Joint hypermobility syndrome
Overview
Joint hypermobility syndrome is when you have very flexible joints (you may think of yourself as being double-jointed). It usually affects children and young people and often gets better as you get older.
Symptoms
You or your child may have joint hypermobility syndrome if you: often get tired, even after restkeep getting pain and stiffness in your joints or muscleskeep getting sprains and strainskeep dislocating your joints (they "pop out")have poor balance or co-ordinationhave thin, stretchy skinhave bladder or bowel problems Some people with joint hypermobility syndrome do not have symptoms.
Causes
Joint hypermobility syndrome can run in families and it cannot be prevented. Usually, the joints are loose and stretchy because the ligaments that should make them stronger and support them are weak. The weakness is because the collagen that strengthens the ligaments is different from other people's. Most experts agree that joint hypermobility syndrome is part of a spectrum of hypermobility disorders which includesEhlers-Danlos syndrome.