What is hypermobility?
Is this normal?
Can you do what the woman in the picture is doing? If so, you might be hypermobile!
Hypermobility is a condition where your connective tissue stretches more than the average person’s. This could include joints, skin, organs, nerves, pretty much anything that is made of connective tissue (which is everything in your body). The two most commonly named conditions of hypermobility are Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) and Hypermobile Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)
Yes, there is a difference between HSD and hEDS, but regardless of diagnosis, our goal is to make YOU feel better in your body.
And YES, it is possible to live a (mostly) normal life even with these and associated conditions! I am living proof of this.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Hypermobility
These are only a few examples and do not cover everything seen with hEDS/HSD. You must be assessed by a provider to determine hypermobility.
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Stretchy skin
Velvety, soft skin
Visible veins
Easily bruised/scarred
Atrophic scarring
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Joint subluxations or dislocations
Chronic muscle and/or joint pain
Pelvic floor issues (incontinence, pain, etc.)
Frequent sprains
Flat feet
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GI issues (constipation most frequent)
Gastroparesis
Slow digestion
Reflux
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Low blood pressure
Arrhythmias
Swelling in feet/hands
Dizziness with position changes
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Clumsiness
Difficulty with balance
Running up the stairs is less tiring than walking up
You sit/sleep in weird positions
It feels easier to breathe lying down compared to sitting or standing
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Depression
ADHD
Anxiety
Neurodivergence
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
Small Fiber Neuropathy (SNF)
Sleep Disorders