Introduction: Benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS) is a hereditary connective tissue disorder frequently associated with joint pain. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how BJHS was diagnosed in two female patients with chronic pain and to present other associated history and examination findings on these same two patients.
Clinical Presentation: Two female patients, 27 and 32 years of age, with normal body mass indexes presented with a history of chronic spinal pain transiently lessened by multi-modal manual therapy. Each patient was diagnosed with BJHS. Both patients displayed joint hypermobility in the thumb(s), the fifth metacarpophalangeal joint and the lumbopelvic joints by having greater than normal range of motion in specific pre-determined directions. The 27 year old also had hyperextension of her elbows and myopia, while the 32 year had varicose veins and skin striae. Both had a history of back pain for greater than 3 months, key postural abnormalities and significant muscle imbalances. No treatment was administered to either patient since both patients were already currently receiving chiropractic treatment separate from this study.
Discussion: The diagnosis of BJHS can be challenging due to no gold standard test, however it’s an important entity to consider because of its unique characteristics and management implications.
Conclusion: A detailed description of two patients with BJHS is presented. It is important for doctors to be aware of BJHS and to be able to diagnose it so these types of patients can be managed appropriately.
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