Can hyperlaxity (excessive joint laxity or generalized hypermobility) cause pain?

Can Hyperlaxity Cause Pain?

Yes, hyperlaxity (excessive joint laxity or generalized hypermobility) definitively causes pain through multiple well-established mechanisms, including joint instability, increased demand on stabilizing muscles, soft tissue injury, and biomechanical alterations that affect both local and distant body sites. 1

Primary Pain Mechanisms

Hyperlaxity causes pain through several interconnected pathways:

• Joint instability from ligamentous laxity weakens passive joint stabilization, forcing muscles to compensate with increased stabilizing work, leading to chronic muscular tension pain and fatigue 1

• Reduced load-bearing capacity from weakened ligament rigidity increases demand on stabilizing muscles, which become chronically overworked and painful 1

• Repetitive microtrauma occurs because hypermobile joints experience recurrent subluxations, sprains, and soft tissue injuries even with minor physical activities 2, 3

• Altered biomechanics at hypermobile joints creates compensatory stress patterns that affect other body sites, causing pain beyond the hypermobile joints themselves 3

Clinical Presentation Patterns

The pain associated with hyperlaxity manifests in characteristic ways:

• Chronic joint and limb pain is listed as a minor diagnostic criterion for hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, reflecting its clinical significance 1

• Generalized arthralgia affecting multiple joints is common, particularly in young women, and may occur after even minor physical strains 2

• Localized symptoms include frequent ankle sprains, knee effusions, shoulder dislocations, and recurrent back pain episodes 2

• Abdominal pain is especially typical in hypermobile EDS patients, particularly pain triggered by eating or enteral feeding 1

Pain in Specific Conditions

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

• Chronic pain is the most menacing and difficult-to-treat complication of joint hypermobility syndrome, representing arguably the greatest clinical challenge 4

• Chronic joint or limb pain serves as a minor diagnostic criterion for hEDS, alongside joint hypermobility confirmed by Beighton score ≥5/9 1

• Patients with hEDS/hypermobility spectrum disorders have significantly poorer quality of life, with pain being a major contributor 1

Pregnancy-Related Hyperlaxity

• Pregnancy hormone-induced ligamentous laxity causes reduced ligament rigidity that weakens joint stability, increasing demand on stabilizing muscles and causing pain 1, 5

• Low back pain affects up to two-thirds of pregnancies, with pelvic girdle pain occurring in nearly 20%, both directly linked to joint laxity 1, 5

• Many researchers identify laxity as a contributing factor in pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain, low back pain, and knee pain 1

Osteoarthritis Risk

• Joint laxity is a modifiable risk factor for developing symptomatic osteoarthritis, particularly in the knee 1

• Ligamentous laxity contributes to abnormal load distribution across articular surfaces, accelerating cartilage erosion and disease progression 1

• Individuals with hyperlaxity face increased risk for premature osteoarthritis or polytopic disc degeneration of the spine 2

Diagnostic Approach

When evaluating pain in patients with suspected hyperlaxity:

• Use the Beighton scoring system (9-point scale) to objectively confirm generalized joint hypermobility: ≥5/9 in adults under 50, ≥4/9 in adults over 50 1, 6, 7

• Look for associated features including recurrent joint dislocations/subluxations, easy bruising, functional bowel disorders, and family history of similar features 1

• Screen for systemic complications as hyperlaxity is not purely musculoskeletal: aortic root dilation occurs in 25-33% of hypermobile EDS cases, and up to 98% experience gastrointestinal symptoms 1, 6

• Assess for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which commonly coexists with hyperlaxity and contributes to symptom burden 1, 6

Management Principles

• Neuromuscular retraining and physical rehabilitation form the cornerstone of treatment, strengthening stabilizing muscles to compensate for ligamentous laxity 1, 3

• Pain management should avoid opioids, which are specifically contraindicated for abdominal pain in hEDS and can worsen gastrointestinal dysmotility 1

• Neuromodulators (tricyclic antidepressants, SNRIs, gabapentin, pregabalin) can be considered for chronic pain management 1

• Activity modification is essential, particularly avoiding heavy lifting and high-impact activities that stress hypermobile joints 1, 5

Natural History and Prognosis

• Spontaneous improvement typically occurs between ages 30-40 as individuals lose their juvenile hyperlaxity, with most symptomatic patients experiencing resolution if they don't develop osteoarthritis 2

• However, chronic pain in hEDS represents a persistent challenge that often does not follow this benign trajectory and requires ongoing multidisciplinary management 4

• Pregnancy-related pain usually resolves spontaneously postpartum for most women, though those with higher pain severity during pregnancy face increased risk of persistent postpartum pain 1, 5

Critical Pitfalls to Avoid

• Dismissing pain as "just hypermobility" without recognizing it as a legitimate consequence of connective tissue pathology requiring active management 4, 3

• Failing to screen for systemic manifestations of underlying heritable connective tissue disorders when generalized joint hypermobility is present 1, 6, 3

• Overlooking the diagnostic odyssey many patients experience—refer to genetics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or rheumatology to establish proper diagnosis and prevent complications 7

• Prescribing opioids for chronic pain in hypermobility patients, particularly those with hEDS, as this worsens outcomes and gastrointestinal symptoms 1