Previously known as Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS), Hypermobility spectrum disorders (now plural) are a group of conditions associated with joint hypermobility (JH). When you are noted to not have any of the Eheler’s-Danlos Syndromes including the hypermobile type of EDS (hEDS), you are normally diagnosed with HSD.
Your doctor has found that you have hypermobile joints. The ligaments, tendons, and other structures that support your joints can stretch more than usual. Most, but not all, people inherit this characteristic from a parent. Sometimes people with hypermobility are referred to as “double- jointed”. They do not really have extra joints, just very flexible joints.
Hypermobility spectrum disorders come in four ways:
- Generalized Joint Hypermobility (many hypermobile joints, you have a positive or “high” Beighton hypermobility Score)
- Peripheral Joint Hypermobility (typically limited to hands and/or feet)
- Localized Joint Hypermobility (limited to single joints or group of joints)
- Historical Joint Hypermobility (joint pain and other problems because you were hypermobile when you were younger but not anymore)
The Chart below illustrates the different types of HSD. Asymptomatic (no symptoms) HSD highlighted in Purple, and symptomatic is in Black.
People with HSD may experience the following:
- Fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Dizziness when standing up
- Easy bruising
- Fragile skin
- Osteoarthritis
- Back pain
- Frequent joint sprains
- Joint cracking or popping
- Flat feet
Lifestyle modifications are essential for children with HSD. Contact sports like football, hockey, soccer, long distance running, boxing and wrestling are not recommended to reduce the risk of sprains and fractures. The best sport for someone with HSD is swimming. When a child practices swimming, he/she is fortifying the muscles that protect the joints and this is a great countermeasure to form a better cushion on the bones. You must remember that your joints move very easily but that makes them more fragile. Avoid pounding your joints at all costs. If you have flat feet, you are to see a podiatrist and obtain a foot insert. The arch in feet acts like a shock-abosorber and protects the joints from ware, people with flat feet do not have this arch. They should never walk without the proper support.
Lax Bones 