HYPER MOBILITY

Joint Hypermobility

00:00:00:13 - 00:00:21:21
Speaker 1
Hello everyone. Welcome to supporting Joint Hypermobility. So if you're here, it's because you had a positive score on the and scoring system and as with anything, we always want you to be safe here. So before making any changes, please see your health care provider. And what we're going to learn is now that you have this positive score, it's like, okay, well, what is joint hypermobility?

00:00:22:11 - 00:00:47:09
Speaker 1
How does that affect concussion recovery? And the most importantly, how can we support that Hypermobility to enhance the recovery process? That's why we're all here. And also as an added bonus, help us have more long term health in our joints. So joint Hypermobility at its core is a connective tissue disorder and it means that the connective tissue in our joints moves a little bit more than we typically see.

00:00:47:09 - 00:01:04:05
Speaker 1
So this can range from people where they're completely asymptomatic. They don't notice anything, they're just a little more bendy. Do people that can have a lot of joint pain so it can really range. But at its core, joint Hypermobility disorder is a connective tissue disorder where our joints.

00:01:04:05 - 00:01:04:23
Speaker 2
Move.

00:01:05:16 - 00:01:25:20
Speaker 1
A little bit in a wider range, I should say, than we typically see. And this can be just a joint hypermobility syndrome in and of itself, or it can come from another underlying condition. The common ones are those Down syndrome, which you're going to hear a lot in the concussion community. I fall into this category or less common.

00:01:25:20 - 00:01:48:04
Speaker 1
There's Marfan syndrome and there's Osteogenic imperfecta. So what I usually tell people after they have a positive vision score is just to tell your doctor. So let them know I've had the score. It has joint capability of doing a program to help me address it. But can we talk about any, you know, is there any underlying conditions or anything that you think I should be aware of?

00:01:48:05 - 00:02:07:22
Speaker 1
That way your medical record is up to date. We know you're safe. And if there's anything else on the radar that your doctor needs to be aware of, you've got it that way. We've got you covered. So hypermobility in itself isn't bad. It just requires a targeted approach to protect the joints and to reduce pain if you're having any.

00:02:09:03 - 00:02:30:06
Speaker 1
And how this affects concussion recovery in particular is it's like, okay, if we have more movement in our joints, what that can look like is increased neck instability. So we know whiplash is part of concussion. If our neck moves more than the average bear, then we know we need to really focus on strength and stability. I'll again fall into this category.

00:02:30:22 - 00:02:55:08
Speaker 1
We might also have that as you're progressing in your recovery, especially as you're getting moving again, right in your aerobic exercise programs, we might notice that as you're moving more, other joint pain pops up like maybe in your knees or other places. And again, we can support that and then the last thing that can affect concussion recovery is it can be a little more fatiguing because you're having to use extra energy to stabilize your joints more.

00:02:55:17 - 00:03:21:21
Speaker 1
So that's where, again, we're going to use some of these key things to really help address that so that you can improve better. So addressing Hypermobility can improve concussion recovery progress and create a healthier health, a healthier lifespan for your joints. This is for you joints. So let's say for your joints. And there's four ways that we're going to address Hypermobility in this program.

00:03:21:22 - 00:03:39:12
Speaker 1
Each one is covered in your workbook on page two, so feel free to take any notes as we go. I also have an extra note page for you. Or of course you can just write it on anything your little heart desires. So the first way we address this is through strength and stability. And this is a big one.

00:03:39:12 - 00:03:55:06
Speaker 1
Like I would highlight, I used to have a professor that would say like highlight, start kids with age when it was really important. So strength and stability is going to be really important for you. It's important for everyone, but it's just going to like just be that extra important for you and it's going to have you feeling a lot better.

00:03:55:06 - 00:04:28:09
Speaker 1
So particularly in our knees in our shoulders, neck elbows as well, and we're staying strong and developing stability within our joints is going to be super important. Now, if you're in your exercise programs as you are, this is already built in to your adapt protocol. If you're in that and it's already built into the reconditioning, if you're in the sub symptom threshold exercise program, you can add in some strength training while you're doing your your exercise program about whatever heart rate you're at.

