Hypermobility - When Bendy Becomes a Burden

Flexibility gets a lot of praise in the wellness world — we’re told to stretch more, move more, and loosen up. But what if your body already stretches a little too well?

That’s the case for many people with hypermobility, a condition where joints move beyond the normal range of motion due to extra-flexible ligaments and connective tissue. While it may seem like a superpower, it often leads to instability, chronic pain, and repeat injuries.

You Might Be More Flexible Than You Realize

Most people don’t discover they’re hypermobile until after a string of rolled ankles, tweaked knees, or unstable shoulders. It’s usually a physical therapist who connects the dots: “Your joints are too loose — that’s part of what’s causing the problem.”

If you’ve ever:

• Dislocated a joint (or come close)

• Torn your ACL or labrum without major trauma

• Constantly rolled your ankles

• Felt like your joints are “slippery” or unreliable

• Had fatigue, joint pain, or even been told you have fibromyalgia

…you might have some degree of hypermobility.

What’s Really Going On?

Hypermobility means your connective tissues — the ligaments and fascia that hold your joints in place — are stretchier than average. That can be genetic or part of a connective tissue disorder like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).

The tricky part? While it’s easy to move into deep stretches, those movements often lack strength and stability. Your muscles and nervous system are constantly working overtime to keep your joints safe — which leads to:

• Muscle tightness and guarding

• Chronic fatigue and pain

• Frequent injuries like labral tears and tendonitis

• Anxiety or nervous system dysregulation

• Misdiagnosis as just “clumsy” or “anxious”

So How Can Massage Help?

Massage therapy might seem counterintuitive at first — if you’re already loose, why loosen up more?

But massage done right is about calming, not stretching. The goal isn’t to push you deeper into flexibility, but to:

• Help your nervous system feel safe and supported

• Reduce chronic tension from guarding and overuse

• Bring awareness to your actual range of motion

• Relieve pain without destabilizing your joints further

A caring massage therapist familiar with hypermobility will work with your body, not against it — offering gentle touch, education, and collaboration with your care team.

Stability Over Stretch

The long-term path for hypermobility is about stability, strength, and awareness. Working with a skilled physical therapist and a knowledgeable massage therapist can help you:

• Build strength in stabilizing muscles (especially around shoulders, hips, core)

• Avoid hyperextending during daily movements

• Understand your body’s safe range of motion

• Prevent flare-ups and long-term joint damage

Massage becomes a tool for regulation and recovery, not just relaxation. It helps create a more grounded sense of connection with your body — which is essential when that body often feels unpredictable. If this sounds like you or someone you know, you're not alone. Hypermobility is more common than people think — and support is out there.

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