Everything You Need to Know About Hypermobility
Posted on 17th October 2022 at 13:18
Hypermobility, sometimes known as being "double jointed", occurs when the tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia) around a joint become more relaxed, allowing for a greater range of motion. Even though it appears to be a fantastic party trick, having too much range of motion, like having too little, isn't always desirable and can cause pain and suffering.
How to tell if you’re hypermobile
The Beighton Score; a 9-point scale to assess hypermobility at specific joints, is a quick and easy scale that I often use to assess joint hypermobility:
Each hand or leg is worth one point toward your total while performing tasks that require evaluation of both. You may get a sense of how hypermobility you are by using this, but sadly there is no perfect scoring system to measure hypermobility.
What is the downside to hypermobility?
There are a quite a few issues that surround hypermobility. Symptoms include:
Often getting tired, even after rest.
Keep dislocating your joints (they "pop out").
Having poor balance or co-ordination.
Having thin, stretchy skin.
Clicking of the joints.
These are especially common when dealing with muscle-dependent joints such as the shoulder or knee. Exercising the muscles in and around the affected joints would be an essential part of treatment, as it would give additional support and aid in regulating joint movement.
If you think you may suffer from joint pain related to hypermobility, book in with one of our therapists today for a full assessment and treatment.
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