Hypermobile joints display a range of movement that is considered excessive, taking into consideration the age, gender and ethnic background of the individual. Joint hypermobility may present in a single joint, a few joints or in multiple joints and may be congenital or acquired with training, disease, or injury(1) . It is caused by a defect in the collagen ratio and occurs almost twice as commonly in women and dominates in younger individuals(2) .
For those women with sedentary lifestyles, they are also predisposed to weaker muscles due to the excessive range of motion of their joints along with the lack of movement. Some of the most common hypermobility injuries include chronically rolled ankles and knee instability.
A Musculoskeletal Therapist's approach to hypermobility should therefore rely on joint range of motion as a rough guide only as range of motion in almost all accounts will be within a full range. In this regard muscle strength testing is a much more accurate measure of assessment and results. Treatment should then be targeted towards correcting weakness imbalances with strength and exercise as opposed to soft tissue therapy and has been shown to be effective in reducing pain and improving the coordination of joint movements(2) .
References
1. Simmonds, J.V., 2022. Masterclass: Hypermobility and hypermobility related disorders. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 57, p.102465. 2. Kulesa-Mrowiecka, M., Piech, J. and Gaździk, T.S., 2021. The effectiveness of physical therapy in patients with generalized joint hypermobility and concurrent temporomandibular disorders—a cross-sectional study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(17), p.3808.