Correlation between Generalized Joint Hypermobility and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in College Students

Abstract

The main complaint of patients with benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS) is chronic musculoskeletal pain (MSP) that may affect their daily activities, leading to a decreased quality of life. While some studies support an association between generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) and MSP in children and adolescents, there is no published study yet looking into a correlation of GJH and MSP in a college-aged population in the US. PURPOSE: To determine whether young adults with generalized joint hypermobility are more likely to suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: Undergraduate students studied the general structure of joints and range of motion, including joint hypermobility, before completing a survey that included questions about chronic musculoskeletal pain and the severity of pain. They worked in groups to evaluate each other’s joints for hypermobility under supervision by the research team. RESULTS: Overall, 20.8% of 654 participants showed GJH based on a cutoff Beighton score of ≥ 4. Women had statistically significant higher rates of GJH (23.9%) than men (12.2%) (Wald Test, DF = 1, Chi-square = 10.049, P = 0.0015; odds ratio female to male: 0.44).Ninety four of 650 participants (14.4%) recalled chronic joint pain. The most commonly named joints were knee (n =59), shoulder (n = 17), hip (n = 14), ankle (n = 9), and elbow (n = 7). Male and female participants with GJH reported higher rates of chronic joint pain than participants without GJH. There was, however, no significant difference (Pearson Chi-square Test, Chi-square = 1.386, p = 0.5001, n = 650). The prevalence of chronic neck/back pain in our study was 20.8%. Participants with GJH reported higher rates of chronic back/neck pain, yet, the difference was not statistically significant (Pearson Chi-square Test, Chi-square = 3.850, p = 0.1459, n = 650). The average pain intensity on a scale from 0 to 10 was more or less the same for both types of chronic pain (4.5 for chronic joint pain, 4.2 for chronic neck/back pain) and for respondents with and without GJH. The ranges for the reported pain intensity as well as the standard deviations for all averages were also very similar. CONCLUSION: Young adults with GJH are not reporting higher rates of chronic pain in joints, the neck or the back nor do they suffer from more severe pain than their peers without GJH.