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.