Do You have Hypermobility Syndrome? Take the Beighton test

• http://hypermobility.org/help-advice/hypermobility-syndromes/beighton-score/

Note that a high Beighton score by itself does not mean that an individual has a hypermobility syndrome. Other symptoms and signs need to also be present.

Neither does a low score indicate that hypermobility is not present. as hypermobility can be present at a number of sites that are not assessed in the Beighton questionnaire such as the jaw joint (‘TMJ’), neck (cervical spine), shoulders, mid (thoracic) spine, hips, ankles and feet and skin (abnormally stretchy skin.)

The Beighton score is calculated as follows:

1. One point if while standing forward bending you can place palms on the ground with legs straight
2. One point for each elbow that bends backwards
3. One point for each knee that bends backwards
4. One point for each thumb that touches the forearm when bent backwards
5. One point for each little finger that bends backwards beyond 90 degrees.

Another quick tool to use is the hypermobility questionnaire. An answer of ‘Yes’ to 2 or more of the questions gives a very high prediction of the presence of hypermobility. Again, like the Beighton score, this does not mean that the person has a hypermobility Syndrome.

• Can you now (or could you ever) place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees?
• Can you now (or could you ever) bend your thumb to touch your forearm?
• As a child did you amuse your friends by contorting your body into strange shapes OR could you do the splits?
• As a child or teenager did your shoulder or kneecap dislocate on more than one occasion?
• Do you consider yourself double-jointed?

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