Introduction: Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common cause of knee pain in individuals of all ages. It is characterized by pain around or behind the patella bone, but is aggravated by activities such as prolonged sitting, running, jumping or squatting, and walking up and down the stairs. It occurs in both sedentary and active populations, is chronic in nature and often causes pain in daily and sports activities. It is treated mainly with various physiotherapeutic techniques, of which therapy with elastic adhesive tapes is becoming more and more common. Purpose: The purpose of the diploma work was to determine the effect of therapy with elastic adhesive tapes on different areas of life in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome, based on a literature review. Methods: We used a descriptive method with a systematic review of the literature. We searched for the literature in the electronic database PubMed with a combination of selected keywords and in the time frame of the last ten years. Eight surveys in English language were selected that met our inclusion criteria. Results: In analysed studies, the therapy with elastic adhesive tapes was used alone or in combination with another intervention and compared with the non-interventional group or with another intervention. Other interventions used for comparison included electrical stimulation, two mobilization techniques, with movement, an exercise program, and placebo tape application. They found that the application of elastic adhesive tapes resulted in a statistically significant reduction in pain at rest and during certain activities, and that the results were comparable to the effectiveness of other interventions. It also has positive effects on knee function and functional performance and other parameters such as tension in the hamstring muscles, balance and strength of the knee extensors. Discussion and conclusion: According to the results of the literature review, therapy with elastic adhesive tapes is suitable for the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome also as a stand-alone therapy and not only as an adjunct to a specifically designed exercise program for lower limb muscles. However, further research would be needed to determine what the optimal tape application and its frequency would be, which position of tape application is the most effective.
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