Double jointed and beyond - yiuck!?

Hi all - wonder if you can advise me. Last night at big choir practice I go to the woman sitting next to me (don't know her) suddenly got her hand tugged her pinky right back and then did same with other fingers - all loudly snapping. Then she tugged her forefinger really hard so it seemed to come out of the joint and then pushed it back into the joint with equal force - all made very loud clicks. I had to move away and sit behind her for the second half it was unbearable!

My fingers won't even bend back let alone be snapped about violently in this way. Might there be a medical explanation for this behaviour does anyone know? It really made me feel quite sick when I'm trying to protect and cherish my own poor fingers - I wanted to tell her to stop or she'd end up ruining her hands but couldn't course. If anyone knows of an arthritic condition that means this is a good idea/ necessary please do tell me. Meanwhile I will avoid sitting next to her ever again! Tilda

[Jetblack]

Hi TIida,

She may have a condition called Hypermobility Joint Syndrome, which is loose jointed ness, it means that the joints are very loose, they can click very loud, and come out of their sockets, it means what she did she did not feel a thing, when she did what she did and it felt very normal to her if unforuntaely not to you. She may have had a lot of treatment for this or not, I know because on top of RA which i have only just been diagnosed with i have had this since the age of 7. I have had a lot of treatment for it, hydrotherapy for a year, physio therapy, a lot of time on crutches, in splints, in neck collars, and a serious knee operation as i completely dislocated my knee. I have dislocated every joint in my body including my jaw. I was horrendulsy bullied at school because of this condition at primary school that is, espeically when discloating hip joints and shoulder joints, and people avoided sitting next to me, my uncle, my cousin, my brothers also have this, we have hypermobility joint syndrome from the jaw line down, some of my family have had no problems ie arhtiris while my brother and i went on to have the autoimmune disease. You can check it out on the internet. I have suffered with it for almost 40 years, and it is horrendous for me and for my brother who has endured some serious surgery too, and he battles psoratic arthritis on top along with four other illnesses, it causes us a lot of pain, and pain killers do not work as well for us when we have problems. I have suffered a lot of hassles and discrimmination due to this condition, and I know others who have this have too, when your joints are so lax, you can dislocate at will, it is not much fun when almost being hit by a car. or anywhere else, people think you are a freak show. Perhaps when you see her next ask a few questions about it, and then you will not feel so queasy, She may not realise she upset you and may apologise,

[cathie]

Maybe she should sing the click song - sorry!

I agree this sounds more than double jointed ness I used to be able to bend my thumb right back. Don't blame you for moving

Xxx

[Hidden]

Thanks Jetblack that is exactly what I needed to know. If I hadn't been having such problems with my own hands I would only have been curious not horrified but it felt like hand abuse to me! Now I know about Hypermobility I'll feel sympathy rather than revulsion - it just looked so deliberate and reminded me of an extreme case of when my son cracks his fingers and knuckles to release air and annoy me! Poor woman and poor you I can see how hard that must be.

Unfortunately I took the place next to her because I arrived a bit late and my usual neighbor and friend hadn't got there yet so I took the closest seat in front rather than sit on my own at the very back. My friend then arrived and I was able to move back to my normal place. But this woman wasn't going to smile or engage with me anyway because I was a seat imposter - which didn't help my feelings of annoyance at what she was doing to her hands much! But from now on I will try to be more compassionate and open minded if someone cracks or pulls theiir fingers or knuckles I promise.

And yes Cathie I used to be able to pull my thumb right back too! TTx

[Hidden]

Hi, I have a milder version of Hypermobility, it's in my family, but I am the only one of all seven sisters with RA. I can appear to be an expert in the Yoga class I go to (I am not), and people really do not believe I have RA as I am supposed to be stiff jointed.

I can stand with straight legs and then put my hands on the floor, and other "party tricks" which are not really a good idea. Its like having loose elastic instead of tendons. My knees nearly bend backwards, and I have recently been diagnosed with a shoulder tendon "being in the wrong place!"

Also I have a tendency to fall over as my ankles are too loose.

My Consultant likes to bring the medical students in to look at me! Last November she told me that RA and Hypermobility is an unfortunate combination to have. I replied it wasn't a combination that I chose!!

I think the worst form of the Syndrome is something called Ehler Danloss Syndrome, but I have no idea if I have spelled that right. (A character on the soap: Coronation Street has it, and uses a wheelchair.)

[Jetblack]

Catie, there is no such thing as double jointedness, please read the earlier post to Tilda that i posted yesterday, Phoebe, I feel for you as in the same boat as you, it is weird when our joints are loose and stiff, One of my viterbae come out in my twenties, and it was put in with no painkillers, and the dr fainted, It drives me mad, thanks catie for your comments, Really useful!!!! You should check out the diagnosis on the internet, it is no fun when joints click or the problems it causes.

[Hidden]

Okay wait up Jetblack Cathie was just trying to make me feel better. I'm on a bit of a short fuse just now as father-in-law is about to die and husband is going of at dawn to be with him (if he's still with us) so I was only asking to find out so I didn't put foot in it by asking her to stop if I have to sit next to her again - and you have explained now thanks - I thought she was just doing it thoughtlessly but now I know better - although still not convinced from what you've explained that pulling finger out of joint and then shoving it back in would be such a good idea for someone with this condition? I thought doctors were meant to be robust so why on earth did one faint when only doing their job?! TTx

[aston]

I am very hypermobile, although the last few years my joints don't twist and bend into strange shapes because of the RA, but i do remember showing off in the playground, with my funny shaped fingers and toes and the fact i could pop my hip in and out. needless to say the hip is agony now!!! it never used to hurt me when i did this, bit im not going to give it a go now. I still click my fingers and wrists but this is because if I dont they become stuck and painful and clicking them releases then.

my son is hypermobile and i nag him all the time not to click his fingers or bend them right back showing off.....

[Hidden]

I think the woman in the choir was probably just doing the same thing as you now I reflect Aston - ie stopping them from getting studk but it was shocking to my eye that's all! TTx