Can we be too flexible?

We've heard it our whole lives. We've been told by our parents, friends, coaches even our doctors that we needed to be more flexible. So we were told to stretch and stretch some more. But, I want to raise the questions of "Can we be too flexible?" and "Do we need to stretch all?"

Odds are if you can touch your palms on the floor without bending your knees, straighten your arms so your elbow goes toward the ceiling or straighten your legs so to the point that your knees go backwards you don't need to be stretching.  You need to focus on stabilizing your joints to protect their integrity.

I want to introduce you to what is called the Beighton Score of Hypermobility.  It takes only two minutes, but it will reveal whether or not you need to focus your time stretching or increasing stability.

Here is how the Beighton scoring for hypermobility works.  Perform each of the following tests and if you can do it, your score is a one(1).  If you can't, your score is a zero(0),

• knee hyperextension standing or lying down on both sides
• elbow hyperextension on both sides 
• thumb to front of your forearm on both sides
• middle finger extension
• touching your palms to floor keeping your knees locked out

Here is a quick video demonstrating the test:

   

*Having trouble viewing this? Click this link to see the video:
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8cEWno7xLqfSx0lJ6bBfuQ/videos

In his video series, Ruthless Mobility(1), Dean Somerset summarizes certain populations and their average scoring breakdown.  He states that, "If you get a 4 or 5 you don't need to stretch and you need more stabilization".  He goes on to state that "Swimmers score around a 3-4...Hockey players are usually a zero due to the nature of their sport...Basketball players usually a 1 because they score well on the elbow hyperextension...and Gymnasts/Dancers typically score a 5".  To clarify, in his his scoring he does a 0-5 scale.  I have seen other references that score each side of each test individually, making the score scale, 0-9.  Such as the research conducted by Bouwien, et al that demonstrated that those "who tested high on the Beighton score also showed increased range of motion in other joints"(2).

I like the idea of using the 0-9 scale, so that you can see differences side to side.  This can give you a plan to attack any asymmetries you may have.  Keep in mind that these asymmetries won't change overnight and can take weeks to months depending on your body.

Arguably, with our society these days being more sedentary and working behind a desk, stretching can be very beneficial to restore poor postural habits, provide some pain relief, increase range of motion and reduce stress, especially when focusing on your breathing.  I encourage you to perform this two minute test to see if you should focus on stretching or stability.  Your score will play a role in what you need to do before activity, exercise or competition.

If you are unsure on how to perform/score the test, need stretching tips/advice, not sure what exercises to do in order to stabilize please contact me.  Definitely, if you have pain, schedule with me for an evaluation.

Remember, "Get Pain Free with Dr. G!"

P.S. Stay tuned for my next post on Static Stretching vs Dynamic Warmup

References

1.) Ruthless Mobility, Dean Somerset

2.) Bouwien, et al. Beighton Score: A Valid Measure for Generalized Hypermobility in Children. The Journal of Pediatrics. January 2011. Volume 158, Issue 1, Pages 119–123.e4