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Elite Edition

What causes joints to become loose?

Author

Emma Horne

Published Mar 13, 2026

What causes joints to become loose?

If collagen is weaker than it should be, tissues in the body will be fragile, which can make ligaments and joints loose and stretchy. As a result, the joints can extend further than usual. JHS is widely thought to be a feature of an underlying condition affecting connective tissue called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).

What is it called when you have loose joints?

Ligamentous laxity occurs when your ligaments are too loose. You might also hear ligamentous laxity referred to as loose joints or joint laxity. Ligamentous laxity can affect joints all over your body, such as your neck, shoulders, ankles, or knees.

What does laxity of a joint mean?

Ligamentous laxity, or ligament laxity, means that you have hypermobile joints that are very flexible and have a wider range of motion than most people. For many people, having loose joints is not a medical issue. It can even be advantageous to some, such as dancers, gymnasts, and musicians.

Can you become hypermobile?

Hypermobility Spectrum From one or two joints being hypermobile to the whole body. Some people may never experience symptoms or effects of hypermobility, while others may find themselves working with aches, stiffness and fatigue.

Is it bad to have loose joints?

Joint hypermobility — the ability of a joint to move beyond its normal range of motion — is common in children and decreases with age. Having a few hypermobile joints isn’t unusual. In most people, joint hypermobility causes no problems and requires no treatment.

How do you strengthen loose joints?

Hypermobility exercises to help with joint laxity

  1. Stand facing a wall, about 12 to 18 inches away.
  2. Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height.
  3. Slowly bend your elbows and bring your face toward the wall, moving your hips and shoulders forward together.
  4. Push slowly back to the starting position.

Does hypermobility go away?

There’s no cure for joint hypermobility syndrome. The main treatment is improving muscle strength and fitness so your joints are better protected. A GP may refer you to a physiotherapist, occupational therapist or podiatrist for specialist advice.

How do you stabilize hypermobile joints?

5 Tips for Working Out with Hypermobility Syndrome

  1. Dynamically Warm-up. Warming up the body in the right way is crucial for gaining the proper results of the workout.
  2. Limit Your Range of Motion.
  3. Consider Isometric Exercises First.
  4. Strengthen Your Stabilizing Muscles.
  5. Progress Slowly.

How rare is double-jointed?

Hypermobility (more commonly called being double-jointed) affects about 20% of people.

How do you strengthen joints?

How to Strengthen Your Joints

  1. Exercise Regularly. Exercise improves bone density and keeps the muscles that surround your joints strong, says A.
  2. Build Muscle Strength.
  3. Strengthen Your Core.
  4. Try Low-Impact Cardio.
  5. Stretch After Your Workout.
  6. Prevent Exercise-Related Injury.
  7. Lose Extra Weight.

Can you fix hypermobility?

How can I tighten my joints?

What does it mean to have loose joints?

Loose joints is a term that’s sometimes used to describe hypermobile joints. Joint hypermobility — the ability of a joint to move beyond its normal range of motion — is common in children and decreases with age.

Why do my joints feel loose?

Usually, the joints are loose and stretchy because the tissues that should make them stronger and support them are weak. The weakness is because the collagen that strengthens the tissues is different from other people’s.

What causes loose ligaments?

Loose ligaments can be a result of injury during sporting activities or over exertion of the legs and arms during daily activity.

Are ball joints supposed to be loose?

Worn ball joints will be loose in their sockets and vibrate excessively as the vehicle is in motion. The vibration will usually stem from the affected ball joint, either from the right or left sides of the vehicle. In some cases, the vibration may be felt through the steering wheel as well.