Laxity in Your Joints

Being ‘double-jointed’ could lead to injuries, dislocation of joints

A double-jointed advantage—As a dancer, Erin, 14, of Whitehall (center), has to take special care to warm up properly to keep from overusing her flexible joints. Her friends (l-r), Linda, 14, of Allentown, and Kristen, 13, of Whitehall, do their best to keep up with Erin during a friendly game of Twister.

Can you overextend your elbow or thumb? If so, you may have a condition known as ligamentous laxity, or loose ligaments. Though it’s usually not serious (except in rare genetic cases), laxity can make you more susceptible to injury or dislocation, particularly when playing sports.

Ligaments work with muscles and tendons to keep your joints stable as they go through their normal range of motion. “When ligaments are loose, the joint doesn’t work properly and is more vulnerable to injury,” says family medicine physician Stephen Miller, D.O., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

There are several reasons you might have loose ligaments. “Some people are just built that way, in the same sense that some people are taller than others,” Miller says. If that’s the case for you, you may not realize it until you injure yourself. If you have dislocated a shoulder or other joint, see your family doctor or orthopedist. He or she can make a diagnosis based on your history and by examining you for signs of hypermobility.

Ligamentous laxity also can be caused by overuse or abuse—for example, a baseball player who doesn’t warm up properly and throws too many pitches game after game. “Traumatic injuries, such as falling on an outstretched arm or a direct blow to the shoulder, can loosen or permanently stretch your ligaments,” says Miller’s colleague, physical therapist Sharon Manifold.

A temporary form of ligamentous laxity occurs during pregnancy. “Hormones that prepare a woman for childbirth loosen up the pelvis to allow the baby to be delivered,” says obstetrician/ gynecologist Kristin Friel, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. This condition also accounts for some of the back or foot pain a pregnant woman may experience. After delivery, the ligaments gradually return to normal.

Prevention is the key to living successfully with loose ligaments, Manifold says. The first step is to strengthen the muscles supporting the loose joint—for example, the quadriceps in the case of a weak knee. A physical therapist or athletic trainer can be a valuable ally. “Strong muscles help keep the joint stable,” says Kevin Anbari, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital. If that doesn’t do enough to prevent dislocations or injuries, he says, an orthopedic surgeon can do a procedure essentially to tighten up the joint.

Want to Know More about keeping your joints strong? For information or to schedule a fitness assessment at the new Healthy You Fitness Center, call 610-402-CARE.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, November-December 2007

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