How Much Flexibility Is Too Much Flexibility?
Most of us know that it is important to have flexibility in our bodies. If you’ve ever fallen asleep on a long airplane ride and found yourself waking to a stiff and painful neck, you might naturally try to stretch it out for relief. When a muscle or joint feels stiff and painful, it might be beneficial to stretch it out to help alleviate some of the discomfort.
Flexibility is important to allow our bodies to move easily from one position to the next. However, is there such a thing as “too much” flexibility? Yes! In fact, having excessive mobility without the appropriate muscle strength can be detrimental to your joints and put additional stress and strain on tendons, ligaments, and bony joints. Also, excessive mobility can be a sign of underlying issues such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or other types of connective tissue disorders that may be hereditary. When additional mobility is due to connective tissue disorders, it is possible that blood vessels and other structures in the body are also affected as well as muscles, ligaments, and tendons- meaning that it can lead to cardiovascular problems, blood pressure issues, and more.
There is a screening tool to help identify people who may be at risk for connective tissue disorders. The screening tool is called the Beighton Hypermobility Test. Here is a link to additional information (with pictures) on how to perform this test, and I will summarize the test briefly below as well:
https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/assessing-joint-hypermobility/
The Beighton scale is scored out of 9 total points.
Knuckle of each pinky finger (5th finger) - lay your palm and forearm flat on a table, then gently pull your 5th finger up toward the ceiling. If your pinky finger bends >90º back you score 1 point for each hand
Base of each thumb - with your arm straight out in front of you and your palm facing down, let your hand fall toward the floor, then pull your thumb toward your forearm. If your thumb touches your forearm you score 1 point for each hand.
Elbows - when you straighten your elbows, score 1 point for each side if it moves past fully straight by at least 10 degrees
Knees - when you push your knees all the way straight in standing, score 1 point for each side that moves past a straight line by at least 10 degrees
Spine - in standing with your knees straight, bend forward and score 1 point if your palms completely touch the floor
A positive test is considered 5/9 points for an adult. 6/9 for a pre-puberty adolescent, or 4/9 for an adult >50 years old.
Having excessive mobility of your joints can lead to pain and discomfort. Rather than focusing on stretching, you may be in need of some help with strengthening to provide stability for your joints. If you’re noticing pain or discomfort, reach out to us at SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness to help you find the right plan for helping you feel better. If you’re scoring really high on the Beighton scale, you may also want to consider a conversation with your general medical practitioner to discuss whether additional tests need to be done to determine any underlying connective tissue disorders and possible effects on other systems in your body as well such as the cardiovascular system.
Celebrate that you don’t need to work on your flexibility, and also remember the importance of building good strength to support all of that motion. We can help you safely find that important balance at SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness!
Written by: Renee Hancock, Physical Therapist
