Pain, Balance, Activity, and Participation in Children with Hypermobility Syndrome.

Purpose: To describe hypermobility, balance, pain, activity, and participation in children with hypermobility and compare these characteristics with those of a control group. Method: Twenty children aged 8 to 16 years with hypermobility syndrome (HMS) or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and a control group of 24 children of the same age participated in the study. Hypermobility was assessed according to the Del Mar scale, balance was assessed with the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency, and participation in daily life activities was assessed with the frequency of participation questionnaire. Pain and physical activity were assessed in a diary. Results: In comparison with the control group, the children with hypermobility had significantly more hypermobile joints and more pain and scored lower in the balance test, and their activity was affected on a daily basis. Conclusion: Pain appears to affect activity and participation in children with HMS. Balance is decreased in children with HMS compared with healthy controls. (Pediatr Phys Ther 2012;24:339-344)