Laser Therapy in the Comprehensive Program of Physical Rehabilitation of Athletes with Chronic Patellar Tendinopathy

Abstract

Aim: Determining the effectiveness of the developed comprehensive physical rehabilitation program for athletes with chronic patellar tendinopathy. Materials and Methods: Participants were randomly divided into the main and control groups consisting of 11 people each. The complex rehabilitation program in the main group combined laser therapy and different types of therapeutic exercises, in the control group the laser therapy was excluded. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated by the intensity of pain in the patella (Visual Analog Scale) and the functional ability of the knee (VISA-P scale). Results: At the end of the intervention, a significant reduction in pain was observed in both groups. The average scores on the VAS scale were reduced to 2.0 points in the main group and to 3.5 in the control one. The share of patients, whose pain was eased, was 27.27 per cent in the main group, in the control group such people were not detected. After two months of intervention according to the results of the VISA-P scale in both study groups, there was an improvement in the functional capacity of the knee joint. Thus, the average number of points increased by 30.5 points in the main group, and by 12.0 in the control one. Conclusions: The use of high-frequency laser therapy in a comprehensive program of physical rehabilitation of patients with patellar tendinopathy shows better results for reducing pain and improving the functioning of the knee joint than without it. We believe that high-frequency laser therapy can be used as an important adjunct to various types of therapeutic exercises in the comprehensive rehabilitation of patients with patellar tendinopathy.