Being hypermobile/very flexible causing pain???

[jen78]

I have always been very flexible, especially with doing dancing, inc ballet, and gymnastics when I was younger.

I'm currently seeing a rhumatologist and osteo for what is diagnosed at the moment as being general inflammatory arthritis which, from a joint perspective seems to be improving on sulfasalazine, and the main pain at the moment is in soft tissue, especially in my hips and chest at the moment.

Also a lot of weakness in my ankles, knees and wrists.

Being put on another drug for chronic pain management and being referred for more X-Rays and physio.

One thing that keeps coming up from rhumo and my osteo is the fact I'm natually very flexible, hypermobile etc... (rhumo said it's often hereditary and often relatives are the same) which they suggest is partly to blame for the problems but that's the bit I don't quite understand.

Can anyone shed any light?

[sqad617]

jen....may not apply to you.....on second thoughts it probably doesn't, but Google MARFAN'S SYNDROME.

[sara3]

hey sis, I don't have any answers for you, but I'm also hypermobile.. and my back is terrible at the moment. I'm waiting for a physio appt but it seems the GP forgot to send the referral to the hospital. he's now asked to see me urgently, so I have an appt (with the useless GP) this morning.

sorry, just thought I'd pass on my sympathies.. sounds like you have a lot more issues with it than I do xx

[jen78]

Interesting sqad, not sure it applies to shortarses though, am only 5'3 :)

Found some interesting links from some of those sites though about hypermobility, some quite scary pictures and quite glad I'm not as hypermobile as some of them!!!

Aww sis, can you try and osteo or chiro instead? I have up on the previous attempt they made to refer me for my wrists and hands and paid for a private osteo instead.

Expensive but he's fantastic, it keeps coming back but I get a lot of relief from it in the meantime. Voltarol gel is good too.

[sqad617]

jena.LOL LOL..shortarses.LOL

[icemaiden]

Hi Jen78......I ended up having back surgery last January. I had a two level spinal fusion as I had many different problems with my back, Spondylythises (think that is spelt wrong) and Degenerative Disc Disease. I was in a lot of pain before the op.

I was told by my consultant that it could have been due to the fact that I was Hypermobile. He could tell I was because I could twist round far more than normal from the waist. I had never heard of it before. Apparently it's common for people who are overly flexible to have joint problems and early onset of Arthiritis too.

[jen78]

Fraid so sqad :)

Hi icemaiden :)

It's been a common theme but I never really realised the connection until my rhumo started mentioning it as well as my osteo and I looked it up and it does make sense really. I can also potentially tie it into past injuries like dislocating my thumb when I was an RAF cadet and climbing injuries and a bad knee incident when I slipped in a shooting competition.

I've always been really flexible though used to think it was a good thing.

My back is evil at the moment. Trying to be good with posture and have a lumbar support and they have me on arthritis drugs and codine but I'm finding getting comfy to sleep really hard as my hips are too sore to lie on my side, my lower back on my back and having a large chest makes it difficult to lie on my front.

Going to see my osteo on Monday and can't wait :)