Understanding Hypermobility: When Flexibility Becomes a Challenge

When treating chronic pain, the key to lasting relief often lies in uncovering what others have missed. That’s why we use Quadrant Analysis (QA) – a cutting edge approach to joint and muscle issues – to identify hidden factors that can keep patients stuck in a cycle of temporary solutions and recurring pain. One of the most commonly overlooked causes is hypermobility. While many clinicians focus solely on areas of stiffness or restricted movement, they miss the underlying instability that’s driving these problems. 

The Spectrum of Hypermobility

Hypermobility exists on a spectrum – much like how some people are naturally taller or shorter than others, some people are naturally more flexible. While severe forms like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) exist (a rare genetic condition affecting connective tissue), most hypermobile people simply have naturally looser ligaments that require proper management and care.

How We Identify Hypermobility

Through QA, we take a comprehensive approach to identifying hypermobility. Our assessment begins with a detailed history that looks for often-overlooked clues. Many people are surprised to learn that seemingly unrelated issues – like resistance to local anesthetic, easy bruising, or digestive problems – can be associated with hypermobility. We gather these pieces of the puzzle while listening to your story.

The physical assessment includes a systematic screening using the Beighton Scale, a standardized method for assessing joint mobility. But we go beyond just checking flexible joints. We examine how your body compensates for this flexibility, identifying areas of muscle tension, checking for signs of gut dysfunction, and evaluating how your body controls movement.

Understanding the Flexibility Paradox

One of the most confusing aspects of hypermobility is that despite being more flexible than average, many people experience chronic muscle tension and pain. Your body responds to loose ligaments by trying to create stability through muscle tension. This creates a frustrating cycle where you might feel tight and stiff, yet traditional approaches to relieving tension provide only temporary relief.

Think of your joints like doors with loose hinges. Your muscles must work constantly to control these unstable joints, leading to:

  • Chronic tension and fatigue in stabilizing muscles
  • Increased vulnerability to sprains and strains
  • Inconsistent performance in sports and daily activities
  • A constant feeling of needing to stretch or crack joints
Hypermobile joints often feel tight because muscles are overcompensating for stability

Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short

Most hypermobile patients find themselves caught in a frustrating cycle of temporary solutions. Stretching might feel wonderful in the moment – but within hours or days, the tightness returns, often worse than before. This happens because stretching temporarily relieves the muscle tension your body has created to protect unstable joints. Without addressing the underlying joint instability, your muscles will simply tense up again.

Manual therapy approaches like massage or chiropractic adjustments face similar limitations. While they might provide immediate relief, your body quickly returns to its protective patterns if the underlying stability isn’t addressed. Even yoga or Pilates, which can be excellent forms of exercise, might cause issues if the instructor isn’t aware of how to modify movements for hypermobile practitioners.

The problem isn’t that these treatments are inherently wrong – it’s that they’re incomplete. They focus on temporary symptom relief rather than addressing the complex interplay of factors creating those symptoms.

Temporary fixes like stretching or massage can’t hold up when the root cause—joint instability—remains unaddressed

How QA Makes the Difference

QA offers a unique approach to hypermobility that goes beyond traditional treatment methods. First, we create a detailed map of your body’s mobility, stability, and compensation patterns. This reveals crucial connections that others miss – like how hypermobility in your feet might be affecting your lower back, or how shoulder instability could be contributing to neck tension.

Through systematic assessment, we identify not just where you’re hypermobile, but how your body has adapted over time. Often, we uncover compensatory patterns that developed years or even decades ago – like stubborn upper back stiffness actually protecting against instability elsewhere in your spine.

The comprehensive scope of QA allows us to take several unique approaches to treatment:

  • Connect seemingly unrelated symptoms to create a complete picture. For instance, understanding how digestive issues or anxiety might be linked to your joint instability.
  • Develop treatment strategies that work with your body’s natural tendencies rather than against them.
  • Create clear, step-by-step solutions that build lasting stability instead of just temporary relief.
  • Address both immediate symptoms and underlying causes simultaneously.

This systematic approach allows us to develop treatment plans that make sense for your specific situation. Rather than just treating symptoms as they appear, we can anticipate and prevent potential issues before they develop into problems.

