Monday, December 21, 2009

Think You Might be Hypermobile? Take these Tests Below!

TOP 5 HMS SYMPTOMS

1) Increased Flexibility – ‘double-jointedness,’ majority of joints extend past 180 degrees
2) Skin – extra soft, silky-smooth skin that is very thin, easily bruises and is slow to heal, scarring that is characteristically smoother in texture and lighter in color than surrounding skin
3) Frequent Injury – accident prone and clumsy, due to decreased proprioception (the body’s sense of its own movement through 3D space)
4) Anesthesia Problems – anesthetics (such as novicaine and lignocaine) take longer to take affect and ware off faster than normal
5) Joint Pain – frequent joint pain which does not respond to typical treatments such as ice, rest and anti-inflammatory medication, can be brought about suddenly without any direct injury or trauma and lasts longer than normal muscle inflammation

- If these symptoms sound familiar, it may be worth investigating Hypermobility Syndrome as a possible diagnosis to help explain your medical problems. Below you will find the Beigton Test and Brighton Criteria, the two medical tests used along with family history and certain exclusionary exams (such as Xrays, MRIs and blood work) in diagnosing HMS. First, use the Beighton Test to see if you have Generalized Joint Hypermobility, the primary symptom of HMS, which can be determined by a score of 4/9 or higher. Then, use the Brighton Criteria to asses whether or not HMS is the likely cause of this characteristic increased joint flexibility. Since HMS is a genetic disorder, it may be beneficial to have other family members perform these tests, or to at least have an accurate and detailed family health history at hand. If the Beigton Test and Brighton Criteria indicate that HMS is likely, it may be beneficial to talk to your doctor about Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos.

*Arthralgia = joint pain

25 comments:

  1. The only 'symptom' I have trouble with is the smooth skin.. I personally havn't really stroked many other people so am not sure how smooth my skin is! Unless I can base it on not needing to moisturise apart from legs which are affected by eczema due to shaving...

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    1. This is one that I never thought about at all until I got the diagnosis and started reading. I just thought I lucked out. However, after reading that that is a symptom, I thought about all the times over the years that boyfriends and friends remarked, quite enthusiastically, on the unusual smoothness of my skin (and apart from my face, elbows, and hands, I don't really moisturize regularly). It's one of those things you may or may not notice.

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  2. I'm hypermobile and so is my mum and brother we are all very flexible but although i can do the most flexibility wise my brother has it the worst. I am also a dancer and being 'naturally flexible' helps me with that as well.

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  3. from the top picture the only one i cant do is touch the floor without bending my kneees but that could be because a. im fat and b. my knees go so far backwards when i straighten my legs it hurts too much

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  4. I scored 7 and googled this because MY JOINTS REALLY HURT

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  5. ... Oh god. I scored a nine. My joints don't hurt, but I've been wondering about me flexibility and I've been getting hurt more lately (sprained ankle, broken arm, etc.), and now I'm a bit worried. D:

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  6. I scored about a 5 (not including my legs, as I can't really tell if my legs bend enough to be considered). I can do both my elbows, both thumbs and easily touch the floor, however, I was wondering if being able to touch your elbows behind your back is also be considered, because I am also able to touch my elbows behind my back. Also when I was younger I used to always dislocate my shoulder, and once dislocated my elbow, I also bruise easily and sometimes experience achy pains in my upper back/shoulders and my hips, and also my wrists and fingers.

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  7. I scored a 6. elbows thumbs and pinkies

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  8. Hi I have scored from a 3 to a 9 with different consultants and getting really fed up of my gp telling me to deal with it and its got so bad I am now contact professors in the states as well as here to get help as no one seems to understand how it feels .

    alexelle

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  9. Hi, could shoulders and other leg symptoms be considered? If I put my arm up my back from below, I can pat the bottom of my head. Down from the top, I hit below my bra. If I lie on my front, my legs rest flat and comfortable on my butt and my feet rest on my back (I never knew this wasn't normal!)I have both thumb symptoms,a LOT of the minor criteria, get horrific random pain in my joints and my shoulders, hips and collarbones sublux and semi-dislocate every day. I'm also pretty tall and I've always been skinny. Could I have hypermobility without the elbow and knee symptoms? Thanks x

    P.S I'm embarrassingly clumsy because of my long limbs. I never know where they are!

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    1. You might also want to look into not only ehlers danlps but Marfan's syndrome too.

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  10. Well then... I scored all 15....... ;-;

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  11. I have been hyperbole since I was very little and sat "w" all the time. I grew up hearing "sit criss cross Apple sauce" but even physical therapy didn't help. We went to many doctors from the age seven to fourteen, which i currently am, because my joint pain was terrible. I noticed I could reach my arm all the way around my head and cover my ear. Just recently I learned I had joint hypermobility syndrome on top of scoliosis. I'm a wreak. I thought I was double jointed in my shoulder but it turns out that every time I did the arm trick, I was dislocating my shoulder. I had done it so often that I can pop it out and back in without pain. This helped so much.

