NCT07382037

Whole-Body Vibration in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Efficacy of Whole-Body Vibration in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Pamukkale University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), or anterior knee pain, is one of the most common disorders affecting the lower extremities. Currently, there is no established "gold standard" treatment for PFPS. However, various interventions-including strengthening of the hip and knee muscles (e.g., hip abductors, external rotators, and knee extensors), taping, bracing, foot orthoses, manual therapy, acupuncture, blood flow restriction training, and conventional physical agents (e.g., ultrasound, cryotherapy, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, laser therapy, electromyographic biofeedback, etc.)-have been reported to provide meaningful clinical benefits. Strengthening of the hip and knee muscles alone has been shown to improve both pain and function in the short, medium, and long term. In recent high-quality studies, hip and knee muscle strengthening has been recognized as an effective "classical" treatment approach for PFPS. Regarding the mechanism of pain relief, previous research suggests that strengthening these muscles may alleviate pain by stabilizing patellar motion and/or reducing pressure on the patellofemoral joint. Similar to traditional resistance training, whole-body vibration (WBV) training is an alternative method for muscle strengthening. WBV platforms can generate vertical vibrations that stimulate tonic vibration reflexes through muscle spindles, thereby activating homonymous alpha motor neurons and inducing reflex muscle contractions. As a result, increased motor unit recruitment enhances the excitability of muscle spindles, leading to improved muscle strength. Additionally, WBV training can improve muscle balance, strength, and function. Therefore, combining WBV with hip and knee strengthening exercises may represent a more effective treatment strategy for PFPS. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the combination of WBV and hip-knee muscle strengthening is more effective in reducing pain and improving function than hip-knee strengthening alone.

Detailed description

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), or anterior knee pain, is one of the most common disorders affecting the lower extremities. Currently, there is no established "gold standard" treatment for PFPS. However, various interventions-including strengthening of the hip and knee muscles (e.g., hip abductors, external rotators, and knee extensors), taping, bracing, foot orthoses, manual therapy, acupuncture, blood flow restriction training, and conventional physical agents (e.g., ultrasound, cryotherapy, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, laser therapy, electromyographic biofeedback, etc.)-have been reported to provide meaningful clinical benefits. Strengthening of the hip and knee muscles alone has been shown to improve both pain and function in the short, medium, and long term. In recent high-quality studies, hip and knee muscle strengthening has been recognized as an effective "classical" treatment approach for PFPS. Regarding the mechanism of pain relief, previous research suggests that strengthening these muscles may alleviate pain by stabilizing patellar motion and/or reducing pressure on the patellofemoral joint. Similar to traditional resistance training, whole-body vibration (WBV) training is an alternative method for muscle strengthening. WBV platforms can generate vertical vibrations that stimulate tonic vibration reflexes through muscle spindles, thereby activating homonymous alpha motor neurons and inducing reflex muscle contractions. As a result, increased motor unit recruitment enhances the excitability of muscle spindles, leading to improved muscle strength. Additionally, WBV training can improve muscle balance, strength, and function. Therefore, combining WBV with hip and knee strengthening exercises may represent a more effective treatment strategy for PFPS. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the combination of WBV and hip-knee muscle strengthening is more effective in reducing pain and improving function than hip-knee strengthening alone.

Conditions

• Patellofemoral Pain, PFP

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Whole body vibration	In this group, prior to the patient stepping onto the platform, the practitioner will turn off the vibration motor of the device and activate an external motor (which is not in contact with the WBV device, has no effective vibration capability, and only produces sound), installed by our team. Since the visual display of the device remains active, patients will not be aware that the actual vibration function is disabled, thereby preventing any bias related to device inactivity.
DEVICE	Sham Whole Body Vibration	In this group, prior to the patient stepping onto the platform, the practitioner will turn off the vibration motor of the device and activate an external motor (which is not in contact with the WBV device, has no effective vibration capability, and only produces sound), installed by our team. Since the visual display of the device remains active, patients will not be aware that the actual vibration function is disabled, thereby preventing any bias related to device inactivity.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-15
• Primary completion: 2026-02-15
• Completion: 2026-08-01
• First posted: 2026-02-02
• Last updated: 2026-02-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)