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hypermobility help

Hi, i am not sure if this is in the right place, but as it says in the title I have hypermobility (loose joints for those who don't know).

The trouble is I'm in year 11 and it is causing me a lot of pain, since it's really bad in my hands, I can't revise for a long time because after a while I can't hardly hold a pen. It also means that they hurt a lot when I have exams (I do have 25% extra time).

I guess what i wanted to ask is, does anyone on here know how to deal with this kind of pain? How I can reduce or stop it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated xx

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Original post by Nerd_101
Hi, i am not sure if this is in the right place, but as it says in the title I have hypermobility (loose joints for those who don't know).

The trouble is I'm in year 11 and it is causing me a lot of pain, since it's really bad in my hands, I can't revise for a long time because after a while I can't hardly hold a pen. It also means that they hurt a lot when I have exams (I do have 25% extra time).

I guess what i wanted to ask is, does anyone on here know how to deal with this kind of pain? How I can reduce or stop it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated xx


Use a laptop for revision, and ask for a laptop to use in exams, that may help :smile:
hey!! i have hypermobility too and i’m in year 12 :smile:) try some different types of pen grips if you can - i have triangular shaped ones - or if not, thicker pens. i was allowed a laptop for my extended exams but for those i wasn’t, i also used a writing slope which helps because it puts you at a higher angle.

i also use wrist braces which helps :smile:

i hope this helps a bit!! good luck :smile:
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Original post by Mehru1214
Use a laptop for revision, and ask for a laptop to use in exams, that may help :smile:


yeah it does, unfortunately I think it's too late for a laptop in exams but will try doing some more revision on it
Original post by Nerd_101
Hi, i am not sure if this is in the right place, but as it says in the title I have hypermobility (loose joints for those who don't know).

The trouble is I'm in year 11 and it is causing me a lot of pain, since it's really bad in my hands, I can't revise for a long time because after a while I can't hardly hold a pen. It also means that they hurt a lot when I have exams (I do have 25% extra time).

I guess what i wanted to ask is, does anyone on here know how to deal with this kind of pain? How I can reduce or stop it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated xx


Go see a doctor and get it properly diagnosed so they can put you on the right treatment.

A student on my degree has the same problem. He sits next to me and each time he moves his fingers he make a load of clicking noises, a bit like someone repeatedly pressing the top of pen to pop out/retract the nib. He does a load of mobility exercises to keep his joints working and uses a laptop to type up notes/revise. He is also on a special diet. He only takes painkillers when he really in a lot of pain but most of the time he's ok.
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Original post by charl0104
hey!! i have hypermobility too and i’m in year 12 :smile:) try some different types of pen grips if you can - i have triangular shaped ones - or if not, thicker pens. i was allowed a laptop for my extended exams but for those i wasn’t, i also used a writing slope which helps because it puts you at a higher angle.

i also use wrist braces which helps :smile:

i hope this helps a bit!! good luck :smile:


where did you get the pen grips from, did school give them to You?
what is a writing slope?

i don't know if I would want a wrist brace, it probably would be helpful but I don't want to look different.

it does help though thank you
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Original post by ThePricklyOne
Go see a doctor and get it properly diagnosed so they can put you on the right treatment.

A student on my degree has the same problem. He sits next to me and each time he moves his fingers he make a load of clicking noises, a bit like someone repeatedly pressing the top of pen to pop out/retract the nib. He does a load of mobility exercises to keep his joints working and uses a laptop to type up notes/revise. He is also on a special diet. He only takes painkillers when he really in a lot of pain but most of the time he's ok.


I got it diagnosed ages ago but the doctors haven't actually done anything to help.

That sounds horrible for that student
ask to use a laptop as normal way of working and exams - I do this because of my hypermobility. ibuprofen gel is good and getting wrist supports from doctors help sometimes. thicker pens help! like the four colour Bic ones.
Original post by Nerd_101
I got it diagnosed ages ago but the doctors haven't actually done anything to help.

That sounds horrible for that student


It's not nice. He told me there's a very high chance of him getting arthritis before he hits 40 due to his condition.

If the doctor is unhelpful, ask for another doctor and/or a referral to rheumatologist. If your original diagnosis was a long time ago you can ask for blood tests to determine if you still have hypermobility or if it has moved onto a form of arthritis. The earlier you know what's wrong with your wrists you can get the right treatment - this can include physiotherapy as well as painkillers and other medication.

