Does your body bend too much? Do you have joint pain? Let's learn about Joint Hypermobility Syndrome.

You may have noticed that some people bend their fingers back in a strange way, or bend their knees so far back that they go all the way back. Some people also call this 'double-jointed'. In fact, most of the time this is not a serious problem. But if you also have this kind of joint flexibility, along with frequent joint pain and injuries, you may have a condition called Joint Hypermobility Syndrome. Let's talk about this simply, in a way that you can understand.

Simply put, what is Joint Hypermobility Syndrome?

Our joints are connected by a thick layer of tissue. We call these ligaments . They are like rubber bands that hold our joints together and keep them from moving too much. In a person with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, these ligaments are weak or loose. They are like a rubber band that has been stretched from use. So their joints can bend much further than normal. When this excessive flexibility is accompanied by pain, we call this condition Joint Hypermobility Syndrome. It is classified as a connective tissue disorder .

What is the difference between 'swelling' and 'syndrome'?

This is where many people get confused. Joint hypermobility, or the ability to bend joints excessively, is very common in society. If you can bend joints like your elbows, wrists, fingers, and knees beyond their normal range, that's called hypermobility.

But for most people, this does not cause any pain or other health problems. But for some, this excessive flexibility causes a lot of symptoms such as joint pain, frequent joint and ligament injuries, fatigue, and problems with the bowel and urinary system . That's when we call it Joint Hypermobility Syndrome . Simply put, excessive flexibility + symptoms = syndrome.

This condition is most common in children and young adults. It is also slightly more common in women and people of Asian and African-Caribbean descent. But the good news is that the condition tends to decrease with age.

Could this be a symptom of another serious illness?

Yes, sometimes joint hypermobility can be a symptom of a more serious, genetic condition. These are called Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue (HDCT). Here are some of the rare conditions that may be associated with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome:

• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: This is a group of conditions that affect our cartilage, bones, fat, and blood. It is caused by a defect in a protein called collagen, which gives strength and flexibility to our connective tissues.
• Marfan Syndrome: This is also a condition that affects connective tissue. It is caused by a defect in a gene that makes fibrillin and elastic fibers, which are a major part of our connective tissue.
• Down Syndrome: This is a genetic condition that affects the development of our brain and body. People with Down Syndrome are born with an extra chromosome.

Do you have these symptoms too? Check it out...

The main and most common symptom of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome is pain in the joints and muscles. In addition, see if you also have these things:

• Frequent injuries to joints and ligaments: For example, shoulder dislocations, knee dislocations, and sprains are common.
• Joint and muscle stiffness: Feeling stiff in the body, either when you first wake up in the morning or after standing for a while.
• Fatigue: Feeling tired all the time for no particular reason.
• Lack of balance in the body: Feeling like you are constantly falling and losing your balance.
• Urinary and fecal problems: Some people may experience stomach pain and bloating with this condition.
• Dizziness and fainting: Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, as if you suddenly stood up.
• Having thin, stretchy skin: Some people's skin may be more stretchy than normal.

Why does something like this happen?

The exact cause of this condition has not yet been discovered. However, it is believed that it is passed down from generation to generation . This means that if your mother, father, or a close relative had this condition, you are more likely to develop it too.

Scientists believe that this is caused by a change in the genes that make a protein called collagen in our bodies. As we mentioned earlier, collagen is what gives our joints, ligaments, and tendons their strength and flexibility. People with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome have this defect in collagen, which causes their ligaments to weaken. When the ligaments weaken, the joints become loose and begin to bend more than they should.

How do you find this, Doctor?

When you go to see a doctor, the first thing he or she will do is do a physical exam to check your range of motion in your joints. They may also do blood tests to check for other genetic conditions we talked about earlier.

In addition, there are several special methods used to measure the flexibility of your joints.

Beighton score

This is a 9-point scale. This test measures your flexibility. If you can do the following, you will receive one point for each.

Five-question quiz

Also, the doctor may ask you these 5 questions:

1. Have you ever been able to place your palms on the floor without bending your knees?

2. Have you ever been able to bend your thumb and rub it on the underside of your hand?

3. As a child, did you entertain your friends by bending your body in strange ways? Or were you able to do splits?

4. As a child or young adult, did you dislocate your shoulder or kneecap more than once?

5. Do you consider yourself to be 'double-jointed'?

If you answer "yes" to two or more of these questions, you may have Joint Hypermobility Syndrome.

What are the treatments for this?

There is no cure for this condition yet. But you can control your symptoms and live a normal life. The main goals of treatment are to protect your joints and manage your pain.

Strengthening the muscles around your joints can help increase the support they receive and protect them. Here are some things you can do to help:

• Maintain good posture: When standing, bend your knees slightly. Avoid bending your knees beyond their limits.
• Wear shoes with good support: Use special insoles (orthotics) made on medical advice, especially if you have flat feet.
• See a Physical Therapist: It is very important to seek the help of a physical therapist to reduce pain, increase muscle strength, and improve posture and body balance.

For pain, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen . But never self-medicate without medical advice. If the pain is severe, talk to your doctor about appropriate treatment options.

Does food and drink affect this?

Research has found that there may be a link between Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and gastrointestinal disorders, particularly Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) . IBS symptoms (abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea) are common among people with this condition.

Therefore, your doctor may ask you to try certain foods for a while. This is called an exclusion diet . This can help you find out if you have a food intolerance. The food groups that are usually tested in this way are:

• Gluten-free diet: Avoiding foods containing gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat and barley.
• Lactose-free diet: Avoiding foods containing lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and dairy products.
• Low-FODMAP diet: Restricting foods containing easily fermentable sugars (lactose, fructose, fructans, galactans, polyols) found in certain foods.

Joint pain, Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, body flexion, double-jointed, collagen, joint elasticity, Byton's marks