Hypermobility Self-Test: Get Your Beighton Score
Take this free test to get your Beighton score — a measure of hypermobility.
Hypermobility is a condition in which the joints have an unusually large range of motion. Curiously, studies have shown that neurodivergent individuals are more likely to experience hypermobility than the general population.1 What’s more, hypermobility may be a common thread binding neurodivergence to a range of physical health problems.
“Joint hypermobility is actually a red herring,” said Jessica Eccles, Ph.D., a researcher at the Department of Neuroscience at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, in an ADDitude webinar. “It is the product of a difference in the cling film in our body — the connective tissue, which is everywhere — which means that joints can move further than they normally should.”
Hypermobility doesn’t cause problems for most people. Some individuals, however, suffer from a hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDs). These conditions cause the connective tissue to become floppy, leading to problems including but not limited to:
- fatigue
- headaches
- gut issues
- autonomic dysfunction
- anxiety
- poor proprioception awareness
- pain, dislocations, and injury
Hypermobility is typically diagnosed through a patient questionnaire and/or examination-based assessments like the Beighton score.
Answer the following questions to see if you may have joint hypermobility. Share the results with your doctor. These self-tests are for personal use, only. They are not diagnostic tools.
Can’t see the self-test questions above? Click here to open this test in a new window.
Hypermobility and Neurodivergence: Next Steps
- Watch: How Joint Hypermobility Links Neurodivergence, Chronic Pain, Inflammatory Disorders, and Anxiety
- Watch: The Surprising Association Between ADHD & Inflammation
- Read: Double-Jointed with ADHD? It’s Not a Coincidence
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1 Csecs, J. L. L., Iodice, V., Rae, C. L., Brooke, A., Simmons, R., Quadt, L., Savage, G. K., Dowell, N. G., Prowse, F., Themelis, K., Mathias, C. J., Critchley, H. D., & Eccles, J. A. (2022). Joint Hypermobility Links Neurodivergence to Dysautonomia and Pain. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 786916. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.786916