You should also talk to your teacher you can talk to to see if your school can help you with your condition. This will allow you to have extra time to complete assignments / exams and other assistive support. Even if you don't need these things now, do check this out in case your condition gets worse later on.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 9
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Original post by Nerd_101
Hi, i am not sure if this is in the right place, but as it says in the title I have hypermobility (loose joints for those who don't know).

The trouble is I'm in year 11 and it is causing me a lot of pain, since it's really bad in my hands, I can't revise for a long time because after a while I can't hardly hold a pen. It also means that they hurt a lot when I have exams (I do have 25% extra time).

I guess what i wanted to ask is, does anyone on here know how to deal with this kind of pain? How I can reduce or stop it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated xx


Have a talk with your doctor or physio or whatever and with your school and see what can be done to support you. Do you think typing your exams would be any easier? Have you tried taking any pain relief before your exams? Would you consider a wrist brace (nobody is really going to be paying attention to your wrists in the exam)? Have you tried different types of pen/ grips (have a look online)? Those are just some things that I can think of that may help, but I'm sure there's loads of advice online too.
Don't be afraid to ask for support and do what you can to make things easier for yourself. It's worth it.
a writing slope is basically an angled/sloped (like a triangle) surface for on top of a desk, mine is actually a laptop stand from ikea but it does the job😂

i get my own grips but some schools might get them for you, mine are from completecareshop online and also thedyslexiashop has some (good for different pens as well, they have a lot of stuff not just for dyslexia!)

in terms of the braces, i didn’t want to look different either and people do ask what’s wrong and stuff but it’s so so worth it!!

i wasn’t approved for a laptop in exams till this time last year so it’s worth asking☺️☺️
Reply 11
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Original post by charl0104
a writing slope is basically an angled/sloped (like a triangle) surface for on top of a desk, mine is actually a laptop stand from ikea but it does the job😂

i get my own grips but some schools might get them for you, mine are from completecareshop online and also thedyslexiashop has some (good for different pens as well, they have a lot of stuff not just for dyslexia!)

in terms of the braces, i didn’t want to look different either and people do ask what’s wrong and stuff but it’s so so worth it!!

i wasn’t approved for a laptop in exams till this time last year so it’s worth asking☺️☺️


Oh, that makes sense.

are the grips expensive, and are any one's allowed for exams?

I get what you mean but I don't know if my family will even understand, did you buy the braces, if so how much? and where?

I might ask about it😀
if you can find them in the right places, they’re really cheap!! and if you can’t get grips, i recommend pentel pens.

i got my braces on the nhs but you can get them on disability shops online like completecareshop again. ive had ones before which were under £10. it might be worth asking your GP if you could get referred to an occupational therapist on the basis that your wrists are impacting your exams :smile:
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Original post by Kindred
Have a talk with your doctor or physio or whatever and with your school and see what can be done to support you. Do you think typing your exams would be any easier? Have you tried taking any pain relief before your exams? Would you consider a wrist brace (nobody is really going to be paying attention to your wrists in the exam)? Have you tried different types of pen/ grips (have a look online)? Those are just some things that I can think of that may help, but I'm sure there's loads of advice online too.
Don't be afraid to ask for support and do what you can to make things easier for yourself. It's worth it.


I might, I get reviewed for it a lot and have a ehcp, so they should do something. I'm not sure if it will be a help or a nuisance. I heard that they mess with your concentration, not sure if this is a myth? I'm a bit iffy about the brace, I'm not sure what it would be like or what to get. I've tried different pens but not grips, and for pens I don't know why but I haven't tried thicker ones. Thank you
Original post by Nerd_101
I might, I get reviewed for it a lot and have a ehcp, so they should do something. I'm not sure if it will be a help or a nuisance. I heard that they mess with your concentration, not sure if this is a myth? I'm a bit iffy about the brace, I'm not sure what it would be like or what to get. I've tried different pens but not grips, and for pens I don't know why but I haven't tried thicker ones. Thank you


I believe you can get them from a pharmacy or online. Definitely from your GP if those don't bare fruit. You could always give them a try while revising and see how they feel.
Sounds like you have some stuff to try out. I hope it helps and if not don't give up. :smile:
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Original post by charl0104
if you can find them in the right places, they’re really cheap!! and if you can’t get grips, i recommend pentel pens.