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    1. Hang in there Maggie, life will still have wonderful ups as well as downs. You're learning, so you will learn ways to reduce symptoms and maybe medications that can help. I'm not being patronizing like it sounds more than a few doctors have done so (for me too), just trying to encourage you on this journey. My prayers are with you.

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  12. I have been hyperbole since I was very little and sat "w" all the time. I grew up hearing "sit criss cross Apple sauce" but even physical therapy didn't help. We went to many doctors from the age seven to fourteen, which i currently am, because my joint pain was terrible. I noticed I could reach my arm all the way around my head and cover my ear. Just recently I learned I had joint hypermobility syndrome on top of scoliosis. I'm a wreak. I thought I was double jointed in my shoulder but it turns out that every time I did the arm trick, I was dislocating my shoulder. I had done it so often that I can pop it out and back in without pain. This helped so much.

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  13. Can you share what you did to alleviate your joint pain? I have a 7 yr old girl that is experiencing this and we are just in the fact finding stage. She also has RA and takes pain meds and that is not touching her pain due to being hypermobile. Thanks

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  14. I was disagnised with hyper mobility in 2010. I was a previous dancer but my condition took its toll on my body. I can no longer lift my arms above elbow height. My knee start to buckle as I walk and also my hips dislocate when I walk or sit in a position they don't.
    My shoulders dislocate so much daily I struggle to do day to day things just even lifting a full kettle or washing my hair or holding a baby is a huge struggle and causes me pain.
    I'm 24 and live with this daily and doctors I've seen and always said it's worse case they've seen in someone who's a young adult. I feel sorry for anyone who has this condition and hope it doesn't get as bad as mine for anyone.

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    1. Dear Victoria, forget doctors' reactions and such and try to just focus on what is _real for you_. Docs can treat symptoms to some degree, so find a good one (or # of them ) and stick with them!:) Search for docs on these types of websites for doctors experienced in this arena. If you don't know which doctor to pick out of a group of them, check HealthGrades. Or, as a last resort, ask the receptionist at a practice which doctor they would pick for their sister if she had this condition. That last one has actually helped me, and, of course, the others. I found the list on DINET useful for dysautonomia. I've been 14 years with these symptoms, though not as severe, and it becomes bearable, (bear in mind life is MORE than our symptoms so there will be great times too:)! by paying attention to what causes what to happen, you can learn to approach activities differently. Adapting takes time, but it will happen. So hang in there, my dear, life will still be good. Also, look for what you can be grateful for in every situation - it really does help to keep from getting to the end of your rope. Love and be patient with yourself.

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    2. Make sure to look into Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Victoria. Yours sounds like a very clear case. More than just hypermobility.

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  15. My nine month old was just diagnosed with hypermobility as she is delayed on mobility and I am confident it came from me. After doing research I realize I have a lot of the joint/bone symptoms of Marfan. Although I have lived with these issues (with lots of childhood teasing), I'd like for my daughter to have proper drs and PT to help her build her core. Im having trouble finding the right folks. We live in Jersey City, and she is currently going to Hackensack Hospital for PT. Any other places or resources in NJ or NYC? It looks like Hospital of Special Surgury in NYC has a good program, but I don't know if it is worth switching out of Hackensack. Is it worth me also getting looked at to understand the challenges of what my daughter may be facing ahead?

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  16. Was reading up on this bcause I'm pretty sure my 7 year old son is double jointed at the elbow. Had no ideas there was such a thing as hpyermobility syndrome. But it explains a lot. He is accident prone. And a few months ago when he went to dentist to get his teeth capped they gave him 4 times the novocaine they usually give kids his age. And it took like 5 hours to wear off. They told me to watch him for like an hour to make sure he didn't chew his jaw. He almost chewed all the way through it because of the novocaine lasting so long.

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  17. I got a point for everyone I'm double jointed and can bend my fumbirthday backwards to touch my wrist facing up and I can dislocate all of my joints in my feet and hands even my wrist

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  18. I'm 14 and I'm not entirely sure if I've got the syndrome, I can put my arm behind my back so high it touches halfway up the back of my head or so I can see my fingers above my shoulder, I can also put my wrist in my armpit and pull it across my chest making my hand respond backwards, if I try to move my finger up they go down

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  19. I guess im hypermobile because i scored a six on that test and im ten years old but none of my body really hurts. I have a cousin who's hypermobile. She can do the splits in a right angle but she has to stretch first. I can also do some cool contortion moves that my friends can't.

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