Effects of strength and flexibility training on knee valgus and pain in adult women physically active adult women

Abstract

Introduction: Knee valgus is a medial alignment of the joint that primarily affects women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a strength and flexibility training protocol on passive knee valgus (PKV), dynamic knee valgus (DKV), and the presence of pain in physically active young women. Thirty-four college women, aged 18-30 years, participated in a four-week training program, which included exercises with TheraBand®. The measurements included the Q-angle for PKV, the Landing Escape Test (LESS) for DKV, and the Analog Numerical Scale (ENA) for the presence of pain. The results indicated a significant decrease in PKV (p=0.0028), effect size (d=0.20), with a change of -2.21%. About DKV, significant reductions were observed at both the initial and second landings. The first landing exhibited a p-value of less than 0.0001, with a d-value of 0.34, resulting in a 10.06% change. The second landing demonstrated a p-value of 0.0226, with a d-value of 0.13, resulting in a 4.37% change. Furthermore, the presence of pain was found to decrease significantly (p=0.0019, d=0.89, -38.64% change). It can be concluded that a four-week combined strength and flexibility training protocol may be effective in reducing PKV, DKV, and pain in physically active women.