title: Short-term effects of patellar kinesio taping on pain and hop function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is the most prevalent orthopaedic condition among physically active individuals, contributing to an estimated 30% to 40% of all sports medicine visits. Techniques using Kinesio Tape (KT) have become increasingly popular; however, there has been scant research supporting its use on patients with PFPS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The use of patellar KT to treat patients with PFPS will provide a statistically significant improvement in short-term pain and single-leg hop measures as compared with sham placement of KT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonrandomized controlled clinical trial with repeated-measures design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level 3.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine subjects (41 females, 8 males) between the ages of 12 and 24 years with PFPS participated in this study. Each subject underwent patellar kinesio taping with both experimental and sham applications while completing 4 functional tasks and the single-leg triple jump test (STJT). The treatment outcome was analyzed using separate paired t tests to measure improvement on a numeric pain rating scale. A 2-way, 2 × 2 analysis of variance was used to analyze the relationship between taping condition (experimental vs sham) and side (involved vs uninvolved) for STJT scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Separate paired t tests found step-up, step-down, and STJT pain improvement statistically significant between taping conditions. The 2-factor analysis of variance yielded a significant main effect for taping condition, but the main effect for side was not significant. The interaction between taping condition and side was significant. This showed there was little change in STJT distance between repeated measures performed on the untaped, noninvolved leg. However, subjects' STJT distances were significantly greater for the experimental KT application than the sham application for the involved side.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patellar kinesio taping provided an immediate and statistically significant improvement in pain and single-leg hop function in patients with PFPS when compared with a sham application. However, improvement in STJT scores did not surpass the minimally detectable change value, and therefore, the clinical effectiveness of KT for improving single-leg hop function was not established in the current study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Kinesio Tape provides a viable, short-term method to control pain.
authors: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Sports Medicine Program, Atlanta, Georgia ; Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, Utah.
authors: Scott R
authors: SR
authors: Freedman
authors: Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, Utah ; University of Wisconsin Health Research Park, Madison, Wisconsin.
authors: Lori Thein
authors: LT
authors: Brody
authors: Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, Utah ; Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Rosenthal
authors: Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, Utah ; Department of Psychology, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors: Justin C
authors: JC
authors: Wise
keywords: kinesio taping; patellofemoral pain syndrome; single-leg triple jump test