Has anyone said you or your loved one is clumsy? Do you tend to sprain or injure joints more often than others? You or your loved one may have the congenital defect (“Joint Hyper Mobility Syndrome”) I mentioned in last week’s post, “Loving All Body Types,” so be sure to read it. I’ll show you ways to prevent and heal injuries.
People with loose connective tissue may be called “clumsy,” or “accident prone,” when their body is built differently from other people’s bodies. This laxity of connective tissue can occur in shorter people, although many taller people, especially those with extra long arms and legs (ectomorps, like me), have it. This disorder can be so mild a person only suffers mild strains. Others may have it severely and need multiple, major surgeries.
Recognizing patterns in injuries helps a gal determine whether she suffers this disorder, and helps her prevent future injuries. Be aware of the injury patterns I describe, to compare them with your own or your loved one’s. Understand this comes from a person’s genetics so don’t feel guilt or stigma. I do not have an affiliate relationship with them, but the “Hyper Mobility syndromes Association” has a detailed website: https://www.hypermobility.org/ The “NHS Inform” also defines this disorder with more details at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/muscle-bone-and-joints/conditions/joint-hypermobility#about-joint-hypermobility (also no affiliate relationship). I share these 2 links if you want more info.
I will share how to prevent the injuries from occurring (or reoccurring), but not the treatment, because most people already know the R.I.C.E. protocol: rest, ice, compress, elevate the injury.
Since our joints are too loose, they will stretch too far, too easily. Just because we can do extreme stretching does not mean we should. We can hurt ourselves if we stretch so far we feel pain. Once injured, a joint will become even looser and more prone to another injury. To prevent that injury, strengthen the surrounding muscles. For weak or injured knees, gently work the thigh muscles, and a physical therapist can guide you. My younger sister’s surgeon told me (in my early 20’s, before I injured my knees) I must avoid high impact exercise (like running), and never bear weight below my knees—no leg curls, no leg press, etc. My sister had multiple surgeries, and the surgeon said my knees were built the same way.
Years ago a physical therapist helped me after I took a fall (small fall, but the knee got badly hurt—normal people take a small fall and nothing tears). She said biking strengthens the thigh muscles and supports the knee.
My ankles were so severely injured (from multiple sprains) when I was in my 20’s, a podiatrist accidentally blurted out, “Your feet are awful.” He made my first pair of fitted “orthotics” (to insert in shoes for support). The doctor told me to never wear strapless shoes. In my late 20’s I rebelled, wore them often, and weakened my ankles until I had the worst sprain in my life; I hit so hard I even chipped a bone. Now I always wear shoes with an ankle strap or athletic shoes (fully cover the top of the foot).
These are the exercises I do to strengthen my ankles:
I use a cloth strip over the bottom of my feet and pull outwards.
Then I push my feet into the pointed toe position, resisting the cloth as I pull it towards me.
Then I pull the cloth towards me while I resist with my feet in the flex position.
I stopped spraining my ankles when I began to faithfully do this every day.
A physical therapist taught me Codmans, a gentle shoulder stretch. Bend at the waist, and let your arms gently swing in circles. I have a second degree A/C (acromion to clavical) separation. I was riding my bike (at a slow pace) when a truck turned into me and threw me, forearm first, into the pavement. Anyone else would have been bruised, but my loose shoulders separated. Over twenty years later, they are still (both) separated.
All gals, over 40, may want to do Codman’s, because “frozen shoulder syndrome” can set in with adhesions that make shoulder movement painful even in gals with tight/normal connective tissue. Keeping the shoulders loose can prevent these adhesions (and pain). Check with your doctor to make sure these stretches are OK for you.
If your injury is any where else, work with a physical therapist to find exercises and stretches that can strengthen the surrounding muscles. People with “normal” connective tissue quickly return to normal, but our joints may never return to their tight shape. I can never take my ankles for granted anymore, but I don’t live in fear either. On level walkways, I don’t even think about my ankles. But I have to watch the ground near curbs and on paths with crevices deeper than four inches.
I no longer wear high heels, or go barefoot. I only wear flip flops to walk from my bed to the bathroom in the middle of the night. In the shower I wear thick flip flops with arch support. Even on the trampoline, I must wear snug rubber soled shoes, because my toe bones are beginning to disconnect, (despite not wearing high heels for decades and wearing the orthotics my podiatrist made for me.) If you have foot pain, please see a podiatrist. Since the birth of my girls, my foot size increased by 1 ½ sizes, (my arch flattened). I had new orthotics made. I wear Teva sandals, because they are very comfy, yet they support the arch and my ankle.
Here is an ebay link to some Tevas:
Here is a link to Walmart Tevas: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fbrowse%2F5438_3317124_5349366%3FredirectQuery%3Dteva%2Bsandals%26search_redirect%3Dtrue
I used permanent glue to attach my orthotics to my sandals, since these are the main shoes I wear.
I prefer Gorilla glue, and here is an ebay link to this glue:
Here is a Walmart link to the Gorilla glue too: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dgorilla%2Bglue
I also have Tevas I wear for nicer occasions. I cut out the padding from shoe inserts and put them in the toe area.
Here is a link to various THICK insole inserts:
Here is a Walmart link to the thick insoles too: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dthick%2Bshoe%2Binsoles
I also have special arch supports (I only use “Profoot brand), which I glue into the sandals.
Here is a link to Ebay Profoot supports:
Here is a Walmart link to Profoot. Be aware, these Profoot insoles are the 2nd row: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dprofoot
Here is a photo of my Teva with the Profoot insert (glued in), and the foot insole pieces (I cut to fit in the toe area) in my shoe:
I have limited options for shoes, but I can walk fast and enjoy life, pain free, so I’ll give up fancy shoes for this freedom.
