by Michael Mekhail, Registered Massage Therapist

Have you always been incredibly flexible, showing your friends all the unusual circus tricks your body can naturally perform? You may have a connective tissue difference (I’m reluctant to say ‘disorder’). That means your body mostly makes collagen that doesn’t snap back like a rubber band, but can retain its stretched position – you could be hypermobile. Hypermobility is a spectrum from being really bendy to meeting the criteria for a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).

Hypermobile individuals naturally excel at yoga, ballet, gymnastics and dance – anything that requires supernatural ranges of motion. But there are often other challenges that hypermobile people have to navigate, such as low blood pressure (from super bendy blood vessels), ADHD (yup, there’s a strong correlation), IBS and gut issues, autoimmune disorders, muscle tightness, TMJD (jaw dysfunction), chronic pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, and being prone to injuries.

I love bringing awareness to individuals who always thought they were just quirky and connecting the dots to a connective tissue difference. Once a person makes the connections, they can start to implement lifestyle changes that really make a difference.

For example, strength training can tone muscles and thicken connective tissues to support joints.

Also, learning about foods you’re intolerant to.

And, a massage from an informed RMT can soothe an overactive nervous system, bring awareness into the body and relieve muscle pain – of course, I’m biased.