What does it mean if your thumb is double-jointed?

Physicians and researchers call it joint hypermobility or joint laxity, and it simply means that someone is able to move their joints farther than most people can. Most of us can bend our thumbs backwards a few degrees, but some can bend it farther.

Is it bad to have double-jointed thumbs?

Hyperextending a limb may feel normal to you — and most of the time, if you’re so-called “double-jointed,” it’s not harmful to your body.

How rare is a double-jointed thumb?

Joint hypermobility, which affects approximately 20 percent of the population, confers an unusually large range of motion. Hypermobile people can often, for instance, touch their thumb to their inner forearm or place their hands flat on the floor without bending their knees.

Can only one thumb be double-jointed?

The only possible excep- tions are four cases in which a parent was double-jointed in only one thumb. (All of these four happened to be the left.) In such cases, it was inherited as though the individual possessed the abil- ity in both thumbs.

How do you tell if your thumb is double jointed?

Here’s a simple way – known as the Beighton Test – to assess your hypermobility:

1. Stand with your knees straight.
2. If you can bend one or both of your elbows slightly backward, add a point to your score.
3. If you can bend one or both of your thumbs down until they touch your inner arm, add a point for each thumb.

What does the shape of your thumb reveal about your personality?

Your thumb is flexible If you have a flexible finger, you’re more expressive and emotional than people with straight thumbs. This shape is also called the Hitchhiker’s thumb. Individuals with flexible thumbs are open to the world and very curious.

Is hypermobility genetic?

Joint hypermobility is often hereditary (runs in families). One of the main causes is thought to be genetically determined changes to a type of protein called collagen.

Can double jointed fingers be fixed?

There is no cure for BJHS, but it doesn’t get worse over time. In some cases, joint hypermobility and other symptoms of BJHS will decrease as someone gets older. Muscle conditioning, protective braces, and avoiding high-risk activities can help reduce the risk of joint injuries.

What does it mean when your thumb curves?

Hitchhiker’s thumb is a thumb that’s hypermobile, or very flexible, and able to bend backward beyond the normal range of motion. Known formally as distal hyperextensibility, this condition isn’t painful and doesn’t inhibit the thumb’s function in any way.

How do you fix hypermobile fingers?

If you have joint hypermobility syndrome, treatment will focus on relieving pain and strengthening the joint. Your doctor may suggest you use prescription or over-the-counter pain relievers, creams, or sprays for your joint pain. They may also recommend certain exercises or physical therapy.

What does it mean when your joints are double jointed?

In medical terms, double-jointedness is referred to as hypermobility, and it simply means that you have a greater range of motion in some or all of your joints than most people. To determine if you have hypermobility, try the Beighton test.

What are the effects of hyperextension of a finger joint?

Hyperextension of a finger joint beyond the neutral position may result in a painful joint, decreased power when pinching and a delay in being able to bend the finger. Without stabilizing or blocking the hyperextension, the deformity can become progressively worse.

Why do flutists use their thumbs when playing the flute?

For a flutist this can present a particular challenge because the thumb is supposed to not push the flute up from below, but rather push the flute out away from the body, which counteracts the pushing inward from the first joint of the left hand index finger. Chin and right hand pinky are used for stability.

What is a “hitchhiker’s thumb?

A “hitchhiker’s thumb” is where the top thumb joint bends farther back than normal, in some cases, parallel with the floor.