No, I am not. I am only a mere 3/9 on the Beighton score (a scale that I took in physio to measure hypermobility) and was never the bendy type even throughout childhood. I currently only have localized hypermobility in my left arm and hand, along with hitchhiker’s thumbs on both. I’ll talk more about this.

I was in physio for wholly different reasons than hypermobility, but I had to go through the test anyways due to suspicion. The test came out, and it turned out that I was not. The main reason I was in physio in the first place was due to dyspraxia, which is a coordination disorder that causes clumsiness and motor delay. The snapping hip that I have comes from the low muscle tone we dyspraxics often have. It’s due to the weakness of my hip abductors, which resulted in extremely tight IT band tendons. The tendon is what makes the hip snap when we flex it. I was a floppy baby. However, I could never do those tricks where kids moved their shoulders in weird ways over their heads, I couldn’t bend my fingers back until they touched the back of my hand, I couldn’t grasp my hands together at the back, I always needed a back scratcher which I borrowed from my dad, I couldn’t do the splits, and I sucked at gymnastics. Snapping my hip was literally the only party trick that I could actually do as a kid that freaked people out.

If you want to participate, please read closely! I suspect a lot of people are missing certain instructions when they try out the Beighton Score!

1. Each individual joint is 1 point. If BOTH of your elbows bend backwards, then you count TWO points, one for each.

2. If you USED TO be able to do it, but can no longer, THAT POINT STILL COUNTS.

3. If you suspect you are hypermobile, check out THIS POST for some important reading about the nature of hypermobility. Even most doctors don't realize the way hypermobility impacts a person's health.

4. If you are hypermobile, it is worth your time to check out THIS POST about Morton's Foot Syndrome. This syndrome, when paired with hypermobility, can fuck you up for real, causing widespread pain and disability.

Now with that out of the way...

What is the Beighton Score?

The Beighton Score is a clinical tool to assess Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH). The Beighton Score has been used for many years as an indicator of joint hypermobility syndrome. It can quickly and easily assess generalized joint hypermobility using a 9-point scale. It is used solely as a clinical resource and screening tool. Joints included are the thumb, spine, elbow, knee, and the base of…

[Description of images: woman performing the Beighton test (i.e. bending some joints so that they’re hyperextended) in a field - see more detail below]

I've been asked a number of times now by medical professionals and other people to demonstrate my hypermobility in various ways. Regular people ask me if I can put my feet behind my head. Medical professionals ask me to take the Beighton test. It's basically a test where you're asked to do some contortions, and if you can do 4 or more of them, then it's a sign of hypermobility/joint laxity/double-jointedness. By itself, it's actually no big deal. Hypermobility can give you a competitive advantage in activities like ballet or gymnastics or even swimming. But if you have hypermobility plus some other symptoms (particularly joint pain), it could indicate Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) or some sub-types of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).  This post is to raise awareness of hypermobility, JHS, and EDS.

‘Development and validation of self-reported line drawings of the modified Beighton score for the assessment of generalised joint hypermobility’ (2018) – Development_and_validation_of_self-reported_line_d (PDF)

“The self-reported instrument provides a valid and reliable assessment of the presence of generalised joint hypermobility and may have practical use in epidemiological studies.”

Beighton Score for Hypermobility  The Beighton Score has been used for many years as an indicator of joint hypermobility syndrome. Now, it is used more as a clinical tool to perform a quick assessment for generalized hypermobility; however, there are 2 key points to remember according to Hypermobility Syndromes Association’s website: “i. A high Beighton score by itself does not mean that an…

The Beighton score is what Is used to diagnose Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. people without EDS will normally score 1 or 2 points out of 9 but if you score 4 or above it indicates that you have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

how the beighton score is calculated;

One point if while standing forward bending you can place palms on the ground with legs straight

One point for each elbow that bends backwards

One point for each knee that bends backwards

One point for each thumb that touches the forearm when bent backwards