Some people can bend more than others—but when that bendiness comes with pain, fatigue, or instability, it can be hard to find clear answers.
This page explores symptomatic hypermobility—a connective tissue difference that can affect not just joints, but the whole system. You might hear it called Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). These conditions don’t just involve being flexible—they can affect the whole body, including the nervous system, fascia, and how well everything works together.
What Do We Mean by “Bendy”?
Here, we’re talking about people whose joints move more than average—but who also experience things like:
  • Joint pain or instability
  • Frequent sprains or muscle tension
  • Fatigue, dizziness, or brain fog
  • Digestive issues, anxiety, or poor temperature regulation
  • Skin that bruises easily or changes color
  • Feeling disoriented, fragile, or “not quite in your body”

These kinds of symptoms often point to more than just loose joints. Many people with hypermobility also experience signs of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation—a pattern that may underlie or amplify many of the symptoms above. While the relationship is still being studied, current research and clinical experience suggest that the autonomic nervous system and connective tissue may influence one another in both directions—creating patterns that can affect comfort, stability, and energy.

Fascia, with its rich innervation and sensory role, may be one of the key links between these systems.
The Fascia–Nervous System Connection
Fascia is a continuous web of connective tissue that wraps around everything in your body. It helps transmit force, guide movement, and coordinate how the body responds to the world. It’s also rich in nerves and sensory receptors, making it deeply responsive to your nervous system.

In hypermobile bodies, fascia often behaves differently. Despite being more flexible at the joints, the fascial layers may be thicker, more bound, and less able to glide. This can create a strange mix of feeling loose but tight, or mobile but fragile.

And because fascia is so closely linked to the ANS, people with symptomatic hypermobility may experience tissue tone that fluctuates—feeling more bendy on some days, more restricted or tense on others, depending on stress levels, fatigue, hormones, or even hydration.
Movement and Strength
When it comes to exercise, it can help to reframe movement as a way to support the nervous system, improve coordination, and gradually build tolerance to load—not as something to push through or “fix” the body.

Instead of intensity, the focus shifts to giving the body the right kind of input, at a pace it can respond to.

This might include:
  • Gentle, whole-body movement that supports awareness and proprioception
  • Short, consistent sessions rather than long or intense workouts
  • Low-load strength training with slow, controlled movements to build functional stability
  • Integrating breath, rhythm, and rest as part of the movement itself
Final Thoughts: You’re Not Imagining It
If you’re bendy and dealing with pain, fatigue, or strange symptoms that don’t show up on scans, you’re not alone—and you’re not making it up.

The body is complex and wise, and sometimes the answers aren’t visible on the surface. With the right support, even complex systems can find new ways to move, feel, and adapt. Sometimes, that comes through gentle, informed hands-on support—an approach that help the body settle, connect, and respond in new ways.
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This page is here to support—not replace—medical advice. If you're experiencing intense, unusual, or worsening symptoms, it's a good idea to check in with your GP.

🩺 For Referrers:
We’re always happy to collaborate with referring providers. Feel free to get in touch to discuss an approach or referral.
📚 Further Reading:
Compiled by Joe Liguori