6 sneaky signs you have hypermobile hands (WITHOUT the 'party tricks')
So last week we uncovered how you can feel ‘stiff as a board’ yet *still* be hypermobile (read more about it here)...
…and by reading this article, you get to learn about the signs and symptoms of hypermobile hands…
…WITHOUT the bendy finger party tricks! 😯
Here are SIX ‘non-visual' but still JUST AS IMPORTANT signs of hypermobility.
1. Persisting hand, thumb, and/ or wrist pain
Maybe you've puzzled your doctor and he's chalked your pain up to anxiety because he can't figure it out - unfortunately this happens a lot. Especially to us women 🙄
I'm here to tell you it's not 'anxiety;' it's probably hypermobility.
2. Hand/forearm weakness
Maybe your hand/forearm muscles feel weak compared to others and you struggle with opening containers, carrying heavy objects, or supporting yourself in a weightbearing position.
👀 If you can relate to this, you've likely told yourself it's just who you are: "I’m {first_name} and I have weak hands" and left it at that.
This was me for 27 years of my life, too, until I understood how hypermobility was impacting my hand joints!
3. Feelings of joints coming out of place
You may feel like your fingers are loosey goosey.
🤷 Maybe sometimes you physically have to shake your fingers, thumb, or wrist back into place. This can be with OR without pain.
“Something I didn’t realise was hypermobility is ‘stuck’ fingers and wrists.’ I will be doing something and then oops I have to shake out my wrist or physically pop my finger to get them moving again.”
Notice how both of these commenters mention the word 'stuck' to describe how their fingers and wrists feel.
4. Snapping or popping sensations
When I was a girl, I had an embarrassing nervous tic (ok, I actually had quite a few embarrassing nervous tics. But you’re only hearing about one of them today lol).
I used to pop my right wrist. I would move it around in a circle quickly, *just right*, and it would pop. Every. Single. Time.
On repeat.
It never hurt me as a kid, but I avoid doing it now because… well… I know better, it probably now hurts, and it can lead to arthritis (and I have since learned more positive coping skills 🙂).
If you ever experience popping or snapping it may be painful, but like me as a child, it also may not hurt at all!
So if you're reading this and thinking..well.. my joints are loud and pop a lot, but they don't hurt...
...well, those feelings *could* be unstable joints from hypermobility! It doesn't have to necessarily hurt to be unstable.
5. Chronic tendinitis (lasting longer than 6 weeks)
So so commonly, my clients with hypermobility will tell me their first diagnosis with their hand or wrist pain was actually simply 'tendinitis.’
I polled my instagram community members about this, and 88% the question responders said that they were originally diagnosed with something like tendonitis, but it didn't ever go away.
Chronic tendinitis is *SUCH* a telltale sign that hypermobility is driving your pain, yet most providers don't know how to screen for hypermobility so they misdiagnose or offer advice that doesn't help - in fact, it often makes things worse.
6. Difficulty with fine motor movements
Maybe for your whole lifetime your fingers have felt awkward and clumsy with small, purposeful movements such as opening up containers, clasping jewelry, or writing.
This is also a sign your finger joints are hypermobile.
Common reasons for fine motor difficulties in bendy folks include…
Your fingertips keep bending backwards instead of steadying the small object you’re trying to manipulate
Your finger joints lack proprioception (or your brain’s spatial awareness of your finger joints), causing clumsiness
You have a nerve impingement in your neck, arm, or hand causing decreased nerve signals to your fingers
It's estimated that up to 20% of the general population is affected by hypermobility (source). What was once thought to be extremely rare is actually quite common.
Yet many of you, up until this point, haven't ever even realized or considered that hypermobility within your hands is what's ultimately driving your pain.
It's mind-blowing, right??
If you're connecting the dots that hypermobility is very likely the source of your hand pain, consider joining Hypermobile Hands Blueprint!
It's my hyper-specialized program for those with hypermobile hands.
In it, you learn about all the different ways you can support your joints, as well as over 50 exercises, pain strategies, and ergonomic tools so you can do all your daily activities with happier hands 💛
Or, you can start with my free training first and save $100 on the Blueprint 🎉
Common sense disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for seeking individualized medical advice. Please speak with your doctor or other healthcare provider before trying the suggestions included in this email.