A Comprehensive Solution: Hannah’s Story

Understanding hypermobility is one thing – addressing it effectively is another. Hannah’s story illustrates how our comprehensive approach makes a lasting difference.

When Hannah first visited our clinic, she had been struggling with recurring neck and upper back pain for several years. Like many people, she’d tried various treatments: stretching provided temporary relief, chiropractic adjustments helped briefly, and massage therapy lasted a few days at most. She was particularly concerned about starting a family, worried that pregnancy might worsen her ongoing back problems.

Through QA assessment, we identified hypermobility as the underlying factor in Hannah’s pain – something previous practitioners had missed. We also discovered she had an undiagnosed food intolerance that was creating additional inflammation in her body, making it harder for her muscles to maintain stability effectively. By addressing both her diet and movement patterns, we could tackle the problem from multiple angles.

We began with specific motor control exercises designed to help her body develop better stability, combined with hands-on treatment to address areas of tension. As she progressed and her inflammation levels decreased, we introduced her to a Pilates instructor who specialized in hypermobility. This collaboration was crucial – while our initial work laid the foundation for stability, the specialized Pilates program helped Hannah build strength safely and systematically.

The results spoke for themselves. Not only did Hannah become pain-free through this combined approach, but she was able to navigate pregnancy and childbirth successfully when the time came, without the back issues she had feared.

Building Your Support Team

Managing hypermobility often benefits from a coordinated approach. At our clinic, we begin with targeted treatment and specific stability exercises. For many patients, like Hannah, we then collaborate with other specialists to build upon this foundation.

A successful support team might include a movement specialist who understands how to build stability without overstretching, whether that’s a specialized Pilates instructor or Sports Therapist. Some patients also benefit from working with nutritionists to address common gut health issues associated with hypermobility, or consulting with rheumatologists to understand any genetic aspects of their condition.

The key lies in coordination and progression. We ensure that everyone involved understands your specific needs and works toward the same goals, preventing the common problem of receiving conflicting advice.

Taking the First Steps Toward Better Stability

Understanding that hypermobility might be affecting your health is an important first step, but knowing what to do next can feel overwhelming. What makes our QA approach different is that we look beyond just your joints and muscles.

Through comprehensive assessment, we identify not just where you’re hypermobile, but how it’s affecting your whole body. This includes examining often-missed factors like:

  • How your body has learned to move and stabilize itself
  • Whether inflammation or digestive issues are playing a role
  • Which areas have become stiff to compensate for instability elsewhere

Remember that building stability takes time. While you might be used to treatments that provide quick relief, creating lasting change requires patience and consistency. We’ll guide you through a progressive program that starts with basic stability work and gradually builds toward more challenging exercises as your body gets stronger.

Moving Forward with Confidence

Hypermobility doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of pain and instability. Through proper assessment, targeted treatment, and the right support team, you can develop the strength and control your body needs. While the journey requires patience and commitment, the results are worth it – just ask Hannah and many others who have transformed their relationship with their bodies through this approach.

Whether you’re just discovering that hypermobility might be affecting you, or you’ve been struggling with its effects for years, there’s always hope for improvement. The key lies in understanding that your flexibility isn’t a flaw – it’s simply a characteristic that needs the right management approach.

Remember, hypermobility is just one of the four key areas we examine through Quadrant Analysis. In our next post, we’ll explore another common but often overlooked source of chronic pain: Systemic Inflammation. You’ll discover how inflammation can interact with conditions like hypermobility and learn practical strategies for addressing both together.

Think you might be struggling with Hypermobility?

If you’re uncertain about whether our practice could help—or simply want an expert opinion—consider scheduling a free, 15-minute Screening appointment with one of our expert chiropractors. In this no-obligation consultation, we’ll:

  • Listen to your concerns and discuss your situation
  • Help you understand if our approach might be a good option
  • Refer you to a specialist in our local network if we’re not the right fit

Our goal is to guide you toward the best solution for your health. To schedule your free screening, click the link below or or call us on 01732 742120. We look forward to helping you take the next step toward better well-being.

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