Most people want to improve their mobility. Being able to bend and stretch is an important part of health and fitness and plays a valuable role in your overall quality of life. For some people, however, hypermobility means they’re already ridiculously flexible.
You may have heard of hypermobility being referred to as being double-jointed or having loose joints. That’s because it’s the joints – shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, etc. – that give people with hypermobility an increased range of motion. They can reach positions that most people would find impossible.
It seems that hypermobility runs in families, which suggests that genetics may be a crucial part of what causes it. A key factor is collagen, a connective protein that holds tissue and bone together. Hypermobile people may have weaker collagen, which means it stretches more and therefore increases range of movement. Other factors include bone shape and muscle tone, as well as a person’s own ability to perceive the positions and movement of their joints.
Hypermobility is useful if you’re a dancer or a gymnast and need to be extra flexible, but it can cause problems elsewhere. It means joints are more likely to become dislocated, and you may experience clicking or even pain. Recurring sprains are common, and it can even cause tiredness, dizziness, or digestive problems. In these cases, it is known as joint hypermobility syndrome.
For people whose hypermobility is causing them problems, they may need to focus on low-impact exercises like swimming and cycling, which put less pressure on the joints, rather than running or more intense gym workouts. Comfortable, supportive footwear is essential. Sometimes heat can be soothing, but in other cases, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and painkillers may be necessary.
Sometimes hypermobility is associated with other conditions, such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome and osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). In these cases, the underlying condition may also need to be treated. There may also be specific treatments targeted at specific symptoms, such as digestive issues.
When you’re thinking about your own mobility and envying those people who are much “bendier” than you, spare a thought for those with hypermobility. Most of them live comfortable lives, but sometimes it can cause unexpected issues. As with so many aspects of health, it can be much more complicated than it first appears.
