Could I be Hypermobile!?

I've heard it often..."Oh, no! I'm not hypermobile. I'm not that flexible and anyway, wouldn't a doctor have diagnosed me by now if I had something like that?"

A lot of people reconsider when we talk through their symptoms and what they've experienced, usually for years or decades of life. Let's take a look.

First, hypermobillty doesn't just mean being really bendy. Flexibility and hypermobility are two separate things. So, what is the difference? With hypermobility there is a laxity in the connective tissue and most people think that means it you're the contortionist at the circus or that weird kid at school whose elbows looked backwards or could do some sort of insane gymnastics. Well, that can be true, but it's more than that. The laxity means your joints don't stay within the normal range. They can shift in and out of their proper place often, causing discomfort. Looking back, hypermobile people remember that they were always popping their spines or cracking their knuckles. Maybe they were constantly shifting their necks around to get that kink out or maybe their knees or hips or even jaw often felt unsteady and shifty.

It's not just the joints that misbehave! That laxity of connective tissue also affects the whole body because connective tissue, also called fascia, is EVERYWHERE. Your whole body down to the cell has fascia. So, what are some other ways a connective tissue disorder like hypermobility might be affecting you?

Are you extra clumsy or do you miss steps or try to reach for things and oops. There is a delayed relay from the brain to the parts of the body that you're trying to move with hypermobility that affects proprioception, that ability to know where your body exists in space and in relation to other things around you. Sometimes bruises come from these bumps and other times those who are hypermobile discover bruises and they have no idea how they got there. Easy bruising is very common and may be overlooked because of the perception that a person is clumsy so "of course" they have bruises!

Have you been told you look young for your age? Do people admire your beautiful, soft skin? Do people always think you're younger than you are or describe your skin as glowing? This is a compliment many with hypermobility hear. Other people are going to get collagen injections, but you have that collagen right where it needs to be to keep your skin looking youthful and georgeous!

Variable eyesight is an issue that many don't often think about, but the same laxity that affects your joints also affects those structures around your eyes that allows them to move and focus. If your eyesight seems to change from morning to evening, day to day, or different conditions. Being tired, being sick, different lighting conditions, lack of sleep, hydration...the list of what can affect your vision with hypermobility is long! You may also have dry eyes.

Digestion can also be affected by hypermobility. Yep, fascia exists there too! Sluggish food motility, slowed digestion, leaky gut, low stomach acid, decreased absorption of minerals and nutrients, upset stomach. All of this can lead to food sensitivities, or what feels like food sensitivities. Often when we can help the digestion be more efficient many of these symptoms decrease.

So, hypermobility? Maybe it's always been there. Doctors don't generally evaluate someone unless the patient brings up obvious, life-interrupting symptoms. And usually, you have to come in specifically saying certain things about joints to get that evaluation. I know multiple people (including myself) who never realized hypermobility played a role in their health concerns until they landed in mid-life and started trying to figure out multiple other health concerns. It's worth investigating. There is hope.