. was 68.75% in control Gr. was 35.41%. But no significant difference (p = 0.5569) were seen between 2 groups on the improvement of quadriceps muscle activity. (The increase rate of quadriceps muscle activity in experimental Gr. was 6.25%, in control Gr. was 11.15%). Conclusion : Compared with physical therapy alone, acupuncture therapy combined with conventional physical therapy together could effectively reduce the severity of patellofemoral pain caused by chondromalacia, but could not effectively improve the quadriceps muscle activity. The acupuncture therapy should be considered of its clinical significance in the perspective sports medicine clinical practice.