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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can hyper mobility of joints be reversed?

    Related Topics
    Back & Neck Pain Pain
    I have been told after having two children that I have hyper mobile joints and that this is why I have some ongoing skeletal problems with my back, neck and shoulders. Is this condition reversible? Can I reduce the risk of injury? My joints feel unstable.
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    Dr Adam Wild

    HealthShare Member

    Most injuries occur because of excessive movement within our joints. Having a hyper mobile body means that you have to be better at controlling your movements so excessive forces don't lead to pain and injuries. Hyper mobility can be challenging to manage sometimes, however there are lots of things you can do. First step  I would suggest is to talk to your local chiropractor about what they can do for you and what things you can do to help yourself at home. 

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    Jessica Webb

    Exercise Physiologist

    No, but it can be managed. There is a number of steps they can take to make sure that their pain levels are as low as possible and it does not progress too far.
    Things like physiotherapy, Thai-Chi, reducing weight if that is a requirement. Hydrotherapy and massage can be really valuable tools in managing hyper mobility in joints.

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    Dr Jeffrey Hannah

    Chiropractor

    Joint hypermobility can be influenced by many things:
    1.  Genetics (loose ligaments, like people who can bend their thumb back to touch their forearm);
    2.  Chronic stress (ie, being overweight and poor muscle tone);
    3.  Old injuries that have not healed properly (for example, pelvic instability following childbirth); and
    4.  Present, uncorrected injuries just to name a few.

    With regards the latter, if the hypermobility is in the spine, there are two factors that need to be addressed.  

    The first, hypermobility is usually caused by something that is hypomobile:  ie, not moving enough.  The person to see to help with this is a chiropractor, but make sure that he/she does a thorough assessment.  As your body heals (if the correct spot is adjusted), the spine should NOT “click” in a million different places.  Basically the hypermobility should heal! 

    The second is muscle strength and tone.  That includes doing appropriate exercises (I would recommend as instructed by an exercise physiologist), rehab activities under management of a physiotherapist, and so forth.

    Especially after having 2 childen, yes the body will be hypermobile.  It will be a process to regain stability, but yes I would say that with time and proper correction stability can be improved. 

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    Kavita Agarwal

    Physiotherapist

    Kavita Agarwal is the principal physiotherapist who has got 15 years of experience working in private and public sectors. She offers treatment for musculoskeletal conditions, … View Profile

    After pregnancy stability muscles around spine ( core muscles ) get weaker which causes spinal instability and it leads to the spinal pain. It can be managed by doing stability exercises like pilates and water exercises. Having correct posture and folllowing correct lifting technique during your daily activities or work help to avoid any abnormal stress to the spine and thus, avoiding any furhter injury. The best way is to have postural and core stability assessment done by a professional and get a home exercise program.

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    Dr Andrew Lim

    Chiropractor

    Andrew has a Masters in Chiropractic and his interest in Sports Chiropractic has led him to treat many athletes from junior to elite levels in … View Profile

    The looseness in your ligaments that have resulted after having children may not be reversed. It is beyond your control.  However, it is best advised to manage the looseness by increasing muscle tone and stabilty through specific exercises. This you have complete control over. This may be something that will give you a long term solution to the problem, as long as you continue on with exercise.

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