Pain-Related Fear and Its Disabling Impact in Hypermobile Adolescents With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Thijs van Meulenbroek*, Ivan P. J. Huijnen, Carlijn M. H. Wiertz, Jeanine A. Verbunt

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) has a negative impact on physical functioning. During adolescence, joint hypermobility is a potential risk factor for developing CMP, and pain-related fear contributes to the persistence of CMP. Whether pain-related fear and hypermobility are related, and even reinforce each other, resulting in a stronger association with perceived level of disability, is still unknown.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether pain-related fear has a stronger association with disability in hypermobile compared to nonhypermobile adolescents with CMP. (5)

METHODS: The study included 116 adolescents with CMP. The presence of hypermobility was assessed using the Beighton score. Measures of pain intensity, age, sex, and pain-related fear were collected and included in the multivariable model. Hierarchical regression analysis, with disability as the dependent variable, was used to examine the interaction between hypermobility and pain-related fear.

RESULTS: Hypermobile adolescents with CMP do not have more pain-related fear compared to nonhypermobile adolescents with CMP. There was no interaction effect between hypermobility and pain-related fear in explaining disability (beta = .20, P = .42). Similarly, perceived harmfulness of balance-related activities was not more strongly associated with disability in hypermobile adolescents with CMP.

CONCLUSION: The association of pain-related fear with the perceived level of disability is not more pronounced in hypermobile compared to nonhypermobile adolescents with CMP.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)775-781
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy
Volume47
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2017

Keywords

  • Beighton
  • disability
  • joint hypermobility syndrome
  • perceived harmfulness
  • LOW-BACK-PAIN
  • GENERALIZED JOINT HYPERMOBILITY
  • FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY INVENTORY
  • UNEXPLAINED CHRONIC PAIN
  • CHRONIC PEDIATRIC PAIN
  • QUALITY-OF-LIFE
  • FOLLOW-UP
  • PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY
  • AVOIDANCE MODEL
  • PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES

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