Do you know a young athlete with unusual flexibility?
Joint hypermobility syndrome is a condition that is characterized by joint instability, chronic pain and minor skin changes. It often overlaps with a condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Have you ever seen super flexible kids? Children who are so flexible that they can straighten their arms or legs past 180 degrees, do the splits beyond 180 degrees, or touch their thumbs to their wrists are particularly at risk. Often these children gravitate to sports where flexibility is emphasized such as gymnastics, dance or cheerleading. Over time, the hyper-flexibility leads to connective tissue damage. This then leads to chronic pain. The treatment is physical therapy and encouraging body awareness so the children do not hyper-extend joints. The next time you see an extremely flexible young person in dance, ballet, gymnastics or cheerleading, concern should be raised.
The Research
Am J Med. 2017 Jun;130(6):640-647. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.02.013. Epub 2017 Mar 10.
Joint Hypermobility Syndrome: Recognizing a Commonly Overlooked Cause of Chronic Pain.
1 Division of Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City. Electronic address: Bharat-Kumar@UIowa.edu.
2 Division of Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
Abstract
Joint hypermobility syndrome, also known as benign hypermobility syndrome, is a connective tissue disease characterized by joint instability, chronic pain, and minor skin changes. It shares many clinical features of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Hypermobility Type; enough so that many authorities consider them as one disease process. Approximately 3% of the general population is believed to have joint hypermobility syndrome, but despite this high prevalence, due to lack of awareness, heterogeneity of clinical presentation, and reliance on physical examination for diagnosis, it is largely overlooked by primary care physicians as well as by specialists. This leads to delayed or missed opportunities for diagnosis, and inappropriate interventions that frustrate both providers and patients. We review the literature regarding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis of joint hypermobility syndrome, and advocate for primary care physicians to consider it in the differential diagnosis of patients with chronic pain.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
