The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of two telerehabilitation exercise programs for treating multidirectional shoulder instability (MDI) in patients diagnosed with the hypermobile type of The Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD). Patients were randomly assigned to either the control group (B: evidence-based tailored care) or the experimental group (A: evidence-based standard care). Both groups received a home-based exercise program of 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Western Ontario Shoulder Index (WOSI). Secondary outcomes included the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), Global Rating of Change (GROC), and pain pressure thresholds (PPTs). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and at the end of the study (24 weeks).
For hEDS or HSD patients with MDI, a multidisciplinary treatment approach is suggested. As follows, physiotherapy plays a key role in this integrative management. Nevertheless, knowledge regarding EDS is limited among health care professionals. Consequently, evidence-based treatment approaches for the hEDS/HSD population are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare two different home-based exercise programs in order to increase our knowledge regarding treatment options, and to gain insight in safe, effective exercises for the unstable shoulder in this study population.