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HYPERMOBILITY
WHAT IS HYPERMOBILITY?
What is joint hypermobility syndrome?
Joint hypermobility (JH) is a condition involving the connective tissue in the body in which joints move beyond the “normal” range of movement. This can be genetic or acquired. It can involve one joint, or multiple joints and can present with or without manifestations of other bodily systems. Because connective tissue is found throughout our bodies, it can cause symptoms outside of just joint pain.
What are the symptoms?
While many of these symptoms are seen in various disorders, common symptoms seen in those with hypermobility include:
- Joint pain or migratory pain
- Recurrent injuries or sprains/strains
- “Growing pains”
- Recurrent subluxations and/or dislocations
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- “Overreaction” to bug bites
- Dizziness
- Increased heart rate without exertion
- Abnormally high or low blood pressure (usually low)
- Headache or migraines
- Fatigue
- Memory issues and/or brain fog
- Inability to gain muscle mass
While this is not an all-inclusive list, these are oftentimes the symptoms that patients present with. The more advanced the patient’s condition is, the more of these they will have. These symptoms are, however also seen in many other health conditions. Other signs that you or someone you know may be hypermobile include:
- Ability to do “party tricks” with your body
- Ability to bend forward and touch the floor, without stretching
- Sitting in the “W” position with ease (often seen in children)
- Joints that “pop” or “click” in and out of place
- Poor response to physical therapy or massage therapy
- Poor response to lidocaine, pain relievers, or pain pills
- Having “stretch marks” without gaining or losing weight
- Having physical features such as flat feet, knees or elbows that hyperextend, ribs that flare or “poke out” in the front, an indentation in your sternum, varicose veins at a younger age, multiple hernias, prolapses, and/or mitral valve prolapse.
- The constant need to switch positions
- Being told “you are too young to have this going on”
- Multiple areas of pain/dysfunction with “normal” imaging or test results and/or being “bounced around” from doctor to doctor with no diagnosis or resolution to the problem
