Autistic people are more likely to have hypermobile joints than the general population. This can lead to motor system difficulties and frequent joint injuries. The relationship is not well understood, but both conditions affect the body’s connective tissues.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects how a person communicates, learns, and interacts with others. It’s usually diagnosed in childhood, and early symptoms can include repetitive behaviors and delayed speech development.
Autism may also have physical symptoms such as clumsiness, poor motor control, sensory hypersensitivity, and hypermobile joints. Hypermobility means having joints that stretch beyond their normal range of motion.
This does not typically cause uncomfortable symptoms, but it may lead to joint pain and other issues. Joint hypermobility is fairly common in the general population, but it seems to occur more frequently in autistic people and people with other forms of neurodivergence.
Joint hypermobility is not necessarily a sign of autism, but they’re connected.
There are several variations of joint hypermobility, but research has shown a
Generalized joint hypermobility includes:
- Hypermobility spectrum disorders: These are genetic connective tissue disorders that affect joints and ligaments.
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS): This genetic syndrome affects the connective tissues of the body, including bones, skin, blood vessels, and other organs.
Hypermobile conditions can share several
- motor difficulties
- hypersensitive senses
- autonomic dysfunction
While it has
Connective tissues hold the cells of your body together and are found in your muscles, tendons, bones, blood vessels, and internal organs.
Studies do indicate that symptomatic generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) plays a greater role in the connection between ASD and hypermobility than nonsymptomatic GJH. Further studies are needed to better understand this connection.
Get involved
If you’re autistic or neurodivergent and want to help scientists understand how joint mobility or other symptoms may manifest, you could become part of a clinical trial or survey. Check out ClinicalTrials.gov to learn more about currently open studies.
Always discuss participation in a clinical trial with your primary healthcare professional, especially if it will involve changes to your treatment plans.
There’s a strong link between joint hypermobility and neurodivergence. A
While it’s not understood why this happens, these findings are important in understanding some associated symptoms of neurodivergence, such as joint pain, increased muscle weakness, and injury.
This does not mean that all hypermobile people are neurodivergent. There are many forms of hypermobility, and it’s common in the general population, especially in children. Many people are hypermobile without experiencing any joint pain issues or symptoms of neurodivergence.
How do I know if I’m hypermobile?
If you’re hypermobile, you may find yourself more flexible than the average person. Sometimes this is called double-jointedness or having loose joints. The most commonly affected joints are wrists, elbows, knees and fingers.
In many cases, hypermobile people do not experience any pain or joint issues. However, in addition to flexible joints, you may have generalized joint hypermobility syndrome if you:
- tire easily
- have poor coordination or balance
- experience joint pain
- have frequent ligament and joint injuries
There’s no cure for hypermobility, but treatment methods focus on managing pain and protecting the joints. A key strategy for this is to improve muscle tone for better joint stability.
Some therapies used in managing joint hypermobility include:
- physical and occupational therapies
- podiatry
- pain management therapies
- braces or other physical supports
Working with a physical therapist or other healthcare professional who has experience with autistic clients can be helpful. They can find ways of supporting you that also take into account the sensory or processing difficulties that come with autism.
Symptoms of joint hypermobility in autistic people are more common in children and often improve with age. Regular monitoring and early treatment approaches can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Joint hypermobility is not a sign of autism, but they do share a strong connection. Many people with ASD will show signs of symptomatic GJH.
Additionally, ASD and GJH have several overlapping characteristics, such as motor difficulties, hypersensitive senses, and autonomic dysfunction.
Researchers are not sure why this relationship exists, but it’s thought that there may be a link in how each condition affects the body’s connective tissues.
Treatment approaches for symptomatic joint hypermobility can include physical therapy and pain management strategies to manage symptoms.
More research is needed to fully understand the connection between ASD and GJH.