What does it mean to be double-jointed in your fingers?

What does it mean to be double-jointed in your fingers?

“When people use the phrase ‘double-jointed,’ it doesn’t mean that they have an extra set of joints. Generally, it means that they have hyperlaxity or hypermobility in their joints,” Dr. Delaney said. “Hyperlaxity” means that the ligaments that support your joints have more stretchiness (called “elasticity”).

Can double-jointed be inherited?

Joint hypermobility is often hereditary (runs in families). One of the main causes is thought to be genetically determined changes to a type of protein called collagen.

Is it good to have double-jointed fingers?

Hyperextending a limb may feel normal to you — and most of the time, if you’re so-called “double-jointed,” it’s not harmful to your body. But rarely, it can be a red flag for other health conditions.

How do you tell if a kid is double-jointed?

Children with one or more of the following symptoms may require an evaluation for joint hypermobility.

1. Chronic joint pain.
2. Nighttime pain.
3. Loose skin.
4. Easy bruising.
5. Slow tissue healing.
6. Dislocated joint(s)
7. Joint swelling.

Is double jointed a disability?

Aim: Among the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, the hypermobile subtype (hEDS) is the most common. The variety, accumulation and duration of the painful symptoms make hEDS a chronic and highly disabling condition.

Does being double jointed cause pain?

Joint hypermobility syndrome is when you have very flexible joints and it causes you pain (you may think of yourself as being double-jointed). It usually affects children and young people and often gets better as you get older.

Are you double jointed?

People with “double-jointedness” actually have hypermobility syndrome, a condition that allows them to move a bone within a joint to its fullest capacity, but without experiencing the pain or discomfort that the average person would feel when extending a joint beyond its normal range.

Is it rare to have a double jointed shoulder?

Having hypermobile joints is fairly common, especially for children because the connective tissues surrounding their joints aren’t fully developed. Hypermobile joints can appear and become a problem despite any previously existing health conditions; this is referred to as benign hypermobility syndrome.

How can you tell if your hand is double jointed?

Rest your palm and forearm on a flat surface, bending your elbow at a 90-degree angle. Reach over with your other hand and lift your pinky finger back towards your body. If it goes further than 90 degrees, you have hypermobile fingers in that hand. Repeat the test with your other hand.

Why do people think their joints are double jointed?

What people think of as double-jointedness is actually hypermobility, or joints that can move beyond the typical range. Your joints are made up of connective tissue and a protein called collagen. If connective tissue is a building, collagen is the bricks. Hypermobility results from the variation in how those bricks come together.

What to do if your pinky finger is double jointed?

Exercises to stabilize your joints can reduce these risks. Lift your pinky back further than 90 degrees. Rest your palm and forearm on a flat surface, bending your elbow at a 90-degree angle. Reach over with your other hand and lift your pinky finger back towards your body.

What does it mean when a child is double jointed?

Shana Ferguson, OTR/L As an occupational therapist, I work with kids and their parents who have been told they have joint hypermobility, sometimes known as being “double jointed.” This might make it sound like the child has twice as many joints, but it simply means that a child’s joint is moving past the expected range.