Centre for Applied Research of the Faculty of Digital Media & Creative Industries

Are chronic musculoskeletal pain and generalized joint hypermobility disabling contributors to physical functioning?

Article

<p>BACKGROUND: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH) and pain-related fear have influence on physical functioning in adolescents.</p><p>AIM: to evaluate differences in physical functioning between adolescents with CMP, GJH or the combination of both, and in addition evaluate the potential contribution of pain-related fear.</p><p>DESIGN: The design of this study was observational and cross-sectional.</p><p>SETTING: The adolescents with CMP were recruited by a physician in rehabilitation medicine and measured in the university outpatient rehabilitation clinic (Adelante/Maastricht University Medical Center+, the Netherlands). The adolescents without CMP were recruited in the Southern area of the Netherlands and measured in the university outpatient rehabilitation clinic (Adelante/Maastricht University Medical Center+, the Netherlands).</p><p>POPULATION: Four subgroups of adolescents were included; 21 adolescents with CMP without GJH, 9 adolescents with CMP and GJH, 51 adolescents without CMP without GJH, and 11 adolescents without CMP with GJH.</p><p>METHODS: Outcome measures were muscle strength and endurance, motor performance, physical activity level, and pain-related fear. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to study differences in physical functioning and the contribution of pain-related fear in adolescents with/without CMP as well as with/without GJH.</p><p>RESULTS: Adolescents with CMP had decreased muscle strength (P=0.01), endurance (P=0.02), and lower motor performance (P<0.01) compared to adolescents without CMP. Higher levels of pain-related fear were related to decreased muscle strength (P=0.01), endurance (P<0.01), and motor performance (P<0.01). No differences in physical functioning and pain-related fear between hypermobile and non-hypermobile adolescents with CMP were found.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with CMP had decreased muscle strength and motor performance associated with increased levels of pain-related fear compared to adolescents without CMP. The association of being hypermobile with physical functioning is not more pronounced in adolescents with CMP.</p><p>CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: No differences were found in physical functioning and pain-related fear between hypermobile adolescents with CMP compared to non-hypermobile adolescents with CMP. Future rehabilitation treatment in hypermobile adolescents with CMP should also focus on psychological components, such as pain-related fear.</p>

Reference van Meulenbroek, T., Huijnen, I. P., Engelbert, R. H., & Verbunt, J. A. (2021). Are chronic musculoskeletal pain and generalized joint hypermobility disabling contributors to physical functioning? European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 57(5), 747-757. https://doi.org/10.23736/S1973-9087.21.06455-8
Published by  Urban Vitality 1 January 2021

Publication date

Jan 2021

Author(s)

Thijs van Meulenbroek
Ivan P Huijnen
Jeanine A Verbunt

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