Changing the index of Functional Movement Screen Patterns in Girls with ‎Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome after 8 Weeks of Pilates exercises

Patellofemoral pain occurs in the anterior part of the knee (around and behind the patella) and in activities such as sitting and long walks, going up and down stairs, and squatting. Exercise therapy is one of the basic strategies in the treatment of this syndrome, and Pilates is one of the training methods in which the central muscles of the trunk are called in all its movements and then the target muscles are challenged. Functional movement Screen (FMS) is a tool to identify the quality of movement patterns and this test can be effective in predicting and recognizing the defects of basic patterns. Additionally, improving this index can indicate the effectiveness of an exercise program. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of 8 weeks of Pilates training on the overall and individual scores of the FMS index in girls with Patellofemoral pain syndrome.

In the present quasi-experimental study, 30 female students with Patellofemoral pain syndrome (mean age of 25.4 ± 4.9 years, height 161.8 ± 4.9 cm, weight 61.3 ± 5.2 kg) were randomly divided into two groups of control and pilates training. Subjects with a history of 6 months of pain in the anterior part of the knee and diagnosis and approval of a physician were included in the present study. All subjects were evaluated in the pre-test and post-test using FMS tools. The exercise program consisted of 8 weeks, three sessions per week, and each session lasted 45-60 minutes of selected pilates exercises. Data were analysed by SPSS software using Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon statistical methods and interpreted at a significance level of 0.05.

The results of the present study showed that pilates training caused better performance with a significant difference in the overall FMS index (p=0.001) than the control group. Examination of the results of individual FMS tests showed that Pilates training compared to the control group improved the indicators of the pattern of Hurdle step (p=0.002), Straight-leg raise (p=0.015), Trunk stability push up (p=0.001) and Rotational stability (p=0.001). However, no significant differences were observed in Deep squat (p=0.249), In-line lunge (p=0.555) and Shoulder mobility (p=0.751) tests between the two groups.

Based on the results, pilates training has significantly improved the functional movement Screen (FMS) index and some of its subtests in girls with Patellofemoral pain syndrome. Therefore, it is recommended that trainers and people with this syndrome use pilates exercises to improve their motor function.