Effectiveness Of An 8 Weeks Specific Massage Therapy On Knee Muscle Stability And Functional Outcomes In Adult Males With Knock Knees

Abstract

Knock knees is a medical condition of knees in which the knees bend inward while the ankles remain apart. This condition can affect many aspects suc as daily movement, muscle strength, and knee stability. This study aimed to analyze whether a specific massage therapy can improve knee stability, balance, and ankle distance in young adult males with knock knees. Twenty male participants aged 18 to 30 years were selected from orthopedic clinics and community centers in Lahore, Pakistan. They were randomly divided into Experimental group and control group, with 10 participants in each group. The Experimental group received targeted massage therapy three times per week for 8 weeks. Each session was consisted of  30 minutes. Massage techniques included effleurage, petrissage, friction, and vibration. These techniques used for targeting many muscles in the leg such as  vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius muscles. The Control group received no intervention. Outcomes were measured before and after the intervention using Manual Muscle Testing, single leg balance testing, and measurement of ankle distance. Data were analyzed using Spss software with paired samples t-tests and independent samples t-test at a significance level of p≤ 0.05.  There were No statistically significant improvement was found in muscle strength, balance and ankle distance in the experimental group. The Control group also showed no change in measured variable. Based on findings, the study concluded that Massage therapy is not an affective stand-alone treatment for correcting genu valgum in young adult males. Its role may be supportive rather than corrective within a broader rehabilitation program.