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Joint Hypermobility Syndrome

Joint Hypermobility Syndrome



Overview

Joint hypermobility syndrome is a connective tissue disorder. Thick bands of tissue (ligaments) hold your joints together and keep them from moving too much or too far out of range. In people with joint hypermobility syndrome, those ligaments are loose or weak. If you have joints that are more flexible than normal and it causes you pain, you may have joint hypermobility syndrome.

Is joint hypermobility syndrome the same as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?

Joint hypermobility syndrome can be a sign of a more serious underlying genetic condition. These conditions are called Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue (HDCT). Rare medical conditions associated with joint hypermobility syndrome include:

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: A group of conditions that affect your cartilage, bone, fat and blood. A defect in collagen — the protein that adds flexibility and strength to your connective tissue — causes this syndrome.

Marfan syndrome: A condition that affects your connective tissue. A defect in the gene responsible for building fibrillin and elastic fibers — a major part of your connective tissue — causes this syndrome.

Down syndrome: A genetic disorder that affects the way your brain and body develop. People with Down syndrome are born with an extra chromosome.

Symptoms 

The most common symptom of joint hypermobility syndrome is pain in your joints and muscles. Other symptoms may include:

Frequent joint and ligament injuries, including dislocations and sprains.

Joint and muscle stiffness.

Tiredness (fatigue).

Clumsiness/poor balance.

Bladder and bowel issues.

Dizziness and fainting.

Thin, stretchy skin.

Causes

The exact cause of joint hypermobility syndrome isn’t known. However, the disorder tends to run in families. The genes that are involved in the creation of collagen are believed to play a role. Collagen is the protein that adds flexibility and strength to your joints, ligaments and tendons. People with joint hypermobility syndrome have loose joints because they have weak ligaments. They have weak ligaments because of the defect in their collagen.

Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider may perform a physical exam to see the range of motion in your joints. They may also order blood tests to check for possible genetic conditions.

Your healthcare provider may use a test or questionnaire to measure the flexibility of your joints. The Beighton score measures your joint flexibility on a nine-point scale. You receive one point for each of the following:

Being able to bend forward and place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees.

Being able to bend your elbows backward (one point each).

Being able to bend your knees backward (one point each).

Being able to bend your thumbs backward to touch your forearms (one point each).

Being able to bend your little fingers backward beyond 90 degrees (one point each).

If you scored four or more points and have had pain in four or more joints for at least three months, you may have joint hypermobility syndrome.

Your healthcare provider may also ask you the five-point hypermobility questionnaire. The five questions asked are:

Can you now (or could you ever) place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees?

Can you now (or could you ever) bend your thumb to touch your forearm?

As a child, did you amuse your friends by contorting your body into strange shapes or could you do the splits?

As a child or teenager, did your shoulder or kneecap dislocate on more than one occasion?

Do you consider yourself double-jointed?

If you answered “yes” to two or more questions, you may have joint hypermobility syndrome.

Treatment

There’s no cure presently for joint hypermobility syndrome. Treatment involves protecting your joints and managing your pain. You can protect your joints by strengthening your muscles through exercise. Other recommendations include:

Maintain good posture.

Stand with your knees slightly bent and avoid extreme ranges of motion.

Wear shoes with good arch support.

Use orthotics to help correct flat feet.

See a physical therapist to help reduce pain, increase muscle strength and improve your posture and balance.

For mild pain, your healthcare provider may recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®), ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®) or naproxen (Aleve®). For more severe pain, your healthcare provider may prescribe stronger pain medication or provide additional resources to help manage your pain.

Type of Doctor Department :  A rheumatologist


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