A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Controlled Trial: Addressing Kinesiophobia in Post-Meniscoplasty Patients Through Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training and Acupressure.

Abstract

Background: The increasing prevalence of kinesiophobia, or the fear of movement, among patients following meniscectomy has necessitated the exploration of effective rehabilitative interventions. Traditional methods of rehabilitation often do not adequately address the psychological components of recovery, leading to prolonged recovery times and decreased quality of life. Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the effectiveness of psychological and traditional Chinese medical techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation training (PMRT) and acupressure, in treating kinesiophobia among patients after meniscus surgery. Methods: This randomized clinical trial commenced in December 2021 at the Sports Medicine Department of a hospital in Gansu Province and concluded in February 2023. Seventy hospital inpatients with movement disorders who had undergone meniscus shaping surgery participated in the study (experimental Group 35 people, control Group 35 people). The control group received standard care. In addition to receiving routine care, the experimental group underwent an additional 30 min of PMRT and 5-10 min of acupressure. The kinesiophobia scores and pain scores were assessed using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before the intervention, the first day after the intervention, the fifth day after the intervention, and on the day of discharge. On the day of discharge, the Knee Society Score (KSS) was used to assess the knee joint function of the patients. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The study included 70 kinesiophobia patients following meniscoplasty, equally split between the experimental and control groups. Attrition resulted in 3 experimental group withdrawals and 2 from the control group, leaving 65 for the final analysis (32 experimental, 33 control). The average age of the patients was (67.03 ± 8.26) years, with an average BMI of (25.09 ± 2.88) kg/cm². Females accounted for 66.10% of the participants. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of their preintervention TSK scores, VAS scores, and other baseline data (p > 0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the kinesiophobia scores (TSK scores) and pain scores (VAS scores) between the experimental group and the routine care group both before the intervention and on the first day after the intervention (p > 0.05). However, the fifth-day and discharge assessments revealed significant score improvements in the experimental group (p < 0.05), along with KSS scores indicating enhanced knee joint function compared to controls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: PMRT combined with acupressure effectively decreases kinesiophobia levels post-meniscoplasty, mitigates pain, fosters early functional exercise participation, and promotes knee joint function recovery. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06409715.