Narrative: Management of symptomatic joint hypermobility requires careful clinical reasoning, particularly in Chiropractic practice where spinal manipulation is commonly used. While manipulation may provide short-term analgesia through neurophysiological mechanisms, it does not restore ligament restraint and may aggravate instability when applied repeatedly to hypermobile segments.
This review summarises evidence-based Chiropractic management principles, focusing on when manipulation should be avoided, how instability influences clinical safety, and which rehabilitation strategies demonstrate benefit. Progressive strengthening, proprioceptive retraining, motor control exercise, pacing, and education form the core of long-term improvement. Chiropractors play an important role when care is stabilisation-oriented, function-focused, and aligned with modern evidence.
Author Keywords: Chiropractic; Chiropractic adjustment; Chiropractic manipulation; instability; rehabilitation; proprioception; hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Author Affiliation: Durban University of Technology
Corresponding Author: Henry Pollard—drhenrypollard@gmail.com
This abstract is reproduced with permission of the publisher. Click on the above link for full text at the publisher's site.
|