00:04:29:15 - 00:04:48:01
Speaker 1
You can do this with your physical therapist, but you can also do this in the program. So in your bonus section you're going to see movement classes, and in those classes you'll see ones that'll say like appropriate for pots, and you can do either the standing ones or the setting ones or the up and down ones, just depending on how you're feeling.

00:04:48:23 - 00:05:12:04
Speaker 1
So you can get that extra strength and stability for you. This is something that I've done in my life and it just helps an absolute ton. The next thing you're going to be want to want to be aware of is postural awareness. So we all get tired throughout the day and we kind of slouch. But you can imagine if you have joint hypermobility, you're going to be kind of hanging on those joints a little more because they move a little more.

00:05:12:15 - 00:05:29:14
Speaker 1
So we're going to talk a little bit about posture awareness. And I have some visuals because I think that's the way to do it on us. So this an example picture of the left or I was hanging on my joints where my belly's out, my look how far back my knees are. So the picture on the left, they're supposed to go straight.

00:05:30:09 - 00:05:52:14
Speaker 1
So when you're tired, you're just kind of blue. That can be really it can create a little more strain and stretch on our joints. So as part of your program for postural awareness, it's like, okay, I want you to just be aware of any postures where you might be doing that. Like standing at the kitchen cooking, I don't know, standing at the water cooler, talking to someone, standing in line, anything like that.

00:05:52:14 - 00:06:21:14
Speaker 1
I want you to tilt your pelvis back so that your core straight here and then have a little for you. It'll be a little bend in your knee to make it so your knees are straight. Like you can see the picture on the line. How it's in line here. So the goal is to build postural awareness and strength in proper positions rather than those stretched out positions that our joints like to kind of hang out in So postural awareness here is going to be super helpful just throughout the day.

00:06:21:14 - 00:06:49:17
Speaker 1
Every once in a while, catch myself when I'll just connect with my knees a little bit, tuck my pelvis back under, and that really goes a long way. You're also going to see this in your exercises. So here on the left say I'm doing my strength ability and I'm doing a plank. And so anything where you're on your forearms or your elbows might be locked or anything standing where your knees might go back, we just want to make sure we're moving them into that straight position.

00:06:49:17 - 00:07:13:21
Speaker 1
So instead of them doing that backwards thing like they do, we're moving it straight. So here, can't see it as well. But you can see if you were to draw a line between my forearm and elbow, it's a little bit bent. We're on the right side. You can see it straight down under my shoulder. So rather than having those joints just be all out, we're always keeping it kind of more straight.

00:07:13:21 - 00:07:35:20
Speaker 1
So for you, think of a little bend in the elbow, little bend in the knee. Any time you're doing exercises where they might be stressing the joint and then finally in your daily life. So at your computer, like, we tend to, you know, kind of hunch over so postural awareness for you, especially for the neck. So maybe your this isn't the best picture.

00:07:35:20 - 00:07:54:09
Speaker 1
We're going to go over this in the neck module as well, but I have my computer raised up to the height of my eye level that way I'm not looking over and creating that extra strain in my neck. I might have a lower support behind my back or I have a pillow area like it right now rolled up and tucked behind my lower back.

00:07:54:09 - 00:08:13:24
Speaker 1
So it straightens me out a little bit. Anything like that can be really helpful. And then the last common scenario that we're going to talk about is like on your phone, like we do it all the time rather than kind of neck forward or just like those weird positions. Just think of like move your phone more towards your eyes so we're not straining on the neck.

00:08:13:24 - 00:08:35:10
Speaker 1
So the whole goal of postural awareness is where in my day might I be in a position where I'm really just kind of hanging on my joints like they're my knees are bent further back, my elbows are further back, my head's maybe not in a great position and how can I just correct that to give one? It'll give you a little bit more strength and stability in those kind of positions.

