Hypermobile children end up in some impressively awkward positions.  It can feel uncomfortable just to look at the way their arms or legs are bent.   It can be an awkward position with any part of the body; shoulders that allow an arm to fold under the body and the child lies on top of the arm, crawling on the backs of the hands instead of the palms, standing on the sides of the feet, not the soles.

The mom of a child I currently treat told me that this topic is frequently appearing on her online parent’s group.  Mostly innocent questions of “Does your child do this too?”  and responses like “At least she is finally moving on her own”  When I met her child, she was rolling her head backward to such a degree that it was clearly a risk to her cervical (neck) spine.  We gradually decreased this behavior, and have almost eliminated it.  This child is using it to get attention when she is frustrated, not to explore movement or propel herself around the room.  Time to teach other ways to get an adult’s attention and express frustration.

Because of their extreme flexibility and the additional gradual stretching effects of these positions, most children will not register or report pain in these positions.  Those of us with typical levels of flexibility can’t quite imagine that they aren’t in pain.  Unfortunately, because of their decreased proprioception Hypermobility and Proprioception: Why Loose Joints Create Sensory Processing Problems for Children and decreased sense of stability, many hypermobile kids will intentionally get into these awkward postures as they seek more sensory input.  It can actually feel good to them to feel something!

The fact that your child isn’t in pain at the moment doesn’t mean that there isn’t damage occurring as you watch them contort their bodies, but the underlying inflammation and injury may only be perceived later, and sometimes not for years.  Possibly not until tissue is seriously damaged, or a joint structure is injured.  Nobody wants that to happen. Read   Safety Awareness With Your Hypermobile Child? Its Not a Big Thing, Its the Biggest Thing.  If you think that there is a chance that your child is more than just loose-limbed, ask your therapist to read Could Your Pediatric Therapy Patient Have a Heritable Disorder of Connective Tissue? and get their opinion on whether to pursue more evaluations.  Some causes of hypermobility have effects on other parts of the body.  An informed parent is the best defense.

Here is what you can do about all those awkward postures:

• Discuss this behavior with your OT or PT, or with both of them.  If they haven’t seen a particular behavior, take a photo or video on your phone.
• Your professional team should be able to explain the risks, and help you come up with a plan.  For the child I mentioned above, we placed her on a cushion in a position where she could not initiate this extreme cervical hyperextension.  Then we used Dr. Harvey Karp’s “kind ignoring” strategy.  We turned away from her for a few seconds, and as soon as she stopped fussing, we offered a smile and a fun activity.  After a few tries, she got the message and the fussing was only seconds.  And it happens very infrequently now, not multiple times per day.
• Inform everyone that cares for your child about your plan to respond to these behaviors, to ensure consistency.  Even nonverbal children learn routines and read body language.  Just one adult who ignores the behavior will make getting rid of a behavior much, much harder.
• Find out as much as you can about safe positioning and movement.  Your therapists are experts in this area.  Their ideas may not be complicated, and they will have practical suggestions for you.  I will admit that not all therapists will approach you on this subject.  You may have to initiate this discussion and request their help.  There are posts on this blog that could help you start a conversation.  Read Three Ways To Reduce W-Sitting (And Why It Matters) and Kids With Low Muscle Tone: The Hidden Problems With Strollers  and How To Reposition Your Child’s Legs When They “W-Sit”.  Educate yourself so that you know how to respond when your child develops a new movement pattern that creates a new risk.  Kids are creative, but proactive parents can respond effectively!!

Looking for more information on hypermobility?

I wrote 2 books for you!

My first, The JointSmart Child:  Living and Thriving With Hypermobility Volume One:  The Early Years is your guide to helping your child develop independence and safety from birth through age 5.  Filled with practical strategies to help parents understand the complexities of hypermobility, it empowers parents every step of the way.  In addition to addressing all the basic self-care skills kids need to learn, it covers selecting chairs, trikes, even pajamas!  There are checklists for potty training and forms that parents can use to help communicate with teachers, therapists, family members…even doctors!

“Dr. Google” isn’t helping parents figure out how to help their kiss with PWS, SPD, ASD, Down syndrome, and all the other diagnoses that result in significant joint hypermobility.  This is the book that provides real answers in everyday language, not medical jargon.

Read more about this book, and get a peek at part of chapter 3 on positioning for success by reading The JointSmart Child Series: Parents of Young Hypermobile Children Can Feel More Empowered and Confident Today!

This unique book is available on Amazon as a paperback or as an affordable read-only download, or on Your Therapy Source as a printable and click-able download.  Feel more empowered and confident as a parent…today!

Is Your Hypermobile Child Older Than 5?  THIS is the book for You!

The jointSmart Child:  Living and Thriving With Hypermobility Volume Two: The School Years is a larger, more comprehensive book that helps the parents and therapists of older children ages 6-12 navigate school needs, build full ADL independence, and increase safety in all areas of life, including sports participation.  Need to know how to pick the right chair, desk, sport, even musical instrument?  Got it.

Want to feel empowered, not aggravated, at medical appointments?  Got that too!  There are forms and checklists that parents can use to improve school meetings and therapists can use for home programs and professional presentations.  Read more about it here: Parents and Therapists of Hypermobile School-Age Kids Finally Have a Practical Guidebook!

Get this practical and insightful book today on  Amazon .  Don’t have a Kindle?  Don’t worry:  Amazon has an easy method to load it onto your iPhone or iPad!  If you want to be able to print it out, go to  Your Therapy Source and grab their version.  And save some $$$ by buying it in one of their bundles.  They discount my books when you buy more than one.  You can even bundle one of the books on hypermobility with my book on potty training, The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child With Low Muscle Tone.