What Is A Double Jointed? The Basics

“Double jointed” is a common phrase, but it is not a medical term. People use it to describe joints that bend far beyond the typical range of motion. The medical name for this condition is joint hypermobility, and it is far more common than most people realize.

Being double jointed does not mean you have two joints where others have one. It means the connective tissues that hold your joints together—ligaments and tendons—are more flexible and stretchy than average. For many people, this flexibility is harmless. For others, it comes with pain, fatigue, and a higher risk of injury. Understanding which category you fall into is the first step toward protecting your joints.

What Does It Mean to Be Double Jointed?

Every joint in your body has a normal range of motion. Your elbow bends a certain way. Your knee straightens a certain way. Joint hypermobility means one or more of your joints moves beyond that expected range.

This happens because of the collagen in your body. Collagen is a protein that acts like the scaffolding for your skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones. In people with hypermobility, the collagen is slightly more elastic than usual. Think of it like the difference between a stiff rope and a bungee cord. Both hold things together, but one gives much more under tension.

Hypermobility can affect just one joint, like a thumb that bends backward to touch your forearm. Or it can affect nearly every joint in your body. When it affects many joints and causes symptoms, doctors may classify it as a condition called hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) or, in more severe cases, a type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

How Common Is Joint Hypermobility?

Joint hypermobility is surprisingly common, especially in children and young women. Some research suggests that up to 10-25% of the general population has some degree of joint hypermobility. The wide range exists because researchers use different tests and definitions.

Children are naturally more flexible than adults. As people age, their connective tissues naturally stiffen, which often reduces hypermobility over time. Many people who were “double jointed” as teenagers find their flexibility decreases in their thirties and forties.

Being hypermobile is not a disease. It is a physical trait, like height or eye color. The challenge is determining whether that trait is causing problems or simply making you flexible.

How Do You Know If You Are Double Jointed?

Doctors use a standard screening tool called the Beighton Score to assess joint hypermobility. It is a simple nine-point test that checks five specific movements:

• Can you bend your pinky finger backward beyond 90 degrees? (One point for each hand)
• Can you bring your thumb down to touch your forearm? (One point for each thumb)
• Can you hyperextend your elbow beyond 10 degrees? (One point for each arm)
• Can you hyperextend your knee beyond 10 degrees? (One point for each leg)
• Can you place your palms flat on the floor while keeping your legs straight? (One point)

A score of 4 or higher out of 9 generally indicates generalized joint hypermobility. However, the Beighton Score only tests a few joints. A person can have hypermobility in their shoulders, hips, or jaw and score zero on this test. The score is a helpful starting point, not a complete diagnosis.

If you score high on the Beighton test but have no pain or other symptoms, you simply have asymptomatic joint hypermobility. No treatment is needed. If you score high and experience joint pain, frequent dislocations, or fatigue, it is worth discussing with a doctor.

When Being Double Jointed Causes Problems

For some people, flexible joints come with a cost. The same loose ligaments that allow extra movement provide less stability. This can lead to a range of symptoms that doctors now recognize as part of a broader condition.

Common symptoms associated with symptomatic hypermobility include:

• Joint pain, especially after exercise or at the end of the day
• Frequent joint sprains or strains
• Joint dislocations or subluxations (partial dislocations)
• Clicking or locking sensations in the joints
• Muscle fatigue and cramping
• Poor proprioception, which is your body’s ability to sense where it is in space

When these symptoms occur alongside hypermobility, doctors may diagnose hypermobility spectrum disorder. This diagnosis is relatively new. Before 2017, many of these patients were told they had “benign joint hypermobility syndrome.” The terminology changed to better reflect that the condition is not always benign and exists on a spectrum of severity.

What Is the Link Between Hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of inherited conditions that affect connective tissue. There are thirteen subtypes, each caused by different genetic mutations. The most common subtype is hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS).

People with hEDS have joint hypermobility plus other symptoms affecting their skin, blood vessels, and internal organs. Their skin may be unusually soft or stretchy. They may bruise easily. They often experience chronic pain and fatigue.

The key difference between hypermobility spectrum disorder and hEDS is the presence of these additional systemic features. If hypermobility is your only trait, you have HSD. If you have hypermobility plus skin involvement, chronic pain, and a family history of the condition, you may meet the criteria for hEDS.

Diagnosing hEDS requires a careful clinical examination. There is no blood test for this subtype. Doctors use a detailed set of criteria published in 2017 to distinguish hEDS from HSD. If you suspect you have hEDS, seek evaluation from a rheumatologist or a geneticist familiar with connective tissue disorders.

Are There Health Risks Beyond Joint Pain?

Joint hypermobility does not only affect your musculoskeletal system. Connective tissue is everywhere in your body. Some research suggests a link between hypermobility and other conditions, though the evidence varies in strength.

Some studies have found higher rates of anxiety and depression in people with symptomatic hypermobility. The reason is not fully understood. It may relate to chronic pain, or it may involve how the nervous system processes sensory information in people with stretchier connective tissue.

Other conditions associated with hypermobility include:

• Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition affecting blood flow and heart rate
• Mast cell activation syndrome, which causes allergic-type reactions
• Pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic organ prolapse
• Chronic fatigue
• Irritable bowel syndrome

These associations do not mean every hypermobile person will develop these conditions. Most people with hypermobility have no systemic symptoms. But if you have unexplained fatigue, digestive issues, or dizziness alongside flexible joints, mention it to your doctor.

Can You Strengthen Joints That Are Too Flexible?

You cannot tighten loose ligaments through exercise. Ligaments do not respond to strength training the way muscles do. What you can do is strengthen the muscles around your joints to compensate for the lack of ligament support.

This is the foundation of hypermobility management. Strong muscles act like external guides for your joints. They keep the joint in proper alignment even when the ligaments are not doing their job fully.

Physical therapy for hypermobility focuses on:

• Building muscle strength, especially in the muscles closest to the affected joints
• Improving proprioception through balance training
• Learning proper movement patterns to avoid overextending joints
• Finding a baseline of exercise that does not trigger pain

Low-impact activities like swimming and cycling are often better tolerated than high-impact sports. Resistance training with controlled movements can be highly beneficial when done correctly. The key is progressive loading—starting light and increasing gradually—rather than pushing through pain.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Being flexible alone is not a reason to seek medical care. You should see a doctor if hypermobility is accompanied by:

• Persistent joint pain that interferes with daily activities
• Joint dislocations that happen repeatedly
• Swelling or warmth around a joint after minor activity
• Unexplained fatigue that limits your functioning
• Frequent bruises or slow-healing wounds
• New symptoms like dizziness, digestive problems, or severe pelvic pain

A rheumatologist is often the best specialist to evaluate hypermobility. They can rule out other conditions that cause joint pain, such as inflammatory arthritis, and assess whether your symptoms fit a hypermobility diagnosis.

There is no cure for hypermobility. Management focuses on symptom relief, injury prevention, and maintaining function. Most people with hypermobility live active, full lives with appropriate exercise and body awareness.