This morning I visited the Royal North Shore Hospital to get a little more on paper about my Hyper-mobility.  Up until recently I have been relying on my physio to tell me what it is that is the problem.  However my doctor wanted a little more information before looking into treatment and management of Hyper-mobility.   So the good news is I do have Benign Hyper Mobility which is what we thought.  The other great news is at this stage it looks like I do not have any of the major side affects.  I guess you are wondering what it is?

“Benign hypermobility joint syndrome — or BHJS — is a common source of joint or muscle complaints by children and young adults. Benign hypermobility describes looseness of joints that may be associated with daytime pain, nighttime awakening, or discomfort after exercise. People with the condition generally report prolonged pain. In the past, this type of general pain often was called “growing pains” or “limb pain,” which can be similar. Both, though, are different disorders. The term “benign” has been used to differentiate the BHJS from other similar disorders that also involve other organs such as the eyes and heart.

 How Is Benign Hypermobility Joint Syndrome Diagnosed?

Assessment of children or young adults suspected of having BHJS does not require special equipment. Testing the range of motion of your child’s joints will determine if they are more loose than normal. Several specific mobility tests are used for diagnosing BHJS, including:

• The wrist and thumb can be moved downward so the thumb touches the forearm.
• The little fingers can be extended back beyond 90 degrees.
• When standing, the knees are abnormally bowed backward when viewed from the side.
• When fully extended, the arms bend further than normal (beyond straight.)
• When bending at the waist, with the knees straight, the child or adult can put his or her palms flat on the floor.”  linky for this info

Where to next?

So from here the next step is to keep going as normal.  Lots of pilates and physio which unfortunately come at a cost which is hard when working for a small family business.  Plus now I can speak to my doctor about how to better manage the pain side of it.  The Fatigue is an interesting side affect also.  I am hopeful that as ALL of my muscles get stronger through Pilates it will help with the fatigue that I sometimes feel.   It is good to know that some of the things I have come across over the years were indeed all side affects of the Hyper Mobility including my low blood pressure and dizzy feelings when I was a teenager.  People used to laugh when I would eat salt!  Guess I really am a salt water baby after all! haha.  

It turns out I should have kept sailing 5 days a week and hitting up the gym a couple of days also.  Not sure how I was meant to fit that in with life and work!   The main reason I was not diagnosed when younger like most is because I was so strong and that kept the pain away!  So once this core of mine is a bit happier I am definitely going to be back out on the water.  Sailing is clearly going to be part of the management process of my hyper mobility.