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Hey so just to riff on the theme of "biomechanics stuff I wish I could tell my younger self"
I wanted to talk about how I walked/moved for a lot of my life, and why it's particularly not great if you have a connective tissue disorder like #EDS https://twitter.com/UntoNuggan/status/1328573105023967232
I wanted to talk about how I walked/moved for a lot of my life, and why it's particularly not great if you have a connective tissue disorder like #EDS https://twitter.com/UntoNuggan/status/1328573105023967232
Note I'm still learning a lot about weird connective tissue stuff, so I don't know how much of the following applies to like...people with more sturdy connective tissue
So I come from a family of mostly short, type A people, and on family trips or outings we always walked really fast
I would do this by basically swinging my leg forward really far, and then stepping forward while swinging the other leg, repeat
I would do this by basically swinging my leg forward really far, and then stepping forward while swinging the other leg, repeat
Side note: taking long strides is harder on your sacroiliac joint, but I digress
Anyway, a lot of my movements for a long time were basically like...fling whatever limb in roughly the direction I wanted it to go, and let inertia or gravity slow it down eventually
(I'm a little foggy so apologies if I mix up some terms)
basically with connective tissue disorders, our joints keep going past their intended range of motion and we hyperextend
And the more we hyperextend and stretch out our lax ligaments, the easier it is to hyperextend
basically with connective tissue disorders, our joints keep going past their intended range of motion and we hyperextend
And the more we hyperextend and stretch out our lax ligaments, the easier it is to hyperextend
Until we hit a point where there's an accumulation of soft tissue injuries and we stiffen up in response
Either because of muscle spasm as our muscles try to stabilize our joints, with trigger points that from in those tight muscles
Either because of muscle spasm as our muscles try to stabilize our joints, with trigger points that from in those tight muscles
Or because we have subluxed or dislocated a joint often enough that we start to damage the joint itself, and end up with arthritis or other issues
(This is why hypermobility isn't always a good indicator of connective tissue disorders in adults)
(This is why hypermobility isn't always a good indicator of connective tissue disorders in adults)
If you think of just a door in your house (the kind that swings open, not the sliding kind)
Most people have a door stopper to keep the door from hitting the wall
Those of us with connective tissue disorders don't have that door stopper for our joints
Most people have a door stopper to keep the door from hitting the wall
Those of us with connective tissue disorders don't have that door stopper for our joints
Maybe for a long time we don't realize door stoppers are even a thing, and we just keep banging the door against the wall
Maybe eventually we notice the damage and try to be really careful not to open the door too far. But inevitably there are days when we do.
Maybe eventually we notice the damage and try to be really careful not to open the door too far. But inevitably there are days when we do.
I tried to come up with a pithy way to explain this, but idk if "bendy people, please don't fling your limbs around" would make sense without context
[Medical BS]
I've also done this just...swinging my joints around thing in front of A Lot of PE teachers and physical therapists and yoga teachers
And it wasn't until I started seeing someone who knew about hypermobility that I got more feedback about...not doing that
I've also done this just...swinging my joints around thing in front of A Lot of PE teachers and physical therapists and yoga teachers
And it wasn't until I started seeing someone who knew about hypermobility that I got more feedback about...not doing that
[Exercise]
The PT that I like always tells me to "keep it sub-maximum" and not to do the exercises as hard as I can
The PT that I like always tells me to "keep it sub-maximum" and not to do the exercises as hard as I can
[Exercise]
I've been doing the Muldowney protocol, and typically one adds 10 seconds to each set of exercises per day
But I had to back way off because while technically I could do it for that long, I was doing it by flinging my body around
I've been doing the Muldowney protocol, and typically one adds 10 seconds to each set of exercises per day
But I had to back way off because while technically I could do it for that long, I was doing it by flinging my body around
[Exercise]
It's a lot slower, but now I basically am very conservative about increasing the time that I'm doing each exercise so that I actually have good form
It's a lot slower, but now I basically am very conservative about increasing the time that I'm doing each exercise so that I actually have good form
[Exercise]
One type of PT that has been particularly helpful for this issue is called "active range of motion exercises" or AROM
There's no weights or anything, it's literally just moving a joint back and forth *without* hyperextending it
Which is surprisingly hard
One type of PT that has been particularly helpful for this issue is called "active range of motion exercises" or AROM
There's no weights or anything, it's literally just moving a joint back and forth *without* hyperextending it
Which is surprisingly hard
[Exercise]
The idea is to basically build muscle memory of how to move your joints *without* hyperextending
I find it also helps with proprioception (sense of your body in space)
The idea is to basically build muscle memory of how to move your joints *without* hyperextending
I find it also helps with proprioception (sense of your body in space)
[Exercise]
With a connective tissue disorder, some injuries are just inevitable
But this spring, I caught myself before I rolled my ankle three times. And I think these types of exercises helped.
With a connective tissue disorder, some injuries are just inevitable
But this spring, I caught myself before I rolled my ankle three times. And I think these types of exercises helped.
[Exercise]
The one downside to range of motion exercises during a pandemic is that it's even harder for many people to access physical therapy
It's hard to know how to move a joint without hyperextending if you don't have someone to let you know you're going too far
The one downside to range of motion exercises during a pandemic is that it's even harder for many people to access physical therapy
It's hard to know how to move a joint without hyperextending if you don't have someone to let you know you're going too far
[Exercise]
And obviously, if you do an active range of motion exercise incorrectly...
Then you're basically just hyperextending your joint over and over which is the opposite of helpful
And obviously, if you do an active range of motion exercise incorrectly...
Then you're basically just hyperextending your joint over and over which is the opposite of helpful
I really need someone to make a website or infographics or videos or whatever that are just "here is a healthy range of motion for this joint"
Possibly with bonus content like "don't do these specific motions with these joints or you will hurt"
Possibly with bonus content like "don't do these specific motions with these joints or you will hurt"
Like sitting in the front seat of a car and reaching for something on the seat behind you is Made of Regrets, and also I didn't realize for so long and even now I still sometimes do it without thinking about it
Anyway, be kind to your joints, they are trying their best
But also if your mood is more "eff this body, when do I get to upload my brain to a robot body" that's totally valid too
Oh yay videos for hypermobile people about range of motion exist! The internet is magic https://twitter.com/pinky_or_brain/status/1329156265457586178?s=19
