Hi everyone, the physiotherapist at the hospital told me that Nuffield gym were offering special classes and rates for people with joint pain. I registered and have just started. For twelve weeks you attend two classes and pay £2 per session but you also get full use of the gym including pool and other classes for free. After that you can use the gym for another twelve weeks at a reduced rate of £16 and then from that point half price membership. I think it is a brilliant deal and so far the classes have been really gentle but with the potential to work at your own pace with lots of support. I will let you know how I get on regarding pain, etc but as there is very little else to be done for this condition I think it is worth a try.
P.s for some reason I can’t go back and edit but it is £16 per month
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Taurea
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Is this all Nuffield gyms pls? or just one only. I was a member of Nuffield, and did not renew my membership because of how the gym was renovated and that you could never get into any of the classes. When I was diagnosed with osteoporosis the Nuffield physio never told me about these classes. It sounds like a brilliant idea. Is the instructor herself, hypermobile?
After a bit of searching online I found information about it and filled in a form registering interest. You had to state your nearest gym, so I’m presuming it takes place in several. Someone then phoned me up and asked me a few questions. I’ve also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia (although I think my symptoms are pretty much covered by the hypermobility syndrome diagnosis). Hypermobility itself wasn’t on the list of conditions the course is aimed at but joint pain generally, fibromyalgia, arthritis were. The focus of the course is building muscle strength because it is that which supports the joints. The instructor doesn’t have special training related to hypermobility but so far the exercises have been gentler and less stretching than those I did during a 6 week Pilates course with a physio at the hospital specifically for hypermobility and it was she who recommended the Nuffield course to me. I also took part in some clinical research to do with hypermobility where the doctor couldn’t stress enough that exercise and muscle building was really important. Nuffield haven’t asked for any medical evidence but you do have to go through a medical questionnaire to assess that you are suitable. Most of the other people on the course are quite a bit older (I am in my fifties) but that could be because the course is during the daytime (I am currently not working) but I think they run one in the evenings too. You could check with your doctor to see if it is suitable if they run it at your local gym.
When I saw a rheumy years ago my Beighton score was 8, is this score used Taurea when they assessed you?. With osteoporosis you need to keep your muscles strong to support your bones and to build stronger bones like with hypermobility to support your joints. Thanks very much for posting this.
Yes the Beighton score was used (thumb to wrist etc). I didn’t score nearly as high as you but as I’m over 50 and met other criteria such as stretch marks from a young age without being overweight, flat feet and of course joint pain I was given the diagnosis. I was only diagnosed less than a year ago after experiencing symptoms for years. Things probably got much worse around menopause.
My two daughters have scoliosis (one has had major surgery and one is about to) which is also connected to hypermobility syndrome so I think there is definitely something genetic going on.
My gp at the time, would not accept that I had a hypermobility issue and when I was finally diagnosed by a rheumy I changed my gp surgery. I joined the HMSA (a hypermobility support group) and it helped me a lot. Like you I started having hypermobile joint issues in my early fifties A lot of medical practitioners do not seem to accept that a lot of women start having hypermobile joint issues at that time of their life because they think only teenage girls are hypermobile. From my own personal experience it is a very misunderstood syndrome.
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