00:08:35:16 - 00:09:01:18
Speaker 1
But also it's going to decrease that stretch on our connective tissue in each joint and harness feeling that much better. The third way that we can support hyper mobility is supportive aides. Now, some of you may not need these. I tend to never need a supportive aid. Other you may. This is going to be particularly important for people who whose joints sub blocks or dislocate.

00:09:02:03 - 00:09:28:08
Speaker 1
So mine tend to stay in place even though I am quite busy. I have a girlfriend who was a former ballet dancer and her kneecap dislocates regularly, so she will use supportive type aides in those types of situations to to help the joints stay in place. Or sometimes if people are in a lot of pain, maybe we're using a little supportive AIDS to help you while we're strengthening those areas.

00:09:28:08 - 00:09:48:02
Speaker 1
So that's an option as well. And then the final option is going to be pacing. So like anything, when we put an amount of stress or strain on the body for a certain amount of period and we have the strength to do that, it's great, but maybe once we get past that point, it can start to strain those joints.

00:09:48:02 - 00:09:52:14
Speaker 1
So pacing is where that comes in. So think of things like your computer work.

00:09:52:14 - 00:09:53:04
Speaker 2
Where.

00:09:53:22 - 00:10:13:08
Speaker 1
Maybe you're pacing your day where you know, can't 20 minutes. My head really starts to creep forward. So I'm going to set a timer at 20 minutes. I'm going to do maybe some neck stuff, move around, reset my posture, keep going so you can pace your activities in that way. I might do this with cooking. I might say, okay, I know.

00:10:13:08 - 00:10:37:00
Speaker 1
Like when I stand and I'm just tired, I my knees go back, my stomach goes forward. I really kind of start to I was hanging on my joints where they just kind of use that to support me rather than my muscles to help keep me up and supported. So for pacing that maybe I do a little bit of stuff standing and then maybe I cut vegetables sitting down at my table or something like that.

00:10:37:09 - 00:10:59:13
Speaker 1
So you can really kind of pace your days to decrease any strain. If you notice certain times where you're really, as I say, hanging on your joints rather than using your strength. So actually, before we get here, so just to recap, we have strength and stability. We have postural awareness and bracing if needed and then just really pacing your day.

00:10:59:13 - 00:11:23:01
Speaker 1
So those are kind of the ways we address Hypermobility and as you go through life and as you go through your exercise programs, I just want you to really focus like we talked about posture of let's keep you strong. But any time that you might be standing with your knees too far back, or maybe you're doing a squat and you come back up and your knees go to that far back, we just want to help you start to get back to that straight center line.

00:11:23:01 - 00:11:47:01
Speaker 1
So for us, that usually means a little bit of a bend, the knee, little bit of bend in the elbow, really making sure that we're strengthening our upper back or shoulders. All those kind of things so that we stay, stay strong and our joints stay protected. And then it's less fatiguing for us in recovery. So the last thing I want to touch on before we go is some really interesting research in this area.

00:11:47:01 - 00:12:09:05
Speaker 1
So in recent years we've started to notice that people with the connective tissue type of elbow standalone syndrome, the ABS that I mentioned tend to also be really highly coordinated with people that also experience parts. And those people also tend to experience something called M casts. And I want to bring this to your attention because knowledge is power.

00:12:09:05 - 00:12:25:14
Speaker 1
And we know in concussion recovery, sometimes you're like searching around for all the things. And in this case we kind of know what groups together. So say you're someone who you know, you're hypermobility you talk to your doctor, you know, maybe I do fit kind of that category. I do. And you're like, you know what? I will swap.

00:12:25:14 - 00:12:26:05
Speaker 2
Parts.

00:12:27:00 - 00:12:44:23
Speaker 1
Because we've tested for it in the active stand test. And you know, we're cruising along in your program. All of your programs are very effective. They're very evidence based. We know when we get the right person to the right program, they work really well. And there might be some modifying. They might see some adapting to your specific scenario.

