Do you ever find that your joints bend further than other people's? Do you experience joint pain, or are you prone to joint injuries such as tendonitis? You may have a condition called Hypermobility, which can effects many joints in the body. For some people, hypermobility may be an advantage, such as for a gymnast. However, others suffer pain and swelling wich can be debilitating, and which requires a special exercise regime.

What is hypermobility? It is a condition which affects the joints and soft tissue around the joints, particularly the wrists, thumbs, elbows, shoulders and knees. Often the condition is inherited. Hypermobility occurs as a result of a loose joint mechanism, and therefore the corresponding tendons and ligaments must work much harder to keep the joint stable. As a result of the condition, the patient is able to flex their joints through a much wider range of motion. If hypermobility is present in the thumbs, the patient may be able to pull their thumb back to the inside of the forearm with no effort. Spinal hypermobility is often recognised by the patient's ability to bend over when standing and, rather than touch their toes, they can place their hands flat on the floor. The ability to overbend the elbow or knee so that the joint appears reversed is also a common sign of hypermobility.

If you experience joint pain, regular swelling, recurring tendonitis or ligament damage, it may be prudent to speak with a medical professional about your concerns, particularly if you are a manual labourer or play a lot of sport. If unattended, some sufferers may experience long-term issues or irreversible tissue damage. There are many ways to treat the symptoms of hypermobility, and they generally focus on a daily exercise regime, which incorporates stretching exercises. Here are some of the exercises most commonly used:

The thoracic spine is often the first place to stiffen, particularly among young people. A daily rotation of the trunk by 90 degrees is recommended to maintain spinal mobility and prevent swelling. To achieve this stretch sit in a chair, keeping your legs forward and twist your upper body from the waist and hold the back of the chair. This will allow a 90 degree rotation of the spine when performed once to the right, and once to the left. This exercise should be completed once a day, to relieve tension and fluid in the spinal joints. Lying in the foetal position for five minutes per day is also beneficial as it allows the spinal

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