Hypermobility

Also called Joint hypermobility syndrome, Hypermobility spectrum disorder, Double-jointed

Joints that move beyond the normal range. A party trick for some, a source of chronic pain and fatigue for others.

What it is

Being hypermobile is common. Around 20% of people have joints that move further than average, and for most it causes no trouble at all.

Hypermobility spectrum disorder is when it does cause trouble: pain, fatigue, frequent injury, joints that partially dislocate. At the more severe end sits hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and the boundary between the two is genuinely blurred.

Children are the group most often dismissed. Growing pains is the phrase used, and a child with hypermobility who is exhausted, sore and clumsy gets told to try harder in PE.

Signs you might notice

Joints bending beyond the usual range, often demonstrated proudly before anyone realises it matters.

Aching joints and muscles, worse after activity and in the evening.

Clumsiness and poor proprioception: bumping into things, poor balance, frequent sprains.

Fatigue out of proportion to activity.

Difficulty with handwriting, and hands that tire quickly.

Frequently alongside dizziness on standing, gut symptoms and anxiety.

How it can affect day-to-day life

The pattern in children is predictable: PE avoided, then activity generally, then deconditioning, then more pain. Breaking that cycle early is the whole game.

Adults report years of being told nothing is wrong, and of physiotherapy that focused on stretching, which for a hypermobile person is exactly the wrong prescription.

Fatigue and pain together limit work and education far more than the joint laxity itself.

Supporting someone well

Strengthen, do not stretch. Muscles have to do the stabilising work the ligaments cannot, and stretching a hypermobile joint makes it less stable.

Go slowly. Progress in this population is measured in months and doing too much too soon causes a flare that undoes the confidence.

Pace activity across the week rather than doing everything on a good day.

Use writing aids and allow typing. Hand fatigue is real and it costs exam marks.

Choose low-impact exercise: swimming, Pilates, cycling. Keep the child active in something rather than exempting them from everything.

Ask for a physiotherapist who understands hypermobility, and for occupational therapy for hands and daily tasks.

Where to get help

A GP can assess with the Beighton score and refer to physiotherapy or rheumatology.

The Hypermobility Syndromes Association provide guidance for schools and for adults.

Frequent dislocations, or a family history of arterial problems, needs specialist assessment.