Short-term effectiveness of high- and low-intensity percutaneous electrolysis in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: A pilot study
Juan Antonio Valera‐Calero, Alberto Sánchez-Mayoral-Martín, Umut Varol
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Unilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is the most frequently diagnosed knee condition in populations aged < 50 years old. Although the treatment of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) is a common and effective tool for reducing pain, previous studies showed no additional benefits compared with placebo in populations with PFPS. Percutaneous electrolysis is a minimally invasive approach frequently used in musculotendinous pathologies which consists of the application of a galvanic current through dry needling (DN). AIM: To evaluate changes in sensitivity, knee pain perception and perceived pain during the application of these three invasive techniques. METHODS: A triple-blinded, pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted on fifteen patients with unilateral PFPS who were randomized to the high-intensity percutaneous electrolysis (HIPE) experimental group, low-intensity percutaneous electrolysis (LIPE) experimental group or DN active control group. All interventions were conducted in the most active MTrP, in the rectus femoris muscle. The HIPE group received a 660 mA galvanic current for 10 s, the LIPE group 220 mA × 30 s and the DN group received no galvanic current. The MTrP and patellar tendon pain pressure thresholds (PPTs) and subjective anterior knee pain perception (SAKPP) were assessed before, after and 7 d after the single intervention. In addition, perceived pain during the intervention was also assessed. RESULTS: < 0.01). CONCLUSION: HIPE and LIPE induce PPT changes in MTrPs and patellar tendon and improvements in SAKPP, and seem to produce less pain during the intervention compared with DN.