i got my braces on the nhs but you can get them on disability shops online like completecareshop again. ive had ones before which were under £10. it might be worth asking your GP if you could get referred to an occupational therapist on the basis that your wrists are impacting your exams :smile:


just wondering, do you need a note from anyone saying that you're allowed a brace or grips
for grips id say no as they just go on your pen. braces wise you might need to tell your school, but not in terms of exams i don’t think? :smile:
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Original post by charl0104
for grips id say no as they just go on your pen. braces wise you might need to tell your school, but not in terms of exams i don’t think? :smile:


ok,thanks
Hi :smile: I have the same problems. I live on my laptop. Unfortunately now I'm on an art degree it's more difficult because I am required to use actual pens and pencils, but I make it work by taking loads of rest breaks and keeping my tutors updated on how I'm doing. For example, I've been very unproductive over the winter because it's looking like now I have arthritis and my joints are badly affected by the cold, but they're very understanding. Definitely speak to your school about it and see if it's possible to get exam arrangements in place. If not, see if there's any other ways they can support you. I'd also go back to your doctor and explain the trouble you're currently having. I know they haven't helped much in the past, but if they don't know you're struggling now they can't help. They may at least be able to teach you some exercises to strengthen your fingers and reduce any pain
Original post by Nerd_101
Hi, i am not sure if this is in the right place, but as it says in the title I have hypermobility (loose joints for those who don't know).

The trouble is I'm in year 11 and it is causing me a lot of pain, since it's really bad in my hands, I can't revise for a long time because after a while I can't hardly hold a pen. It also means that they hurt a lot when I have exams (I do have 25% extra time).

I guess what i wanted to ask is, does anyone on here know how to deal with this kind of pain? How I can reduce or stop it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated xx


Hi, I am in year 13 and was diagnosed with hypermobile EDS when I was really young, as my mum has it too so they knew what it was pretty much straight away. So I have had plenty of time to find different ways of my managing pain especially at school.

The main thing that helps me is using a computer in exams which involve a lot of writing. I used to get extra time, or a stopwatch (I would have the same amount of time as everyone else but I could stop my stopwatch and turn my test paper over whenever I needed a break to rest my hands and start it again when I was ready), however neither of these things helped very much. I was still experiencing a lot of pain during exams with these two methods so I found that using a computer was the only way to go. It should be really simple to organise this with your school, just send them an email explaining it and they would probably need to see a doctors note. You will probably sit exams that you need a computer for in a different room to everyone else, but this doesn't necessarily mean you will be alone; in my exams there's usually other people who use a computer too for various reasons. The other thing my school do for me is give me two textbooks for every subject; one to keep and school and one to keep at home so I don't have to carry it to and from school because this was causing me pain as it made my bag very heavy.

Strengthening the muscles in your hands is important to help decrease your pain. I had physiotherapy for years, (I'm supposed to still do it myself at home but I don't really) and some of the exercises for my hands included using therapeutic putty, doing things like squeezing it repeatedly, or pushing finger tips into it etc. I also learnt piano for years which really helped strengthen the muscles in my hands to support my joints.

There are also some things you can buy to support your hands but don't rely on these. I use arthritis gloves a lot, they really help when my hands are hurting. My mum bought them so I'm not sure where to get them from but if you're interested (I really recommend them) then I can ask her for you. I was also given little finger splints from the hospital a while ago that looked like this; http://www.opchealth.com.au/content/images/thumbs/0006488_oval-8-finger-splints.jpeg (I lost them after like 2 weeks though so I don't really know how well they work), but I know that these are really expensive unless you get them on the NHS like I did. You can also get wrist splints which I use whilst at home, they help with the pain but it's quite difficult to write whilst wearing them.
I recommend using a fat pen, this makes it easier to grip. It can be quite difficult to find them though so I usually just buy a pen grip to go over a normal pen to make it chunkier and easier to hold.
Another thing that I've been told helps when writing but I've never actually tried, is writing on a slanted surface. You can buy these things called slant boards but I never bothered because I thought it would be a bit inconvenient carrying it around school all day, however it would be good for exams. During lessons you could use your folder as a makeshift slant board if you find that it helps.

When I was about 10 I had a pain management course for a couple of months (but this was for my whole body, not just hands) which was where you are taught different techniques of coping with pain. I didn't really find this very helpful but that's just me, it might be something you want to ask your doctor about.

I hope this helps, I've only talked about things specific to hands, if you ever want me to tell you about how I deal with pain everywhere else I'd be happy to share.

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