The Potential Downsides of Being Double-Jointed
Were you the person at parties who amazed everyone by twisting your body into odd shapes or bending your fingers backward without discomfort? If you’re “double-jointed,” hyperextending limbs might feel entirely natural to you. And most of the time, this flexibility doesn’t pose any harm. However, there are rare instances where being double-jointed could signal an underlying health issue.
What Does It Really Mean to Be Double-Jointed?
Despite popular belief, there’s no actual condition called “double-jointedness.” The term suggests having two joints where there should only be one, which isn’t anatomically possible.
What many commonly call being double-jointed is medically referred to as hypermobility. This occurs when joints can stretch or bend farther than what’s considered a normal range of movement.
Your joints are supported by connective tissues, primarily collagen. If you think of the tissue as a building structure, collagen acts as the bricks. The flexibility that leads to hypermobility is caused by variations in how these “bricks” come together.
And you don’t need to be a contortionist to have hypermobile joints. “Everyone has different levels of flexibility. For instance, dancers and gymnasts can bend backward effortlessly, while others, like me, can barely touch their toes,
It depends on an individual’s position along the flexibility spectrum. Hypermobile individuals are simply more flexible, not diseased.
When Can Being Double-Jointed Become a Problem?
Around 20% of the population experiences hypermobility. While it often doesn’t cause issues, some individuals with double-jointedness may be more prone to shoulder and knee dislocations. However, unless hypermobility causes severe pain or frequent injuries, it typically isn’t a concern.
Double-Jointedness and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) refers to a group of rare genetic disorders that affect connective tissues and are closely related to hypermobility.
The most common form of EDS is hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. One of the hallmark signs of this condition is, you guessed it, extremely flexible joints. In addition to hypermobility, individuals with this syndrome may also have skin that is unusually stretchy and heals slowly.
Although there is no cure for hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, effective management strategies exist. If you believe that you or a loved one could have EDS, a healthcare professional can assist in recommending lifestyle changes and appropriate forms of treatment.
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