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The website below shares important information about how joint hypermobility syndrome can ffect a child's development.

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Joint hypermobility occurs when joints have a greater range of movement than is considered normal. It is often referred to as 'double-jointedness', 'floppy joints' or 'ligamentous laxity'.

Joint hypermobility is quite common in childhood, affecting five to 15 percent of school children, and is more common in girls than in boys.

What causes joint hypermobility?

Joint hypermobility is often hereditary, and tends to run in families. Its main cause is thought to be genetically-determined changes to the connective tissue collagen. There are many different types of collagen within the body, of which joint hypermobility affects two:

type I collagen is the most common, and is found in strong tissues like tendons, ligaments and joint capsules

type III collagen is generally more elastic and stretchy, and found in more extensible connective tissue such as skin, lungs and the vascular system.

Joint hypermobility in children is thought to be linked to a change in the ratio between type I and type III collagen. Because collagen fibres in joint ligaments tend to bind more as we grow older, joint hypermobility tends to improve with age (this is also one of the reasons many of us become stiffer with age).

Other causes of joint hypermobility are rarer and more complex genetic disorders of the connective tissue, such as Ehler's Danlos Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome and some types of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

What are the symptoms of joint hypermobility?

Joint hypermobility does not necessarily lead to pain or discomfort, and many children with hypermobile joints have few or no problems as a result of their condition.
However, if your child is hypermobile and has painful symptoms, it is likely they have joint hypermobility syndrome.

Joint hypermobility syndrome can cause:

joint pains, especially after physical activity or sport

muscle fatigue, aches and pains, because muscles have to work harder to stabilise loose joints

back or neck pain

'growing pains', or night time leg pain that disturbs sleep

'clicky' joints

joint dislocations

soft tissue injuries such as bursitis or tenosynovitis

developmental problems such as flat feet (or collapsed arches) or an intoed gait

poor balance and coordination, or 'clumsiness', due to impaired joint proprioception

delayed onset of walking

difficulty walking normal distances, with your child asking to be carried or sit in their pram while on family outings

sport refusal, with your child not wanting to participate in sports involving running or jumping

increased sensitivity to pain.

How can joint hypermobility syndrome affect my child's development?

Joint hypermobility syndrome can have several complications for your child's development, including:

flat feet, in which the arches seem to sag and the feet roll in excessively. This is because the strong ligaments that normally support the arch of the foot are overly stretchy and unsupportive, allowing the arches to collapse under the child's body weight

reluctance to participate in school sports, because of physical discomfort or an awkward gait. A number of research studies have found that joint hypermobility increases the risk of sustaining soft tissue and joint injuries in contact sports

a possible increased risk of developing early osteoarthritis

How is joint hypermobility syndrome diagnosed?

If your child exhibits signs of joint hypermobility, your podiatrist will assess the range of movement of a number of their joints and allocate a score, known as the Beighton Score, to each joint tested. A Beighton Score of 4 or more out of 9 means your child probably has joint hypermobility.

If your child also has painful symptoms, your podiatrist will also examine your child against a set of diagnostic criteria, known as the Beighton Criteria, to assess whether they have joint hypermobility syndrome.

How is joint hypermobility syndrome treated?

If your child does not have painful symptoms, and their foot posture and arch development are normal for their age, treatment for joint hypermobility syndrome may not be required.

However, if your child has developed flat feet or collapsed arches, it is important their abnormal foot posture is corrected early, using prescription orthotics inside supportive, stable shoes. Prescription orthotics can also reduce foot, ankle, knee and leg pain related to poor foot posture.

In addition to prescribing orthotics and recommending supportive school and sports footwear, your podiatrist will advise your child on specific exercises to strengthen their foot and ankle muscles and improve their balance and joint proprioception.

What should I do if my child has hypermobile joints?

The podiatrists at Foot Health Clinic include specialists in children's foot conditions. If your child exhibits signs of joint hypermobility, and you are at all concerned about the posture of their feet, contact us.

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Joint hypermobility occurs when joints have a greater range of movement than is considered normal. It is often referred to as 'double-jointedness', 'floppy joints' or 'ligamentous laxity'. Joint hypermobility is quite common in childhood, affecting five to 15 percent of school children, and is more common in girls than in boys.

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This website shares helpful tips that can be used by children to help then cope with hyper-mobility in school.

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Most children with a hypermobility syndrome go to school full time and manage just fine. School can help make you forget the pain and tiredness because you are with your friends and teachers. You also get to move around a lot, which is good for helping to manage the pain.

If you need help at school because of your hypermobility syndrome your teacher will know. A special professional called an Occupational Therapist may come in to see you at school and have a look at whether you need special chairs, cushions, pens or splints to help you stay in school with less pain. The Occupational Therapist will tell your parents and teachers what you need.

If you find things like sitting cross-legged in assembly difficult then tell your parents and teachers so they can get you a chair or let you sit on the end of the row with your legs stretched out.

If writing is hard then the OT can help with this as well. It may mean that you shouldn't do both joined up and printed writing. It may be too hard for the muscles in your hands, so you may have to choose to always do joined up or always do printed! If you get pain in your hands or wrists then you need to take breaks when writing or ask someone to write for you. Taking tests where you have to write fast may be hard and you may not have to do this if it's causing you lots of pain. Some children move on to use laptops or notebooks as typing is easier for them then writing.