For weights and body weight exercises I wear elbow and wrist braces. Here is an Ebay link to wrist supports:
And here is the Walmart link for wrist braces: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dwrist%2Bbrace
I make my own elbow braces. I use 2-3 inch elastic strips sewn together. Here is a picture of my very old and very scruffy braces:
I wear an abdominal brace when I do “ab” exercises. When I was pregnant with my twins, my abdominal muscles tore to nearly a half foot at the widest gap. The repair for this was the only major surgery I needed for my loose tissue (I only had 2 other surgeries). I have wires from my sternum to well below my belly button, where the two halves of my abdominal muscles were sewn back together. I also wear a weight lifter’s belt when I lift my heavier weights (50-65 pounds).
Here is a link to a variety of Ebay lifter’s belts:
Here is a link to just one kind of women’s lifter belt (Walmart has several): https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FMRX-Weight-Lifting-Belt-with-Double-Back-Support-Gym-Training-5-In-Wide-Belts-Black-S%2F972955937
For my 3 weekly “sprints” on the exercise bike I wear a brace for the knees to ease strain on the patella.
Here is a Walmart link to the “Cho Pat brace for knees” https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FCho-Pat-Original-Knee-Strap-Patella-Support-for-Runner-s-Knee-Osgood-Schlatter-s-and-Chondromalacia-Black-Medium%2F167056610
Here is an Ebay link to the same brace:
Since I was young, I have tended to slouch. This is not common among children with normal connective tissue, but mine has never been tight. As I mature I realize this slouching is very bad for my spine, so I now wear a posture brace for at least a few hours during the day. This does not make my shoulders lazier, but reminds me to press my shoulder blades together to strengthen them. It also forces my body into the correct posture (stretching the parts that were growing too short, due to my slouching).
Here is a Walmart link to the posture brace: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3255743/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dposture%2Bbrace
Here is a link to some Ebay braces:
Bracing connective tissue has relieved strain and enabled me to lift weights. Listen to your body and wear braces for any part that needs support. Make braces if you cannot find the right kind. If you need advice about making braces, ask me, and I’ll write a post on making elastic braces (with photos). I even used braces to support my belly when I was pregnant with my twins, and they were born full term and full sized. I was at the gym when my water broke—so yes, it is possible for an older, pregnant woman to have comfort while carrying twins—the braces really helped me! Ask me about the braces I concocted and bought (I had to make some, because the ones available for pregnant women were too wimpy and did not support my huge belly enough).
Next, let’s look at how we move our bodies. We may not be able to bring weight as far or bend our bodies as others do. For example, I bench press and do not bring the bar fully to my chest. I push up the seat on my bike so I can fully extend my leg. I avoid kneeling or sitting with my legs bent too far. I either sit on the floor or use a low stool. I made this stool (photo at the end of this paragraph) from scraps of wood, and it cost me nothing (I used what I already had.) In a future post I’ll show how to make this simple stool. It has lasted for decades with heavy use in the garden—being set right into the dirt! The sturdy, ugly stool is way better than something beautiful that breaks and causes you to get hurt!
Although we cannot lift as much as others, even smaller gals, we must not compare ourselves with our mesomorph friends or those who have tighter connective tissue. I can walk and swim distances and am built for gentle endurance, not power, and likely you are too. Also I do not yank, or jerk when I exercise. I move more carefully, just a bit more slowly when bending, twisting, etc.
Next, let’s look at exercise frequency. I cannot do 50 push ups in a row. My joints would become inflamed. But I can do about a dozen, and split the workout into four sets. I cannot do all of one body exercise (arms, lets, etc.) but break up the sets. I do an arm exercise and then let the arms rest and do a leg (or belly or hip) exercise. When I do this, my joints cool off and then they can handle another set. This also means I do not quickly increase reps (lift more today than yesterday). I might only add one extra lift, not ten! I also have tiny 1.25 pound weights, and I can add one to each side of the bar, so I am only adding 2.5 pounds to the amount I am lifting when I decide to increase weight. I slowly increase the intensity or number of reps of any exercise.
Finally, let’s look at nourishing our joints (inside and out). While my diet is not as strict as Tom Brady’s (who wins Super Bowls in his 40’s) I eat a less-inflammatory diet. Consider foods you want to eat and others you want to avoid (that cause inflammation). I take some supplements: minerals, vitamins, etc. I’ll share about those in another post.
I nourish the outside of my body with mineral lotions (sulfur and magnesium). I mentioned DMSO in my post about menopause, so be assured this mineral lotion (rich in sulfur) is safe for many people.
I found DMSO at a great price from Entirely Pets. This is the same DMSO I buy, but Entirely Pets has it as a lower price (half the price Amazon charges for the same amount) here:
I mentioned in the menopause post, if you are allergic to sulfur, be cautious! What I do may not work for you. I also make my own “magnesium oil” which has magnesium salts (flakes) dissolved in water.
Here is a link to the magnesium I use at Herbs Pro:
Pure Magnesium Flakes 1.65 lb by Life-Flo
The solution gets thick, and it feels like oil. I rub these two mineral lotions on my joints when I have over done it. I usually feel better by the next day. I do not take anything oral for pain (no asprin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen.) The mineral rub and babying anything that aches eases any temporary pain.
God made us differently than others. Our joints may injure more easily, but we can still lead an active life. The devil uses society to shame us, but this body type is not our fault. We are not “carelessly accident prone.” I want to encourage my readers, God still has great plans for your life, and you are beautiful, just the way you are.