Hypermobility and Training
Joint hypermobility, as it is commonly referred to, is defined by the identification of excessive range of motion in some joints. Joint hypermobility in itself is not a problem, but when associated with pain or other symptoms, it can affect health and function.
Evidence for management with physical therapy is sparse, and strength training may be a potential future intervention. This study will evaluate the effects of 12 weeks of strength training on muscle properties and function in women with generalized joint hypermobility.
This single, blinded, randomized, controlled trial will include
Women aged 20-40 years with generalized joint hypermobility were included, and participants were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of resistance training, twice weekly or unchanged.
The resistance training focused on leg and trunk muscles, with the primary outcome focused on muscle strength, as well as muscle properties such as muscle mass and density, functional activity, pain, and disability. In addition, training compliance and adverse events would be recorded.
Results.
Of the 51 women who participated in the study, 27 were randomized to training and 24 were randomized to the control group.
In each group, 11 women had joint hypermobility syndromes that met the Brighton criteria, while 24 in the training group and 21 in the control group were mentioned for pain.
Regarding the average strength of the knee extensor muscle groups, in the
In the training group
0.63 (sd 0.16) N / bm before training → 0.64 (sd 0.17) N / bm
In the control group
0.53 (sd 0.14) N / bm → 0.54 (sd 0.15) N / bm
For this and all other outcome measures, there were no significant differences between groups due to the intervention, with many variables showing high standard deviations. Adherence to training was good, with 63% of participants performing at least 80% of the sessions, although one adverse event occurred during training, which was not clearly related to training.
In conclusion, we were not able to identify any changes due to self strength training. This appears to be due to the low intensity and the need for a more individualized and properly supervised environment.
Luder, G., Aeberli, D., Mebes, C.M. et al. Effect of resistance training on muscle properties and function in women with generalized joint hypermobility : a single-blind pragmatic randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 13, 10 (2021). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00238-8
Conclusion
The results of this study did not confirm an increase in muscle strength through self-training. Other studies have shown improvements in similar situations, but this study was not able to replicate the results.
One of the problems with this study was that the resistance was not strong enough, and most of the participants were only applying about 80% of the maximum resistance.In a way, I thought the results were more practical than the overly positive results of the study, because the weaknesses of self-training were directly expressed in the study.
In the aforementioned study, a physical therapist seems to have managed it, but as long as you are doing it on your own, the results may be similar. If you want to avoid this, you can do it at home, but if you do it while managing it remotely, you may see some changes.
For those who have started to gain muscle strength but have fallen behind, the content suggests that progress can be made with the eyes of others, but ideally, it would be desirable to have a program that understands your symptoms and other factors.
