Hypermobility is when some or all of your joints have an unusually large range of movement. There are 3 things that stop your joints from going too far. The first is the actual shape of your bones, the second is the connective tissue called ligaments and the third is your muscle system. It doesn’t matter what the cause of the hypermobility is, as it generally means that your connective tissue has more laxity than most people.
What causes hypermobility?
Generally, hypermobility is hereditary, so you can thank your mum or dad for it. It is commonly believed that the genes involved in the creation of your collagen play a role in how flexible or strong it is. Collagen is the protein that adds flexibility and strength to your joints, ligaments , and tendons. People who are hypermobile have loose joints because they have weakened and or stretchy ligaments, due to the defect in their collagen.
Some common causes of hypermobility are:
- Joint Hypermobility Syndrome
- Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
- Marfan Syndrome
- Down Syndrome
- Joint shape, looser ligaments, or poor muscle tone (without a connective tissue disorder)
- Injury or repeated stretching/training (for example in yoga enthusiasts and gymnasts)
Symptoms
You may have none or all of the below symptoms due to your hypermobility.
- Frequent joint and ligament injuries, including dislocation, subluxations, and sprains.
- Joint and muscle stiffness
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Clumsiness/poor balance
- Bladder and bowel issues
- Digestive issues
- Dizziness and fainting
- Dysautonomia symptoms
- Easy Bruising
- Chronic fatigue
- Thin, stretchy skin
How do I know if I’m hypermobile?
Your physiotherapist may do a common set of assessments known as The Beighton Score. This measures your flexibility on a 9-point scale, 1 point for each limb for each of the below:
- Being able to bend forward and place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees
- Being able to straighten your elbows greater than 180 degrees
- Being able to straighten your knees greater than 180 degrees
- Being able to bend your thumbs down to touch your forearms
- Being able to bend your little fingers back beyond 90 degrees
If you scored 4 or more points, then you are likely hypermobile. If you have had pain for 3 months or more then you may have one of the conditions above that can cause hypermobility.
What can a physio do to help?
There are lots of areas that physiotherapy can help you with your hypermobility. We start by learning what your issues and concerns are. Then we will assess your body and build a plan together around our findings. Some areas that physiotherapy can help with include, but not limited to:
1. Proprioception
Is about your brain knowing where your body is in space. It’s how you can move without thinking about what you are doing, ie. walking, or touching your finger to your nose with your eyes closed. The good news is that if your proprioception needs some work, it can be trained up. Your physiotherapist can tailor an exercise program to help improve the areas that you are concerned about or struggling with. This will also help you learn when your joints are going too far and how to control them better.
2. Strength
When you are hypermobile you need to have a good muscle system to help out your joints. Our bodies are truly amazing and can adapt to almost anything. A good gradual loading program will give your body time to adapt to the load and minimise any flare ups along the way. Your strength program can also help you improve your endurance which is how long you can do an activity for.
3. Goal Setting
By looking at how long you can currently do something or those activities that you are struggling with, you and your physio can work out some goals and realistic time frames to achieve them. Your physio can also help with any setbacks along the way.
Book an appointment
To see one of our expert physiotherapists for help and guidance for your hypermobility issues please call the Vitalis Physiotherapy reception team on 0410 559 856 to book in an initial consultation with our highly experienced physiotherapy team.
For more information, please see our FAQs or contact the clinic.
