What Is Joint Hypermobility Syndrome?
By Dr. Kathy Weber on Jul 10, 2009 with View Comments
What Is Joint Hypermobility Syndrome?
Expert insight into hypermobility syndrome
Kathy Weber, M.D., M.S.
Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine and Women’s Sports Medicine
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL
Question:
What is joint hypermobility syndrome and is it true that it is mostly prevalent in children?
Answer:
Generalized joint hypermobility is more common in childhood and the prevalence decreases with age. Hypermobility syndrome can involve one or many joints. Fewer individuals will have generalized joint involvement. Generalized joint hypermobility may be an indicator or a more serious connective tissue disease (i.e. Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndromes) but more commonly this is an asymptomatic finding that is not associated with any connective tissue disease. Hypermobile joints are joints that can extend beyond the normal range of motion. Some individuals with hypermobile joints may experience pain related to the affected joint(s). A wide variety of traumatic and overuse conditions can occur such as sprains, subluxations, or dislocations. Hypermobile joints benefit from strengthening the muscles surrounding the joint and thus, hypermobile athletes should be encouraged to engage in resistance weight training.
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Filed Under: Anatomy of Injuries • Ask the Experts • Athlete's Corner
