Adjunctive Effects of Heat vs Contrast Therapy With Otago Exercises on Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS OEP CT HT)

August 25, 2026 updated by: Umber Nawaz, Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

Adjunctive Effects of Heat Versus Contrast Therapy With Otago Exercises on Pain, Swelling, Range of Motion and Functional Limitations in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the adjunctive effects of heat therapy and contrast therapy when combined with the Otago exercise program in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome aged 18 to 40 years. The study aims to assess whether these interventions can help reduce pain and swelling, improve knee range of motion, and decrease functional limitations associated with patellofemoral pain syndrome. Researchers will compare two groups one receiving heat therapy with the Otago exercise program and the other receiving contrast therapy with the Otago exercise program to see which approach provides greater improvement in outcomes. Participants will undergo regular supervised sessions that include the assigned thermal therapy and a structured set of Otago exercises targeting lower limb strength, balance, and mobility.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 57000
        • Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion criteria:

  1. Patients aged 18-40 years experiencing pain in the front of the knee, including the peripatellar or retropatellar areas.
  2. Patient having pain severity a minimum value of 4-7 on the numeric pain rating scale.
  3. Participants presenting with anterior knee pain persisting for three months or longer.
  4. Pre- diagnosed patients with positive patellar compression and Grind tests.
  5. Patients with lateral patellar tracking.

Exclusion criteria:

  1. Pain having a duration of less than three months or patients with previous knee surgeries.
  2. Recent engagement in structured lower-limb exercise or rehabilitation interventions.
  3. Patients with pregnancy, malignancy or any neurological dysfunctions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Experimental Group: Heat therapy with Otago exercises

Heat Therapy:

  • Frequency: 3 sessions/week for 4 weeks
  • Intensity: Moderate heat
  • Time: 15 minutes/session
  • Type: Passive superficial heat via electrical hot pack

Otago Exercise Program:

  • Frequency: 3 sessions/week supervised + daily home exercise for 4 weeks
  • Intensity: 3 sets of 10 repetitions with weekly progression from Level 1 to Level 3 over 4 weeks
  • Time: 30 minutes/session
  • Type: Strengthening and balance exercises for lower limbs

Routine Physical Therapy (Medial Patellar Mobilization):

  • Frequency: 3 sessions/week for 4 weeks
  • Intensity: Gentle grade I/II mobilization
  • Time: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
  • Type: Passive sustained medial glides of patella
Other: Heat therapy+Otago exercise program
Heat therapy is a non-surgical technique being recognized for its application in knee pain management. HT enhances blood flow, alleviates pain, and aids tissue repair. It have been effective in knee osteoarthritis but have yet to be fully explored for the treatment of PFPS.
Other Names:
  • Hot pack
  • Electrical Hot pack
Other: Contrast therapy+ Otago exercise program
Contrast therapy (CT), a commonly used thermal treatment, is gaining attention as a non-invasive option for managing knee pain. By alternating between heat and cold, CT helps stimulate circulation, reduce swelling, and ease joint stiffness. While it has shown benefits in other knee conditions, its potential role in treating patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is still not well established.
Active Comparator: Active Experimental Group: Contrast therapy with Otago exercises

Contrast Therapy:

  • Frequency: 3 sessions/week for 4 weeks
  • Intensity: Alternating heat and cold
  • Time: 15 minutes/session (4 min heat + 1 min cold cycles)
  • Type: Alternating heat and cold using standard electrical hot pack and cold gel pack

Otago Exercise Program:

  • Frequency: 3 sessions/week supervised + daily home exercise for 4 weeks
  • Intensity: 3 sets of 10 repetitions with weekly progression from Level 1 to Level 3 over 4 weeks
  • Time: 30 minutes/session
  • Type: Strengthening and balance exercises for lower limbs

Routine Physical Therapy (Medial Patellar Mobilization):

  • Frequency: 3 sessions/week for 4 weeks
  • Intensity: Gentle grade I/II mobilization
  • Time: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
  • Type: Passive sustained medial glides of patella
Other: Heat therapy+Otago exercise program
Heat therapy is a non-surgical technique being recognized for its application in knee pain management. HT enhances blood flow, alleviates pain, and aids tissue repair. It have been effective in knee osteoarthritis but have yet to be fully explored for the treatment of PFPS.
Other Names:
  • Hot pack
  • Electrical Hot pack

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Range Of Motion
Time Frame: 4 Weeks
Measured by a universal goniometer.
4 Weeks
Pain Intensity
Time Frame: 4 Weeks
Assessed by using the NPRS scale. 0-4 scored as No pain to mild pain 5-7 scored as Moderate pain 8-10 scored as Severe pain
4 Weeks
Swelling
Time Frame: 4 Weeks
Measured by a inelastic tape (Girth measurement)
4 Weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional limtations
Time Frame: 4 Weeks
The Lysholm scale is an 8-question survey initially developed to assess functional ability of knee following knee ligament injury. Subsequently, it was demonstrated to be valid for assessing patients with various knee pathologies. The scale measures multiple domains of knee function, including pain, dependence on supportive devices, instability, locking, joint swelling, gait abnormalities, stair climbing, and squatting ability
4 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 10, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 10, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 12, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 6, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 6, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 19, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • LCPT/DPT/ERB/31
  • U1111-1332-0257 (Registry Identifier: WHO- Universal Trial Number)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Will be shared after research publication

IPD Sharing Time Frame

6 months

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Researcher, Layman,

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings