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KRYesterday I shared what isn’t included in the Beighton score, and today I’m showing you some of those joints in action - neck, shoulders, ribcage, jaw, hips, feet - because they absolutely influence how a hypermobile body functions day to day.
For context, I’m a 9/9 on the Beighton score, and many of my other joints move even more than it captures. Some have been painful at times, some aren’t, and some have stiffened over the years. Bodies adapt! Strength training, bracing strategies, injury, and protective tension can all reduce visible range without changing the underlying connective tissue pattern.
The Beighton score assesses nine specific joints and is part of the current diagnostic criteria for hEDS. It’s helpful and standardized, but it doesn’t assess the cervical spine, rib mechanics, shoulder translation, jaw mobility, foot behaviour, or pelvic organization. It also doesn’t capture what your mobility looked like historically before stiffness developed.
Diagnosis of HSD or hEDS is layered and naunced. It considers historical hypermobility, tissue qualities such as skin extensibility and mild fragility, and broader systemic patterns - not just one score. A few bendy joints don’t automatically mean a hereditary connective tissue disorder, and a lower score doesn’t automatically rule one out either.
It’s also important to remember that not every provider has specific training in hypermobility. I’m not an oncologist, and general practitioners aren’t automatically specialists in connective tissue disorders. Some have a deep interest and knowledge base, and some simply haven’t had exposure to it. I had to educate myself, review the criteria carefully, and bring my findings to my GP. I know that seems unfair and frustrating but it’s true ❤️
As a physio, I assess the whole body — how load is shared, where compensation happens, which areas are excessively mobile, which have stiffened, and how it all connects.
My goal is to help you understand the framework so you can piece your own picture together with clarity and walk into appointments informed.
#HypermobilityEducation #hEDS #HSD #BeightonScore #WholeBodyAssessment
Education only, not medical advice ❤️
@krj.coaching
