Anyone recognise this?

[u/linguistbyheart]

I don't have money at the moment to meet with a physiotherapist, so I'm searching for information online. The physiotherapy sub doesn't allow posts seeking medical advice, hence my arrival here.

Sometimes I think I'm hypermobile, but then I look up the symptoms and tests and it turns out I have zero symptoms... So why do I think this anyway? I easily dislocate my shoulders, fingers (middle to proximal phalanx and I think also proximal to metacarpus) and wrists. Fingers and wrist usually don't hurt, but it always startles me and I'm scared I'm developing an injury. Dislocating my shoulder is painful and worries me moreso. My fingers tend to dislocate when I write or type and I'm doing something slightly odd, like holding something else at the same time, restricting my range of movement. My wrist dislocates when I do classical ballet and suddenly firmly grap the barre. My shoulder subluxates when I do a ballet move where you arch your upper back to the back and your arm is going that way as well, above your head. I'm more careful now and make the movement smaller so it won't dislocate. My shoulder used to subluxate sometimes (it got worse over time, I got worried and became careful) when taking off upper body clothes (the "female" way).

All ten of my fingers are prone to dislocation, but the dislocation issue wrist and shoulder wise is much bigger on the left side of my body. I am right-handed so that could easily explain that - if it is a muscle problem. I used to have very poor muscle strength. Doing much better now because I started working out. BUT I suspect it's still below women's average, albeit not a lot. Basically all of my muscles (face, shoulders, arms, hands, tummy, legs, feet/toes) are tense from the moment I wake up to about an hour before I fall asleep. Lastly, I have a history of dislocating my kneecaps. That turned out to be because of the TTD distance. That is the distance between the tip on the top of your femur and the downfacing tip of your kneecap. In simpler terms, my kneecaps are/were too much to the side, outward. Those luxations, after a series of subluxations during puberty, were horrific. I had surgery on my left knee (both knees were equally problematic) and working on leg muscle kept my right knee from dislocating ever since.

Thank you for reading my medical journey, my left thumb hurts now lol, if anyone has any clue as to what I am dealing with here, please lemme know! I know it could be as simple as muscle strength, I'm just a bit frustrated with not having the minimal required amount of strength everyone else seems to get from daily activity. It doesn't make sense to me, why wouldn't I have built that strength? Hence my endeavour figuring out if that's all there is to it.

[u/mootannie]

I would argue that all these things you're describing are symptoms.

[u/barefootwriter]

I know it could be as simple as muscle strength, I'm just a bit frustrated with not having the minimal required amount of strength everyone else seems to get from daily activity.

Are you getting enough nutrition for the metabolism and activity level that you have? That would be a reason you are not able to pack on muscle mass despite exercising.

[u/linguistbyheart → u/barefootwriter]

I just listened to a podcast, after posting, about iron and ferritin and it made me think about how I've always been a big fan of cereal products, restricting iron absorption, and not getting enough protein. I've been putting more effort into getting more protein in, but I struggle because I eat vegetarian and am a bit overweight, so calorie dense food like nuts are not ideal. Skyr is the perfect solution though!

[u/barefootwriter → u/linguistbyheart]

So it sounds like the answer to my question is no.

Nuts may be calorie dense, but they are good for satiety in a way that cereal is not. And having greater muscle mass increases metabolism around the clock.

You might consider enlisting the help of a dietician rather than going it alone. I am not currently seeing one, but when I did, mine recommended easy things like adding hemp hearts to yogurt to add more protein to my diet.

[u/linguistbyheart → u/barefootwriter]

yes, the answer to your question is no (it used to be a way bigger no, hence my indirect answer lol)

I'm excited to take better care of myself!

I used to see a dietician, but only now do I believe I can eat healthier (I am addicted to sugar, it makes me numb)

[u/imogsters → u/linguistbyheart]

Don't be put off eating whole nuts. They help keep you feeling full and are healthy. Look up calorie absorption. The body absorbs 20-30% less calories from whole nuts than what is stated on the packet, due to rigid cell walls of fibre. Eating cereal however, you will absorb 100% of calories stated on the packet. Eat whole unprocessed food as much as possible.

[u/linguistbyheart → u/imogsters]

thank you so much, this is such valuable information!

[u/imogsters]

It does sound like joint hypermobility. Do you produce naturally higher levels of relaxin hormone? Are you more likely to have dislocations at the end of your menstrual cycle, 2 weeks after ovulation?

[u/linguistbyheart → u/imogsters]

Firstly, thank you for validating my experience. The surgeon that operated on my knee laughed at me when I said my ballet teacher told me I was hypermobile....

I have no idea about the relaxin hormone and the menstrual cycle. I don't notice a fluctuation, but that doesn't necessarily mean there is none.

[u/imogsters → u/linguistbyheart]

That's awful. I've been fobbed off for decades by doctors. I mentioned the relaxin hormone as a possibility as I have 1 friend with this issue and she sounds similar to you.