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Hi Everyone! Here is a list of current-ish research being conducted about HMS, which I copied from the Hypermobility Syndrome Association website. That page, www.hypermobility.org is a great resources, however, it is catered towards the UK rather than the US. Enjoy! Latest Research Prof Rodney Grahame & Dr Alan Hakim Department of Rheumatology, University College Hospitals, London 1. Do you have HMS? We have been working on a 5-part questionnaire to identify hypermobility. If you answer yes to at least 2 of the 5 questions then there is an 80-90% chance you are hypermobile. We hope it will become a simple aide memoire for doctors and allied health practitioners, encouraging them to think about hypermobility as the cause for musculoskeletal problems. The questions are: Can you now (or could you ever) place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees? Can you now (or could you ever) bend your thumb back to touch your forearm? As a child did...

10 Quick HMS Facts 1. Hypermobility Syndrome is a genetic collagen defect most people don’t even know they have, that weakens connective tissue around joints 2. HMS is a common cause of unexplained joint pain, but is diagnosed in less than 10% of sufferers who see their primary care physicians 3. HMS is up to 5.5 times more likely to occur in women than in men, and is also more common in people of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern decent 4. HMS symptoms can manifest at any age, from age 3 to 70, and its onset usually does not coincide with any direct accident or trauma 5. HMS symptoms can last anywhere from 15 days to 45 years 6. HMS can predispose sufferers, especially women, to fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis 7. HMS can cause serious pregnancy complications, including premature birth, rapid labor, and uterine prolapse 8. People with HMS have diminished proprioception, or sense of their bodies in space, which increases the likelihood of joint injury 9. HMS ...

10 Quick Diagnostic HMS Questions 1. Does one or more of your joints have a greater range of motion than most people’s 2. As a kid, did you ever entertain your friends by contorting your body in weird ways or by doing the splits? 3. Do you consider yourself ‘double-jointed,’ and/or does your family have a history of ‘double-jointedness?’ 4. Is their a history of rectal, mitral valve, or uterine prolapse or hernias in your family? 5. Have you ever suffered unexplained joint pain, or joint pain that started out of the blue, aka was not due to any direct injury or trauma? 6. Have you ever failed to receive relief from inflammation related treatments, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or ice? 7. Does stability, such as stabilizing exercises or stabilizing tape or braces, help your joint pain? 8. Do you or your family have a history of thin, fragile, or silky smooth skin, easy bruising, or varicose veins? 9. Have you ever had to ask your dentist or...

"Hypermobility Syndrome" L. Russek (Physical Therapy Journal) 1999 • “HMS has been given relatively little attention in the literature. Most reports are in the rheumatology literature, with virtually none in the orthopedic or physical therapy literatures.” • HMS patients, however, usually see orthopedists or physical therapists for acute joint pain, and are treated without the underlying problem, aka their HMS, ever being acknowledged. • “Because HMS lacks a definitive pharmacological or surgical treatment, physicians may have perceived little benefit in its diagnosis.” • “Individuals may be improperly identified as having hypochondria, as malingering, or as having nonspecific chronic pain, without further investigation into the source of their complaints … Failure to recognize the underlying HMS may lead to unnecessary or inappropriate diagnostic studies, surgical procedures, and patient management.” • “HMS may be from 1.1 times to 5.5 times more prevalent among females than...

Below are links to some great articles concerning HMS. 1) “Hypermobility Syndrome” L Russek 2) “Examination and Treatment of a Patient with Hypermobility Syndrome” L Russek 3) “Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome: Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Management” M. Simpson 4) “The Genetic Basis of the joint hypermobility syndromes” F. Malfait, A. Hakim, A. De Paepe, R. Grahame 5) “Time to Take Hypermobility Seriously” R. Grahame 6) “British Consultant Rheumatologists’ Perceptions about the Hypermobility Syndrome: A National Survey” R. Grahame, H. Bird 7) “Living with the Hypermobility Syndrome” S. Gurley-Green 8) “Is the Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome Benign? H. El-Shahaly, A. El-Sherif

R. Grahame (UCL Hospitals) HMS and Pregnancy • Symptoms of HMS during pregnancy include, o Joint and spinal pains increase o Tendency to premature labour and delivery o Tendency to rapid labour o Resistance to effects of local anaesthetics can cause problems during the epidural o Healing of tear or episiotomy may be impaired and/or prolonged o Pelvic floor problems (especially uterine prolapse), therefore post-natal exercise is very important o 50% chance child will have HMS Larson, Baum, Mudholkar 1981 • “Hypermobility was a predominantly female characteristic” • Joint laxity declines naturally with age, but “not to a statistically significant degree” • In men, joint laxity started to decline in mid-twenties, in women it continued through mid-forties Bridges, Smith, Reid • Most patients with hypermobility had common musculoskeletal problems as the main reason for their referral (usual to a rheumatologist) • “Results show that joint hypermobility is common, familial, found in associati...

Pregnancy and JHS/EDSHM RODNEY GRAHAME CBE, MD, FRCP, FACP Emeritus Professor of Rheumatology, University College Hospital , LONDON . Unlike the vascular form of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome ( EDS ), formerly EDS Type IV, the Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS), which is equivalent to EDS–hypermobility type, formerly EDS III ) is not associated with heart disease or major hazards during pregnancy and labour. However there are a number of considerations that should be borne in mind, which are listed here: Joint and spinal pains may increase during the course of the pregnancy. There is a tendency to premature rupture of the membranes and thus of premature labour and delivery. There is a tendency to rapid labour. There is an apparent resistance to the effects of local anaesthetics is seen in about two thirds of patients and can cause problems for the unwary during epidural anaesthesia or infiltration for repair of a tear of episiotomy. Healing of ...

Hi everyone and welcome to Hypermobility Hope! The purpose of this site to to raise awareness about Hypermobility Syndrome, and to give those who suffer from HMS, or know someone who has HMS, or just think they might have HMS, the information they need to make sure they receive proper care. As a HMS patient myself, I know how frustrating it is to find doctors who will listen to you, who understand how difficult and destructive HMS can be, and who genunuinly respect the implications and complications HMS can have on daily life. I have tried to create the kind of site that I wish I had been able to find - a compassionate and welcoming environment where one can easily find explinations, information, advice and comradery. I have done extensive research into HMS, and I have provided links to as much information as I could find. Along with the links to scholarly journals I have provided cheatsheets that will tell you what is important and what you need to know from that particular article. I...