I’ve started to see a chiropractor to treat my nerve pain and the older injuries associated with it. I go twice a week, after I have a nice long session with my massage therapist.

The chiropractor I am seeing believes that I am hypermobile. According to wikipedia, this means that my joints stretch further than is normal. Hypermobility may be genetic, but the research seems new in that area.

Hypermobility can cause people to be injured more easily than others, often in situations that would not hurt others. I can recall many stupid ways I have been sprained. Like walking or lifting laundry. The joints just gave way on me.

Now, there are many different types of hypermobility, some more serious than others. I will need to ask my doctor about them and to see if I can have any tests done. I know I do not have joints quite as flexible as the testing would indicate I should, but my symptoms are spot on for the rest of it.

I was reading up on some research about hypermobility and back pain, and found this:

Hypermobility may present as increased movement compared to what is expected. It may occur at one joint, one segment, in just one direction of movement, or as a more generalized phenomenon. More commonly, we see compensatory hypermobility occurring when trauma to the ligamentous structures has decreased the movement of the adjacent joint.

The initial response to the increased segmental movement is a reflexive increase in tone of muscles that share common innervation or are directly attached to the corresponding segment. This is the body’s attempt to stabilize the affected area. Over time, prolonged, increased tonus will decrease the blood supply and increase the build-up of lactic acid.

To me, this could explain why, 5 years later, I developed TOS. So, I will be talking to my doctor. From what I have read, my treatments now are spot on between my massage and chiropractor, so that is encouraging. I have even had one small window of no pain since my last visit, and I am hopeful that there will be more in the future.

Tags: hypermobility, hypermobile, tos, health