Proprioception Exercises for Hypermobility and hEDS
Updated: 6 days ago
Proprioception is your body's awareness of where a joint is positioned and how it is moving. For people with symptomatic hypermobility, working on proprioception can be a useful part of rehabilitation alongside strength and stability work.
Why proprioception matters with hypermobility
When a joint has a large available range of movement, good awareness and muscular control can help you manage that range. Research in people with joint hypermobility has reported improvements in proprioception and pain following programmes that included proprioceptive and closed-chain exercise. The evidence base is still relatively small, so exercise should be individualised rather than treated as a universal prescription.
Where can you start?
A starting point might be a controlled standing balance task with a stable support nearby. The aim is not to make yourself wobble as much as possible. Instead, work on maintaining position and recognising where your body is while using an appropriate amount of support.
How to progress proprioception exercises
Progression can include changing your foot position, gradually reducing hand support, introducing controlled reaching or stepping, or moving to a more demanding balance task. Only change the challenge when you can manage the current level with reasonable control and safety.
Proprioception is only one part of rehabilitation
Balance work should not replace strengthening. A broader programme can combine strength, joint control, proprioception, functional exercise and appropriate cardiovascular activity depending on the individual.
A structured hypermobility exercise resource
The HSD & hEDS Physiotherapy Exercise Guide contains 39 adaptable exercises across four pathways, with guidance on strength, stability, pacing and progression. It offers a structured digital resource to complement an individual rehabilitation plan.
If you experience recurrent significant joint instability, unexplained neurological symptoms, severe pain or another substantial change in your condition, seek individual medical or physiotherapy advice before progressing exercise.
Want strength and balance guidance in one place? The £24.99 HSD/hEDS PDF combines 39 adaptable exercises across four pathways with pacing and progression guidance. This article is free to use; the paid guide is an optional reference you can save to your device. Preview the sample in the product gallery before buying. It does not replace an individual assessment.
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