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Joint Hypermobility in the Autistic Community
Exploring the Overlap Between Flexibility, Pain, and Neurodiversity
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re like me — always noticing connections that others miss. Maybe you’re autistic and also happen to be a bit bendy, or you’ve heard someone say “joint hypermobility” before, but you never thought twice about it. I mean, so what if you W-sit? So what if you can bend your thumb backward or fold yourself into strange shapes? It’s just one of those quirky things, right? Maybe not. Let’s explore why this hypermobility might be more than just a party trick and how it could be connected to something much bigger, like Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS).
What is Joint Hypermobility?
Joint hypermobility means your joints have a greater range of motion than is typical. For some, it’s as simple as being double-jointed or extra flexible, but in others, it can come with a whole slew of symptoms — chronic pain, fatigue, proprioceptive challenges (trouble sensing where your body is in space), and more. When hypermobile joints start to impact daily life, it could point to a condition called Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), which is part of a larger group of hereditary connective tissue disorders.