00:12:44:23 - 00:13:11:19
Speaker 1
But if if for whatever reason, we get to the point where, you know, we could get to a certain point and then we regress and it just keeps happening and it really shouldn't be. One of the first things we're going to look at for someone that falls into this Hypermobility category, especially if they have parts too, is something called empaths, because that tends to cluster with this group and it's mass, so activation syndrome and it just means your body's releasing histamine more often than it should and it can feel pretty crappy.

00:13:11:19 - 00:13:35:23
Speaker 1
So if we know that and we're like, okay, there, cruise along, something's not quite, something's not, you know, we're not sure what it is. Rather than sending you down this rabbit hole, we're like, Let's check in for cast. It's like a super quick screen. And if that's the case, then we can get you on something to help with histamine that can be as simple as like a mass cell stabilizer, or that could be like a Zyrtec or a Benadryl, you know, things like that that you can talk to your doctor about.

00:13:36:16 - 00:13:55:20
Speaker 1
So I bring this this research to you because we're like, gosh, this is really prevalent. People that have AEDs that also tend to have parts, can tend to have them cast, too. It's like this little trifecta. So if you're falling into this category, it's something to keep in your pocket, your pocket for further along. Because if we're moving along, you're programing like something's just not quite right.

00:13:56:03 - 00:14:16:02
Speaker 1
Check for us. That's again that like knowledge was power thing. Let's save your time and energy. If your cruise long and you're feeling good let's not worry about it. So as I said, knowledge is power. Learning how to best support your body allows you to take action to feel your best. You got this. You've got the tools to start using in your daily life.

00:14:16:17 - 00:14:36:18
Speaker 1
So your action steps here is I want you to begin to support your joints in daily life. So starting with your strength and stability, your postural support, making sure you're not hanging on your joints and your exercise programs, all those types of things. And your second action step is to talk to your doctor. So for your next appointment, let them know, Hey, I did the speaking score.

00:14:36:18 - 00:14:56:19
Speaker 1
It's showing hyper mobility. Can we talk about it that way? They can keep your medical records up to date if you have any concerns of any of the underlying conditions like Etios, you can talk to them about it and they can say like, okay, I think this is an issue or not, or maybe you can screen right away for something like AM, or if you're cruising along in your program, you're something's not right.

00:14:57:06 - 00:15:16:18
Speaker 1
So it can can we talk about and cast is that an issue for me as well. So those are two action steps. Begin supporting your joints in your daily life and in your action in your exercise program. And then just talk to your doctor. Let's keep them informed. Let's keep your medical records up to date. This is someone who has your whole health history and they could help you troubleshoot anything else.

00:15:16:18 - 00:15:36:18
Speaker 1
Coming up in the medical realm. I would just say for some folks, this is still fairly new. So you want to kind of like you need a doctor who understands concussion. You'll need a doctor who understands these types of things as well. We used to just say Hypermobility is hypermobility. It's not a thing. It doesn't matter. And now as we're learning more about it, we're like, no, we think it kind of does.

00:15:36:18 - 00:15:57:05
Speaker 1
And there's actually ways that we can support it so that people feel good and there's these other conditions that come along with it so we can screen for those, so we can address them if they're present. So kind of how we do it, I hope this gives you some really succinct action steps and gives you some ideas to keep in your mind as you go through your exercise program.

00:15:57:05 - 00:16:20:24
Speaker 1
So that's it. Short and sweet. What you've learned is that joint hypermobility is connective tissue disorder. It can affect concussion recovery by having a little more fatigue, maybe a little more attention bringing to our neck or as you progress, we might have other pain in the joints that we really want to support as we go. And then we've learned how to support hypermobility to enhance concussion recovery and long term.

00:16:21:08 - 00:16:47:22
Speaker 1
So strength and stability, postural awareness. Any supportive AIDS if you need like bracing or tape and then my gosh number or pacing or pacing. So I hope this helps. I'm very, very excited for you. And of course, if you have any further questions, I am available in the group and just go ahead and ask there and I would love to support you.

00:16:48:00 - 00:16:51:11
Speaker 1
So thank you so much. And we'll see you guys next time.