Hypermobility is when you are over mobile, it can cause a wide range of symptoms:
- pain and stiffness in the joints and muscles – particularly towards the end of the day and after physical activity
- clicking joints
- back and neck pain
- fatigue (extreme tiredness)
- night pains – which can disrupt your sleep
- poor co-ordination
- recurrent joint dislocations – such as a dislocated shoulder
- recurrent soft tissue injuries – such as sprains and sports injuries
(ref NHS website see below)
There are 3 types of Hypermobility; Bony, Collagen related and Neuropathic. Most people diagnosed with Hypermobility will have varying symptoms of all 3.
Diagnosis
There are a few tests for Hypermobility, at the Ware Osteopathy Clinic we use the Beighton Score, which scores out of 9
- Can you put your hands on the floor whilst your knees of straight? 1 point
- Can you bend you elbows backwards? 1 pt for left, 1 pt for right.
- Can you bend your knees backwards ? 1 pt for left, 1 pt for right.
- Can you bend your thumb back to the front of the forearm? 1 pt for left, 1 pt for right.
- Can you bend you little finger up at right angle to the back of your hand? 1 pt for left, 1 pt for right.
A score of 4 or more gives a diagnosis of general hypermobility, the higher the score the greater the hypermobility – eg Ehlos Danlos. (Score for children is 3, for 50+ it is 5)
Hypermobility commonly affects the achilles tendon, patellofemoral joint, rotator cuff, elbow and cervical and lumbar spine, however it can affect anywhere – it has also been linked to Fibromyalgia.
Children and Adolescents can all suffer from hypermobility – sometimes it can be ‘late developers’, problems crawling (or not crawling at all) or perhaps having problems holding pencils, (motor skills). Some parents say they thought their child was clumsy until hypermobility was diagnosed.
Its important to have a diagnosis allowing a succinct care plan to be put in place.
Hypermobility can be limiting therefore, understanding that sufferers can be affected emotionally as well as physically is important to us. Hypermobility can also be an advantage especially in dancers and gymnasts (as long as they keep their core and musculoskeletal system strong).
As Osteopaths we are able to treat patients with hypermobility safely and effectively – but don’t take our word for it, here’s what one of our patients has to say….
“My osteopaths played a pivotal role in my diagnosis of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hypermobility type). When I had a sudden onset of symptoms in my spine, not knowing what it was, two of my good friends recommended I saw their osteopath for help. It was at my consultation with my Osteopath and through my initial treatment that we discovered how hypermobile my joints were, and my Osteopath consulted with my GP on her findings. I had been carrying on for years with pops, clicks, clonks and generalised pain in most of my joints and it was only from seeing my osteopath that I realised that maybe these symptoms were not that ‘normal’.
From that point, I entered the usual NHS process of GPs, Rheumatologists and physiotherapists, all of which have been fantastic in helping me understand and manage my symptoms, however I still have found great relief from my osteopathic treatment. My osteopath uses a variety of approaches, and I find myofascial and cranio-sacral techniques to be extremely gentle, which work without the need to put any force through the joints. They have also helped to no end with more traditional osteopathic methods when certain bones have ‘wandered’ slightly out of their normal places, especially pesky bones in my feet and a first rib that likes to elevate up.
I was very dubious before first seeing an osteopath, as I had an image in my mind that they would crack and pop every joint, and it would be a painful experience. However, they have been a lifeline for me by giving me relief, helping me understand my symptoms and giving me endless advice for self-management measures.”
Babs, 2014.
Cited in ‘A guide to living with Ehlers Danlos’
References
A guide to living with Ehlers Danlos syndrome (hypermobility type) Author Isabel Knight. Publisher Singing Dragon.
General and systemic Pathology Edited by JCE Underwood. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, London, 1996