🌿 Living With Hypermobility: Why Your Joints Hurt and How Physical Therapy Helps

If you’ve ever been told you’re “double-jointed,” but you also struggle with chronic pain, fatigue, or recurring injuries — hypermobility could be the missing link.Many people go years without answers, assuming their symptoms are unrelated. In reality, hypermobility affects the entire body: joints, muscles, stability, balance, digestion, and even stress levels.

This post breaks down what hypermobility really is, why it causes pain, and the evidence-based physical therapy strategies that help you build stability and confidence in your body.

🧠 What Is Hypermobility?

Hypermobility means your joints move beyond the typical range because the connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, and collagen) is naturally more elastic.Some people have mild hypermobility; others fall along a spectrum that includes Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS).

Common signs include:

• Feeling “loose,” unstable, or like joints slip/shift

• Chronic muscle tension (your body’s attempt at stability)

• Frequent sprains or soft-tissue injuries

• Early fatigue or difficulty maintaining posture

• Sensitivity to pressure, overstretching, or long activity days

Hypermobility also commonly coexists with:

• Foot/ankle instability

• Shoulder instability

• Low back pain

• Autonomic symptoms (lightheadedness, fatigue)

• TMJ instability

• Pelvic floor dysfunction

🔍 Why Hypermobility Causes Pain (Even if You’re Flexible)

People assume flexibility = strength. But in hypermobility, the opposite is often true.

1. Your joints lack passive stability

Ligaments don’t provide enough support, so your muscles work overtime to protect your joints.This leads to constant tightness — not because you need more stretching, but because your body is bracing.

2. Muscles fatigue faster

When stabilizers work all day to prevent shifting or subluxations, they tire quickly.This can cause widespread soreness or “deep” tiredness.

3. You move through end ranges without realizing it

This increases wear on cartilage and soft tissue over time.

4. Stress and poor sleep amplify pain signals

Hypermobility often intersects with nervous system sensitivity, making pain feel more intense.

🏃‍♀️ What Physical Therapy Can Do for Hypermobility

Because hypermobility is a full-body condition, treatment must look beyond isolated pain points.A hypermobility-informed PT focuses on control, stability, and long-term joint health.

1. Deep Stabilizer Strengthening

Not big muscle groups.Not heavy lifts at first.But slow, precise activation of:

• Deep neck flexors

• Shoulder stabilizers

• Hip rotators and pelvic stabilizers

• Foot intrinsic muscles

• Core stabilizers

These muscles keep the joints centered and reduce subluxation risk.

2. Proprioception & Coordination Training

Hypermobility affects joint awareness.Therapy includes:

• Balance work

• Closed-chain strengthening

• Progressive load tolerance

• Functional movement training

This improves confidence and reduces injury frequency.

3. Breathwork & Nervous System Regulation

Many people with hypermobility experience elevated stress responses.Learning breath mechanics and rib mobility helps reduce over-recruitment of neck and back muscles.

4. Pain-Safe Strength Training Program

Strength is the most protective long-term tool for hypermobile joints.But it must be structured so it doesn’t flare symptoms.PT helps you gradually increase load while maintaining joint control.

5. Education: What to Stretch (and What NOT to)

Most hypermobile clients feel tight but don’t actually need more flexibility.PT clarifies which areas truly benefit from stretching, and which tight areas are compensating for joint instability.

🌸 What Hypermobility-Informed PT Looks Like at Flourish Physiotherapy

A typical treatment plan focuses on:

✔ Comprehensive joint-by-joint assessment

✔ Identifying movement patterns that overload your tissues

✔ Stabilization and strengthening customized to your body

✔ Pain reduction through manual therapy

✔ Clear home program for long-term confidence in your joints

My goal is to help you build strength and stability so you feel supported, not fragile — and can participate in life without fear of re-injury.

💬 When to See a Hypermobility Specialist

You may benefit from a PT assessment if you experience:

• Daily joint pain or fatigue

• Repeated sprains, subluxations, or shifting

• Feeling “unstable,” wobbly, or uncoordinated

• Jaw, shoulder, hip, or foot pain that seems random

• Pain that gets worse after stretching

Early intervention is key to preventing long-term wear and tear.

🌿 You Don’t Have to Live in Survival Mode

Hypermobility is real — and treatable.With the right guidance, you can build strength, reduce pain, and feel secure in your body again.

If you think hypermobility may be behind your symptoms, I’d be honored to help you get clarity and create a plan that supports your goals.