Do I Have Hypermobility?

Having hypermobility means you can put your joints in positions that they do not belong in. Over time this causes wear and tear and ultimately pain. How much mobility you have and how you control it contributes to how fast your joints start to hurt. Melissa and I both started having joint pain in our 30's.

For better or worse the Beighton score is the standard for identifying hypermobility. It is nine attributes. One point for each, including one per side. Does it always work? No, but take the test. Can you: touch the floor with your knees straight, bend your pinky finger back 90 degrees or more, touch your thumb to your wrist, have elbows or knees that go past straight?

Melissa is a 7 of 9. I am historically an 8 of 9. Historical, because I recall the ability to perform these excessive motions but have lost the ability to do so with age. I am currently a 4 of 9. Of course this is nothing to brag about, this hypermobility causes a lifetime of trouble. Melissa and I can attest to this.

With a score of 9 of 9, you most definitely have a hypermobility problem. I suppose that you already suspect this if you are reading this Blog. A positive score for any of the 9 tests creates a suspicion of some sort of hypermobility condition ranging from localized joint hypermobility syndrome, benign hypermobility syndrome(loosely double jointed) to Ehlers Danlos and Marfan syndrome. The exact diagnosis is tricky and unfortunately, very few Physicians take an interest in these conditions.

If you wish to delve into the complexity of categorizing hypermobility, refer to the Ehlers Danlos society https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-hsd/. As for Melissa and I, we would like to share our ability to manage hypermobility, because this is a beast that we live with but have learned to tame.

#cgphysicaltherapy #hypermobilityandpain #Beightonscale #Ehlersdanlos