Lots of hypermobile children need to fidget and it isn't because you get bored but rather your body is telling you to move to prevent the area feeling stiff and hurting. If you get told off for fidgeting you need to explain to your teacher and your parent that this is something you need to do!

Some hypermobility syndrome children have problems with speech. This can be due to the muscles in your mouth being too stretchy and getting tired when trying to work hard. A speech therapist can help with this and they will give you some exercises. If you have a problem speaking then don't be shy make sure you practice speaking clearly and keep doing the exercises!

Some children with hypermobility have problems with their bladder or bowel, so they may have accidents in school. Make sure that your parents and teachers talk about you needing to go to the toilet as soon as you know you need to. You can have a note to show your teacher if you are embarrassed or perhaps a special sign that only you and the teacher know. This should get better as you get older but there is a special nurse who can help with this as well.

If you get pain or feel tired it can help to have a plan in place with the school, your parents and perhaps the school nurse. Sometimes managing the pain and tiredness in school is the best thing. You may need to take some medicine prescribed by your doctor. The school can give this to you when you need it. They may also give you somewhere in school where you can lay down for a while. The school may have a special room where you can even carry on doing your work in your own way...i.e. some children like to lay down on the floor to work when they are hurting. Your school may let you keep a wheat bag or a hot water bottle in school that you can use to put on the area that is hurting.

If you are in some pain and feel completely exhausted you may need to be off school for a while. But it is important to get back to school as soon as possible. You can arrange with the school to give you your work to do at home so you don't get behind and also call your friends or invite them for tea so you get a chance to see them.

Some children are home schooled, but an Occupational Therapist can still help by showing your parents what you need, and the advice above can be used to help you if you learn at home too!

Parents / Teachers / Healthcare Professionals click HERE for more information on 'Access' to education and on 'Education Health Care Plan'. You may also wish to order the HMSA Booklet "The Educator's Guide to the Hypermobile Child "
Use the buttons below to go to the next page.

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Hypermobility Syndromes Association " Coping at School

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Most children with a hypermobility syndrome go to school full time and manage just fine. School can help make you forget the pain and tiredness because you are with your friends and teachers. You also get to move around a lot, which is good for helping to manage the pain.

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This website provides a list of signs that the caregiver of a child with hypermobility disorders may notices in their child. There is also information with specific details about managing the disorder when the child participates in sports.

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Natalie Bennett-Bremner and Kidz Clinic Physiotherapy has a special interest in the management of hypermobilituy disorders

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This site provides information about Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection for those with Hypermobility Syndrome.

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Hypermobility Syndrome - Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection for people with Hypermobility Syndrome

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If you suffer from hypermobility syndrome, we could help you to find specialist life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection policies tailored to your needs.

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Fran’s story: Living with hypermobility syndrome: it might not kill you but it can take your life away

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Fran’s story: Living with hypermobility syndrome: it might not kill you but it can take your life away

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Fran's story: Living with hypermobility syndrome: it might not kill you but it can take your life away - Telling Stories

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Fran has hypermobility syndrome (HMS) and talks of her experience as a young woman in coming to terms with the limits that is imposed by the disease on her physical activities on a daily basis. Fran talks about her fear of being discriminated against because her symptoms are invisible and therefore she fears that she will not receive understanding and support from others.

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Hypermobile Joints: Nationwide Children's Hospital 

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Hypermobile Joints: Nationwide Children's Hospital 

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This website shares information about what hypermobile joints are. It also further explains the signs, symptoms, treatment of hypermobile joints and hypermobility syndrome.

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"Loose joints" has at times been used to describe hypermobile joints and people with hypermobile joints as being "double jointed".

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In this article, the authors Carol J Clark and Ahmed D Khattab discuss the association between Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and Developmental Coordination Disorder.

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motor control impairments; coordination; hypermobility; musculoskeletal pain; motor delay; athletes

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Association between Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and Developmental Coordination Disorder - A Review

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Introduction: The term joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) was adopted after clinicians became aware of the myriad of symptoms associated with this multisystemic condition. JHS is a..

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Here is another awesome site that shares more information about hyper-mobility. It provides an in-depth explanation of
-What causes hypermobility?
-What are the signs and symptoms?
-How is hypermobility diagnosed?
-How is the treatment for hypermobility?
-Living with hypermobility

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Information for parents of children with hypermobility, including: what it is, signs and symptoms, how it's diagnosed and treatment options.

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This website gives an overview of Joint Hyper-mobility. It explains and shares the symptoms, causes and it shares how to manage JHS

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Joint hypermobility means that some or all of a person's joints have an unusually large range of movement.

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This website gives you information about the different types of Hypermobility Syndromes. It also provides different resources that can help in the support of individuals and families affected.

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The Hypermobility Syndromes Association is here to support everyone with symptomatic hypermobility - whatever the cause, however mildly or severely they may be affected, and whether or not they are diagnosed.

With a holistic, solution-focused approach to living well with a hypermobility syndrome, our expert patients, volunteers, and medical advisory board provide management-focused patient support groups, and educational programs, information, and advice to hypermobile people and their wider support network, including health and social care professionals.

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The HMSA | The Hypermobility Syndromes Association

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The hypermobility syndromes association (HMSA) provides support and information for everyone with a hypermobility syndrome as well as health and social care professionals who support them.