Improving support and care for people with hypermobility disorders

People with hypermobile joints and connective tissue often live with chronic pain and mental health struggles, yet receive little targeted support beyond generic pain management advice. This matters because hypermobility disorders—such as Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome—affect a person’s whole body, not just their joints. The same tissue laxity that causes dislocations and musculoskeletal pain also affects the nervous system, contributing to anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Current NHS guidance for long-term pain largely ignores the specific needs of this group, leaving patients to piece together care on their own. Anna Hurley-Wallace will lead a fellowship that identifies non-drug interventions—particularly psychological and behavioural approaches—that could improve both pain and mental health for people with hypermobility disorders. The project works directly with patients and their supporters to ensure the approaches are practical and relevant. If successful, this initial work will lay the groundwork for larger trials. The ultimate goal is to give clinicians a clear, evidence-based pathway for supporting people with hypermobility disorders, reducing the cycle of pain, distress, and repeated healthcare visits that many currently experience.