Relationship of Dynamic Balance Impairment with Pain-Related and Psychosocial Measures in Primary Care Patients with Chronic Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome.

Objective: Subjects with greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) show an altered physical function while performing static and dynamic tasks. Pain and psychosocial factors are also variables that influence the outcomes of these patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between dynamic balance, pain-related measures, and psychosocial measures in subjects with chronic GTPS.

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Setting: Primary health care center.

Subjects: Fifty-one subjects with greater trochanteric pain syndrome were recruited.

Methods: Dynamic balance was evaluated using the Y-Balance Test (YBT), and a self-reported test battery was used to assess the following aspects: pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale [PCS]), kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia [TSK-11]), pain intensity (visual analog scale [VAS]), disability (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]), and self-efficacy (Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale [CPSS]).

Results: Correlation analysis showed that YBT was negatively associated with the VAS average, the helplessness subscale of the PCS, and the pain and function subscales and total score of the WOMAC. YBT was positively associated with the pain subscale of the CPSS. The scores of the YBT forward movement were predicted by the VAS average (38.1% of variance) in addition to the WOMAC total score (34.2% of variance) and TSK-11 total score (43.8% of variance).

Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that kinesiophobia, pain, and physical function are related to dynamic balance in subjects with GTPS. Thus, when diagnosing and planning the treatment of patients with GTPS, psychosocial and physical function factors should be taken into account, in addition to pain management.