Impact of stretching and strengthening combination exercise therapy for knee overuse injury management: A study in recreational runners

Abstract

Background

Knee overuse injury is one of the common problems in sports, especially in activities with high movement repetitions. Proper treatment is needed to speed up recovery and prevent recurrent injuries. One method that is widely used in rehabilitation is stretching and strengthening combination exercise therapy.

Objectives

This study aims to determine the impact of stretching and strengthening combination exercise therapy on knee overuse injury management, especially in reducing pain and increasing knee joint range of motion (ROM).

Methods

This study used an experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group design. Participants amounted to 20 people who experienced knee overuse injury, divided into two groups, namely the experimental group who received stretching and strengthening combination exercise therapy treatment, and the control group without treatment. The intervention was carried out for 4 weeks with a frequency of exercise 3 times a week. Measurement instruments include Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and goniometer for ROM. Data analysis used paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test with the help of SPSS version 26.

Results

The results showed a significant decrease in pain scores from pretest to posttest in the experimental group, from an average of 5.20 to 2.10. Similarly, the knee ROM increased from an average of 112.50° to 128.80°. Meanwhile, the control group showed no significant changes. Statistical test results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Stretching and strengthening combination exercise therapy is effective in knee overuse injury management, especially to reduce pain and increase knee ROM. However, this study still has limitations in the relatively short duration of intervention and has not controlled the participants' physical activity outside the training session. Future research is recommended to involve a longer duration and tighter activity control.