Is yoga bad for hypermobility syndrome?

Maybe you need to find the right kind of yoga

To all the people who have pressed me to do yoga over the years, let me tell you — the right kind of yoga for me is not-yoga.

The last time I struck a yoga pose, I dislocated my knee, damaged the cartilage irreparably, and got stuck with a limp that still comes back sometimes.

The time before that, I hurt my shoulder.

The time before that, I don’t exactly remember what happened because I fainted from the intolerable pain.

‘Why?’ you might ask.

I have hypermobility syndrome

As you would have guessed by now, I have hypermobility syndrome. Imagine a brick wall stuck together with chewing gum instead of cement. That’s what my body feels like.

So, is yoga bad for me? Based on what has happened to my knees and shoulders, yes. I’m already too stretchy, and my body can’t support those stretches properly.

That’s my experience. It isn’t a verdict on every hypermobile person’s body.

And yet still, and despite explaining this over and over again, it feels like there is an actual conspiracy to make me do yoga.

It isn’t your place to tell me about yoga (unless I ask)

Even if yoga is helpful for someone else with hypermobility, it’s not your place to keep rattling on about it. I didn’t ask you to tell me about yoga.

By all means, if I say, ‘I’m at the end of my rope, and I need to start some exercises, do you have any recommendations?’ — tell me what has helped you. Just don’t promise me a cure-all.

In the meantime, if I didn’t ask you, don’t force yoga down my throat. As many people with a chronic pain condition can tell you, if it is supposed to help, we’ve probably tried it.

I think that’s why it bothers me so much when people recommend yoga — or anything else — as a kind of miracle fix that will make my hypermobility syndrome so much better.

Who are you to assume that I haven’t tried hard enough? Who are you to believe that you know what’s good for me and my hypermobility syndrome?

Someone else having a good experience doesn’t undo the injuries I’ve had. It doesn’t make my answer less valid.

It isn’t just about yoga or hypermobility syndrome

Most people with chronic pain are faced with the false idea that they are still in pain because they haven’t done enough to help themselves.

And this false idea is really disheartening. It is toxic positivity. I mean, why can’t people accept that my body isn’t getting better?

People who don’t live with chronic pain issues often like to believe there is something to be done, perhaps because they’d like to think in the same situation, they would get better.

It feels like people who don’t live with these problems fail to understand there isn’t an easy fix. For me, there is pain management.

Look — I know that yoga isn’t good for me, or my hypermobility syndrome, and yet every couple of years, I give it a go and fuck myself up. Why? Because everyone else seems to think it’s a great idea.

When I am deep in pain, I get desperate. I do things I know won’t help or have little chance of helping. I drink apple cider vinegar. Bicarbonate of soda. Lemon juice. I try Pilates. I stop Pilates. I go gluten-free. I stop eating sugar. I walk more. I walk too fast. I walk less. I don’t walk at all. I try yoga.

Eventually, the pain of hypermobility syndrome subsides because, thankfully, in my case, that is just what it does.

When I am in that dark place, I need real support. So you want to help with my hypermobility pain? Ask me what I need from you. I’ll give you a clue — it has nothing to do with yoga. So stop telling me to do yoga!

Can hypermobile people do yoga?

Editorial context from URevolution, added for this revision. Miriam’s account above describes her own experience; the information below is general and does not replace individual clinical advice.

Yoga is not automatically bad for everyone with hypermobility, but overstretching can worsen joint instability. Some people may be able to adapt their practice; others may need different activities. If you have pain, unstable joints or previous injuries, a physiotherapist familiar with hypermobility can help assess what is appropriate for you.

NHS Inform’s guidance on joint hypermobility specifically cautions against overstretching hypermobile areas during flexibility-focused exercise such as yoga. Being able to reach a position does not, by itself, tell you whether that position suits your joints.

Hypermobility is not always an illness

Some people have unusually mobile joints without pain or other problems. The NHS distinguishes this from symptomatic joint hypermobility, which can involve pain, stiffness, sprains or dislocations. Miriam’s diagnosis language is retained here; this revision does not assign her a different diagnosis.

Why stretching more may not help

The Ehlers-Danlos Society’s physical therapy guidance emphasizes joint control and appropriately adapted strengthening for people with EDS or hypermobility spectrum disorders. Gentle stretching can help some tight muscles, but stretching beyond a normal range can contribute to instability. Feeling tight does not necessarily mean a joint needs more range.

There is no single list of yoga poses that this essay can declare safe for every reader. A physiotherapist can help identify suitable movements and adaptations. Discuss new or high levels of pain, worsening symptoms or changes in your ability to function with them; an exercise may need to change.

What to say instead of “have you tried yoga?”

Try asking, “Would you like suggestions, or would you rather I listen?” If someone has already said an activity hurts them, accept the answer. You can offer practical help without making it conditional on another attempt at your preferred exercise.

Movement can be part of managing hypermobility. Respecting someone’s limits should be part of supporting them.