The short answer is not always. The long answer….Hypermobility is often called double-jointedness and can be quite common (5-18% in caucasian population, up to 43% in non-caucasian). There is benign hypermobility where there is no disease process causing it or it can be an hereditary connective tissue disorder (such as Ehlers-Danlos, Marfans, Osteogenesis Imperfecta). Symptoms can be quite mild but in some cases quite disabling. reasssuringly hypermobility doesn’t seem to be linked to joint conditions like arthritis and you can be generally hypermobile without having joint pain. So you can be hypermobile and not have any symptoms and therefore don’t need to worry!

There does seem to be a hereditary link to the collagen changes that are seem in hypermobility and with some types this affects other structures; heart, blood vessels, eyes so it is important to exclude these disorders. There are some quick checks you can do to see if you are hypermobile, one is the Beighton Scale with a representative picture below and produces a score out of 9.

If there is a confirmation of benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS) which is essentially causing pain then treatment is about addressing muscle and joint capacity. Can the muscles support the increased range of movement so the connective tissue and joint isn’t overloaded causing pain? Some people really benefit from resistance training and others like a more neurally driven approach encouraging the brain and tissues to get excited and ‘fire up’.

We’ve put together some examples of exercises that might be helpful. Our adult patients might get on better with something more controlled like weighted squats and deadlifts to address knee pain associated with hypermobility. We may treat children differently and access their muscular system more neurally getting them doing more dynamic quick ‘excited’ movements that tap into their tone more. There is nothing to say that these aren’t interchangeable.

Obviously these aren’t a cure-all and with complicated presentations that tend to come with hypermobility we would always recommend you seeing one of us so we can tailor rehab to your specific issues. We’re always happy to have a chat on the phone first to see if we can help, 656340 or if you want to just get on and book in, you can do so online here.

Referencing Prowse, T. Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome Course. Plus. 2020.