Radiofrecuency and Supervised Exercise Versus Supervised Exercise in the Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.
Condition: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
MeSH terms: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; Syndrome; Somatoform Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will analyze the effects of a non-invasive radiofrequency diathermy device added
      to knee exercises on the symptoms of patellofemoral pain syndrome. For this aim, a randomized
      clinical trial will be carried out with a control group that will perform supervised
      exercises and an experimental group that will add radiofrequency diathermy to supervised
      exercises. Diathermy treatment will be performed along three weeks, ten treatment sessions in
      total, while supervised exercises will be performed daily.

      Outcomes to measure will include pain, knee function and quality of life
    

Detailed description: 
      At first, a meeting will be held with the patients under study where they will be informed
      and any doubts that may arise in relation to the investigation will be resolved. In addition,
      the correct adaptation of these to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of our study will be
      verified. Subsequently, they will be given individually the informed consent prepared
      expressly for the present study, the doubts arising with respect to this one will be resolved
      and their signature will proceed. At this time, and individually again, we will proceed to
      the development of the Clinical History of Physiotherapy where only the information necessary
      for our study will be collected. To emphasize in this point that the participants will grant
      their consent for the treatment of the data obtained for scientific purposes, according to
      the legal norms.

      Next, the patients will be randomly assigned to two groups: control group and experimental
      group. The randomization of the sample was done through the EPIDAT software in version 3.1
      between the Experimental Group and the Control Group. Subsequently, the evaluations and
      measurements of the study variables will be carried out by the research team.

      CONTROL GROUP: them will be provided exclusively therapeutic exercises protocol that you must
      be performed supervised by a physiotherapist following a daily activity for three weeks.

      EXPERIMENTAL GROUP: After the initial evaluation, the first 10 treatment sessions will be
      developed at the rate of five daily sessions in the first week, three sessions on alternate
      days in the second week and two sessions on alternate days in the third week (3 weeks in
      total), applying the monopolar dielectric diathermy by radiofrequency in the anterior aspect
      of the knee, in dynamic application in one of the members: affect or randomized (uni or
      bilateral pathology, respectively). This diathermy will be combined with the same supervised
      therapeutic exercise program of the control group.

      The treatment is administered with a pulsed non-invasive radiofrequency device with 30V peak
      power along 12 minutes, with a dose submitis (grade I) for three weeks. The first week, daily
      treatment will be perform from Monday to Friday, second week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
      and the third week on Monday and Thursday.

      After the tenth treatment session, all the measurements will be repeated following the same
      environmental conditions as at the beginning and by the evaluators themselves to the
      components of both groups.
    

Intervention name(s): Diathermy; Supervised knee exercises
Intervention type(s): Device; Other
Intervention description(s): 10 sessions of 12 minutes of radiofrequency diathermy at the anterior surface of the knee, in constant movement; Daily hamstrings exercises, quadriceps exercises and hip exercises, 20 minutes of duration.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Randomized controlled trial
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: patellofemoral pain syndrome; knee pain; diathermy