Gait Variability and Relationships With Fear, Avoidance, and Pain in Adolescents With Chronic Pain

Abstract

Objective: Some children with chronic pain struggle with fear of pain, avoidance behaviors, and associated disability; however, movement adaptations in the context of chronic pain in childhood is virtually unknown. Variability in adaptive movement responses previously observed between individuals might be largely explained by the presence of problematic psychological drivers (eg, fear, avoidance). The goals of this study were to quantify the variability of gait and examine relationships among pain, fear, avoidance, function (perceived and objective), and gait variability.

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. Eligible patients were between 8 and 17 years of age and had musculoskeletal, neuropathic, or headache pain that was not due to acute trauma (eg, active sprain) or any specific or systemic disease. Participants completed the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FOPQ), Functional Disability Inventory, and 6-Minute Walk Test and received kinematic gait analysis. Relationships were analyzed among these measures, and the self-report and functional measures were examined to determine whether they predicted gait variability (GaitSD).

Results: The 16 participants who were evaluated (13.8 [SD = 2.2] years of age; 13 female) had high Numeric Pain Rating Scale scores (6.2 [SD = 2.1]), FOPQ-Fear scores (25.9 [SD = 12.1]), FOPQ-Avoidance scores (22.8 [SD = 10.2]), and Functional Disability Inventory scores (28.6 [SD = 9.4]) and low 6-Minute Walk Test distance (437.1 m [SD = 144.6]). Participants had greater GaitSD than age-predicted norms. Fear was related to self-selected GaitSD, and avoidance was related to both self-selected and standardized GaitSD. Avoidance predicted 43% and 47% of the variability in self-selected and standardized GaitSD, respectively.

Conclusion: GaitSD was significantly related to both fear of pain and avoidance behaviors, suggesting the interplay of these psychological drivers with movement. FOPQ-Avoidance was robust in accounting for GaitSD.

Impact: This study offers preliminary evidence in understanding movement adaptations associated with adolescents with chronic pain. They may lend to more directed interventions.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01974791.

Keywords: Avoidance; Gait; Graded Exposure in Vivo; Pain-Related Fear; Pediatric Pain.

© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Figures

Figure 1

Time series plots of lower extremity joint angle kinematics across the entire sample for both the self-selected (dashed) and standard (solid) pace conditions. The mean range of motion (solid/dashed lines) and the standard error (± shaded area) for each joint are shown across the gait cycle.