When Bendy Becomes Too Bendy: Hypermobility in Children

What Is Hypermobility in Children?

It's amazing to watch children perform acrobatic feats, an elbow bending backward or hands flat on the floor with straight knees.

This extra flexibility is known as hypermobility. While often seen as harmless or even a benefit in sports, our team at Chiropractic on Winston understands that when this "bendiness" is excessive, it can lead to joint instability and discomfort that needs support.

Drawing on works like Dorte Bladt’s research, we know that recognising and managing hypermobility is essential to ensure a child's long-term musculoskeletal health and comfort.



Understanding the Hypermobile Joint

Ligament Laxity and Joint Range

Hypermobility occurs when the ligaments and connective tissues that provide structure and stability to the joints are unusually elastic or "lax."

Unlike a typical joint, which has a natural stopping point, a hypermobile joint allows for movement beyond its normal range.



Signs and Symptoms of Hypermobility

For many children, this is asymptomatic. However, when joint laxity forces surrounding muscles to work overtime to stabilise the joint, we start seeing issues.

This compensation can cause chronic strain, impacting the body's overall biomechanics.

While simple flexibility is fine, if your child's hypermobility is causing symptoms, it becomes a clinical concern.

Common signs we see in our practice include:

Musculoskeletal Pain and Fatigue

The most frequent complaint is generalised aching, often dismissed as "growing pains."

This occurs because the muscles are constantly fatiguing as they try to stabilise loose joints, particularly after physical activity.



Joint Instability and Risk of Injury

Hypermobile children are at a higher risk of:

Sprains and Strains: Joints move into unstable positions easily.

Subluxations (minor joint misalignments): This is where chiropractic care is particularly beneficial, as we can assess and gently adjust the spine and peripheral joints to optimise function and nervous system communication.



Clumsiness and Poor Proprioception

Their body's sense of spatial awareness can be slightly impaired, leading to frequent bumps and minor injuries.

Developmental and Postural Challenges

We often observe hypermobile children compensating with poor posture (like standing with hyperextended, "locked-back" knees) or struggling with tasks requiring fine motor control, like handwriting, due to poor joint stability in the hands and wrists.



Our Chiropractic Approach to Supporting Hypermobility

The goal in managing hypermobility is not to reduce flexibility, but to build a protective foundation of strength and stability around the joints.

Our focus at Chiropractic on Winston is multi-faceted:



Targeted Chiropractic Adjustments

We assess the entire kinetic chain to identify areas of spinal and joint misalignment (subluxation) caused by the constant muscle strain.

Gentle, specific adjustments help restore proper joint motion, reduce nervous system interference, and improve the body's self-regulating capabilities.



Stability and Strength Training

We emphasise therapeutic exercises focusing on core strength and muscle stabilisation, especially around the major joints (hips, shoulders, and spine).

This creates a natural "brace" for the hypermobile ligaments.



Postural and Biomechanical Coaching

We educate children and parents on maintaining optimal posture and joint alignment during daily activities, whether sitting at a school desk or engaging in play.

This reduces compensatory patterns that lead to chronic pain.



Integrated Care

We work collaboratively, often recommending specialised physical therapy or exercise physiology to complement our adjustments, ensuring the child receives comprehensive care tailored to their needs.



If you notice your child exhibiting extreme flexibility accompanied by frequent pain, fatigue, or postural issues, we encourage you to schedule an assessment.

Through proactive, supportive chiropractic care, we can help your hypermobile child develop the stability they need to move comfortably, participate fully in life, and thrive.



Get in touch with Chiropractic on Winston to book your child in for an assessment.

Call (08) 7222 8701

or Book Online