11/24/2025
As a hypermobile physical therapist who works with hypermobile clients every day, I know firsthand how confusing it can be to figure out whether what you’re feeling is “normal flexibility” or hypermobility. Many people go many years without realizing that their joints move differently, and that their pain, fatigue, or frequent injuries are connected to it. If you’ve ever wondered whether you might be hypermobile, here are a few signs you can look for on your own.
How to Know if You Are Hypermobile
1. Your joints move a lot sometimes too much.
Hypermobile joints have an excessive range of motion, past what is “normal” range for a joint. You may notice that you can bend your elbows or knees backward, touch the floor easily with straight legs, or perform “party trick” positions. But hypermobility isn’t just about being flexible, it’s about joint laxity that can make your body feel unstable or unsupported.
2. You experience recurring aches, pains, or injuries.
Joint instability can place extra stress on the surrounding muscles, ligaments and joints, which often have to work overtime to keep you upright. If you deal with frequent sprains, strains, tendon irritation, or “mystery pain,” hypermobility may be part of the picture.
3. Fatigue is a familiar feeling.
Because your body works harder to control loose joints, hypermobile individuals often experience disproportionate fatigue—especially after standing, walking, or exercising.
4. You may feel clumsy, uncoordinated, or “out of alignment.”
If you frequently lose your balance, bump into things, or feel like your joints don’t always track smoothly, this can be a sign of poor proprioception, which is common in hypermobility.
5. Standard workouts don’t always feel good.
It can be difficult to stick to a workout routine due to aches, pains and/or recurrent injury.
If these signs resonate with you, you’re not alone, and you’re not imagining it. A skilled physical therapist can help you get clarity, build stability, and finally feel at home in your body. Want to learn more about signs and symptoms used to diagnose hypermobility syndromes? Click here to learn about the criteria for generalized joint hypermobility, click here Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, and here for criteria for hypermobility Elher Danlos Syndrome.
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