What Is the Effect on Kinesio Taping on Pain and Gait in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome?

Introduction Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the leading causes of anterior knee pain treated by orthopedists and physical therapists. This syndrome predominantly affects young, active individuals, and remains a challenging syndrome to manage due to the lack of quantitative diagnostic criteria to monitor during treatment. The etiology of this syndrome is believed to be multifactorial, with the gait and movement patterns of a patient potentially contributing to pain due to increased stress on the knee. In this study, we investigated the gait of participants with PFPS using the GaitRite system (CIR Systems Inc., Clifton, NJ) before and after the application of Kinesio Tape in order to assess the impact of Kinesio Tape on cadence, stance time, and pain. Methods A convenience sample of 10 participants were recruited for this study, with five participants without PFPS serving as controls, and five with PFPS in the Kinesio Tape group. Participants in the Kinesio Tape groups served as their own internal control, ambulating both before and after taping. All participants ambulated across the GaitRite carpet three times and completed a visual analogue scale pain score for each trip. Results The results of our study found there to be no significant difference in the cadence for gait between the participants without PFPS and participants with PFPS (105.2 seconds vs. 105.1 seconds, p = 0.272), or in the stance time between the control and PFPS group (1.43 seconds vs. 1.44, p = 0.907). Similarly, no significant difference was found in participants with PFPS before and after Kinesio Taping in the cadence and stance times (105.1 seconds vs. 107.4 seconds, p = 0.288, and 1.44 vs. 1.40, p = 0.272). There was a significant difference in pain in PFPS participants before and after taping, with a 112.5% reduction in pain reported after taping (3.4 vs. 1.6, p < 0.05). Discussion and conclusion This study is one of the first studies to utilize the GaitRite system in order to analyze the impact of Kinesio Tape on gait in participants with PFPS. While our study failed to demonstrate a significant difference in the gait of participants with PFPS in comparison to those without PFPS, we did demonstrate a significant reduction in pain after the application of Kinesio Tape. These results suggest other variables addressed by the Kinesio Tape may be causing the pain associated with PFPS.