Have you always been bendy? Did you know that hyper mobile people aren’t just flexible in our joints but we’re flexible in our blood vessels, bones and eyes too? Generalised hyper mobility is the medical term for benign bendy-ness. This blog post is a quick overview of things to know about your hyper mobile body so as to keep you strong and injury free.
We have different genes
It is thought that people who are hypermobile have genes that create less of type I collagen and more of type III collagen. We also metabolise collagen differently. Here is an image of type I collagen and it’s prevalence in our body
So, what is collagen?
If you squeeze your ear or the top of your nose you can feel the cartilage. Type two collagen is a major component of this hyaline cartilage. Type I collagen is the most abundant protein in our body. It is a high tensile stiffening agent found in skin, ligaments, muscles, tendons, bones, heart, blood vessels and eyes. Type III collagen, is located mainly in organs such as the gut, skin and blood vessels, it is looser than type I and II and this is the collagen that we have more of than the regular population. This means that
We need to move often
At rest our joints aren’t supported as well as our less flexible friends’ are. Sitting or standing in one position for too long places higher demands on the muscles supporting our joints. We are also more prone to repetitive-strain-type injuries, and need to take regular rests from certain tasks.
We can be clumsy
Pair hyper mobile feet with shoes that don’t encourage foot strengthening (lots of cushioning, squeezed toes and far too much support) and we are a barefoot walking trip hazard. Additionally, because we have less ligamentous support for our nerves (the couriers that send messages to the brain) we have weaker proprioceptive acuity. Proprioception is the ability to judge the position of our body in space which is essential for joint stabilisation and coordinated movements such as catching small balls.
Our autonomic processes can be affected
This graphic from the dysautonomia project shows what happens when your autonomic processes are impaired. There is a very high correlation with people further along the hyper mobility spectrum and dysautonomia. Those of us at the shallow end of the pool may get lightheaded immediately after rising from a seated position and we may experience heart palpitations (these are harmless).
Anxiety and depression
There are many theories about why hyper mobile people are more prone to anxiety and depression. No-one really knows. I personally think it has something to do with our sensitised autonomic systems. The brain’s number one job is to keep us safe, if it isn’t getting efficient information about the body then it will surely be on higher alert.
Spacing out in the heat
Thanks to the lower tone in our blood vessels they respond more slowly to changes in pressure. In hot weather the body tries to cool itself by opening up the blood vessels in our arms, legs and skin. This reduces blood pressure and can make us feel a little spaced-out.
Fatigue
This is another area where the underlying cause is unclear and may be linked to tired muscles and an overworked system. It may be very tiring trying to keep a floppy body constantly in balance. Other contributors may be sleep disturbance and concentration problems.
Headache
Headache may be due to intracranial blood cells constricting and releasing depending on the stiffness of the collagen fibrils in the area. It can also be from
Jaw, face or neck tension.
Abdomino-pelvic issues
Hypermobile people may find the laxity in the collagen of their gastrointestinal tract and uterus may cause problems. I don’t know why but hypermobile females are also more likely to have polycystic ovaries, endometrial cysts and endometriosis. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news - let me show you an electron microscope image of mouse collagen - isn’t it beautiful?
So now that you know a whole bunch of things about your bendy body you might be wondering what to do next.
Know that daily movement is essential for full body health
Wobbly joints need strong muscles to keep them strong. Find ways to nudge more movement into your day. Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. Do barefoot heel raises while you wait for the kettle to boil. Set alarms on your phone to remind you to take strength breaks throughout the day. Find classes or a sport that you love and train to keep strong for this hobby.
Passive stretching is not for us
When stretching we need to move slowly in and slowly out of the stretch to create strength. We don’t get to sit in our joints but instead we need to find the point before the end of the stretch, engage our muscles and hold ourselves up in this place. Ideally we also hold our stretches against gravity (for example stand on one leg, raise the other and hold it up there.) The more balance based our stretches are the better for whole body proprioception and strength. I love resistance bands for flexibility training and of course we need to stretch and stabilise in three planes of movement.
Breathe
I often see people stop breathing while concentrating, it is really common. Please focus on your breath as you exercise. When we breathe slowly our body is reassured that we are safe and our autonomic processes can chug along happily.
Interoceptive awareness training
Practice body scanning, this is taking a minute to observe your body before and after your movement practice, listening to whatever it wants to communicate with you. When traveling on public transport take five breaths and see if you can feel your heart beat.
Massage or gentle rolling
Tactile feedback is useful communication for our nerves and is a form of proprioception training. Rolling and massage also releases and relaxes overtired muscles.
Strength training is slow and steady
Strength training needs to be low force, low volume and graded upwards. As with stretching you are aiming for slow motion and isometric strength training with a wide variety of exercises. There is a motor control focus with an aim to place muscles under continuous tension. If a joint feels wobbly use taping or bracing while training.
Nutritional supplementation
Unfortunately collagen supplements won’t help. They will break down into their individual amino acids, and then our DNA will instruct those amino acids to build more type III collagen. Protein and minerals support collagen health and help us produce the best quality collagen that we can. Be aware of your vitamin D levels, especially in winter as Vitamin D is essential for bone health and immune support. Also keep on top of your B vitamins. They play a vital role in all of our body’s functions and help keep our energy levels stable.
The fact that we are bendy doesn’t mean that we are destined to live with joint pain in our later years. It just means that we need to get strong now to invest in the health of our future bodies. I don't know about you but I want to be out doing whtever this woman is up to.
xx
P
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