Episode 55
Chronic Pain and Hypermobility
Catherine Cowey and I discuss an article on chronic pain and hypermobility syndrome (HMS) from the Journal of Pain Research. This article gives a thorough overview of the many kinds of hypermobility conditions and symptoms and makes it very clear that it’s a complicated subject. There’s a wide spectrum of hypermobility syndromes and symptoms which can make diagnosis challenging. The criteria are confusing and overlap depending on the type of syndrome, and therefore, may need to be updated. We also talk about ways to work with people who are hypermobile.
When it comes to exercise and movement, people tend to do what they’re already good at it. Flexible people may love to do yoga because they find the poses accessible. For flexible people who also have hypermobility (joint laxity), only doing yoga and stretching can potentially exacerbate HMS symptoms or create instability in their joints. Couple this with the pervasive idealization of flexibility in yoga asana, as if it is somehow tied to spiritual heights, and you have a potentially injurious combination. Hypermobile yoga students would benefit from incorporating strength work and holding back on how far they go in poses in order to gain more strength and control in the ranges that they have.
Highlights:
There are 26 types of collagen. Mostly type 1 is affected in hypermobility. But how it manifests in people is so different, which makes for a huge spectrum of symptomatology.
There's been a documented association between chronic pain and hypermobility syndrome since 1967.
This article reveals that there’s no cohesion right now. There are so many categories of Hypermobility and different diagnostic criteria, which in some cases may be outdated. The Brighton criteria were put together in 1998. Supposedly they’re coming up with new diagnostic criteria.
Pain management education per David Butler, Lorimer Mosely and Greg Lehman are useful.
Read our review of this study over at Yoga Research and Beyond