Are You In A Hypermobile Body?
Monique has recently completed further training in hypermobility, and it’s been coming up in lots of conversations at Om. Hypermobility can mean a whole spectrum of things because it's exactly that- a spectrum. Hypermobility simply means some or many joints move further than the usual range. For many people, that’s simply how your body is built and causes minimal trouble. For others, it can come with recurring aches, sprains, or a feeling that you need to work harder to keep a joint steady.
What are the key take-aways from my learning?
Your body may actually present as stiff
For many, an unstable or mobile joint means that muscles have learned to activate to protect or create a feeling of stability in the joint. This can mean hypermobile clients often feel “flexi-stiff” from years of muscle contractions to create some form of stability.
The body needs safety before it can explore stability and strength
From the previous point, for many people laxity in the body and joints means that often traditional strength exercises just do not feel safe. Even resting might feel stressful because the joint doesn’t have a solid sense of where it is in space (proprioception). Finding safety in the body before traditional rehab strengthening is imperative to effective management.
You need to find ways to encourage restoration
Is your body ever fully rested if it feels the need to recruit extra muscles to create support? Probably not. First, we need to explore how we can bring rest and healing into a body that is potentially always working hard.
4. There can be a range of other conditions that can be seen alongside hypermobile bodies.
Statistically, hypermobility impacts female and AFAB populations significantly more than others. POTS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), gastrointestinal dysfunction and neurodiversity can often be interconnected with hypermobility.
So, what is the role of osteopathy?
Rather than pushing through or forcing change, the body often responds best to gradual, consistent, and intelligent movement - the kind that builds ease rather than overrides sensation. While hands on treatment can play a huge role in symptomatic release, management beyond the treatment room is key to supporting the safety, stability and strengthening components of care.
The aim isn’t to make you less flexible; it’s to help you feel more supported in the body you have.
Please reach out to me or book in if any of this feels relevant to you and I’d be happy to have discussions regarding your body and what we may be able to assist with.
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