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Does a hypermobility score of 9/9 mean you are more severely affected?

Hannah Ensor
Feb 28, 2025
1 min read

Some doctors will give tell their patients their hypermobility 'score'. Does a hypermobility score of 9/9 mean you are more severely affected?

does a high score mean more severely affected? Infographic 1/4: Does a score of 9/9 for hypermobility mean I’m more severely affected? In short, no. People can score high and be mildly affected, or score low, and be severely affected…

does a high score mean more severely affected? Infographic 2/3: The 9 point Beighton score that is sometimes used to screen for hypermobility only covers 9 joints (The spine, and both elbows, knees, thumbs and little fingers) out of over 300 joints, and only looks for flexibility in a single direction. It’s a shortcut tool that can give a quick definite yes for some people, but cannot rule hypermobility out.

does a high score mean more severely affected? Infographic 3/3: If someone is suspected of being hypermobile, but scores low, then other joints and directions of movement should be considered before ruling hypermobility out. Common problem areas not covered include the shoulders, hips, ankles, and feet.
In addition, many hypermobile people have muscle tightness or injuries that mean joints don’t bend as far as they used to - reducing the score, but not usually solving the hypermobility related problems. Check out our website for more information! Hypermobility.org

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