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Orthopedic Services
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
1509 Wilson Terrace
Glendale, CA 91206
Ph: (818) 409-8000






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Our 14-year-old daughter is a very good ballet dancer with a potential career in ballet. She is very flexible -- probably too flexible. It almost seems like she injures herself often because the joints bend too far. Is there something that can be done to help tighten her up a bit?

It's possible your daughter has a condition known as generalized joint hypermobility (GJH). Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is defined as a condition in which most, if not all, of a person's joints are super flexible. They move past the range of motion that the normal, average person has. This type of connective tissue flexibility is sometimes referred to as being "double jointed". The person really only has one joint at each location. It's just that those joints move too far, too easily. Sprains, strains, subluxations (partial dislocations), and complete dislocations are common. The lack of restraint on the joints in someone with GJH contributes to joint injuries (especially of the knee). Without stiff ligaments, there's no tension keeping the joint from sliding too far. This condition has been seen in a wide range of athletes from ballet dancers to football players. In fact, some experts suggest that the extra flexibility helps these folks excell at their sport. Certainly in the ballet world, joint extensibility is an added bonus. There aren't any real studies comparing ways to "stiffen up" joints. The most common sense approach seems to be to strengthen the muscles around the joint. The muscles then function more as a restraint system. The muscles offer active restraint when and where the abnormally loose ligaments don't provide the passive restraint needed to prevent injury. You may want to check with your primary care physician to see if there is any kind of medical diagnosis for this condition. If it's just a matter of being on the loose end of normal, then muscle strengthening may be the way to go. A physical therapist or athletic trainer will be able to set up a program specifically geared toward muscle strengthening for prevention of joint injuries caused by joint hypermobility.

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