20 Symptoms and Causes of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

2. Overly flexible joints

One of the characteristics of EDS is overly flexible joints. Due to the fact that the connective tissue holding all the joints together is looser, the joints are able to move more freely, often far beyond the usual range of motion. Due to this, joint dislocations and pain are quite common in patients with EDS.

Humans can only tell how far their joint is supposed to move based on the resistance that it gives when they attempt to bend it one way or the other. Since people with EDS don’t feel much resistance when hyperextending their joints, they are far more likely to dislocate it on accident than those with tighter joints.

This danger becomes especially prominent in those who participate in martial arts. Patients with EDS who participate in grappling arts such as Judo, BJJ, and Aikido may face frequent joint dislocations due to the looseness of their joints.