Information collected from a CCA meeting with Dr. Fysh as the presenter
Beginning Signs:
*adjust their neck
*twist torso while seated
*crack their knuckles
The elastic fibers are so loose that minimum movements provide an audible. However, for Chiropractors these patients with FLL are difficult to adjust due to their excessive range of motion. Often times these patients are tight and sore because the flexibility of their joints allow too much opening and closing. The muscles then have to take the role of stability that the loose ligaments were suppose to provide. Due to this compensation the muscles of a person with FLL can often be very tight.
To help identify FLL the Beighton Criteria has been used to see the level of ligament laxity that an individual may have. The higher the score the higher the laxity.
Beighton Criteria (http://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article.asp?article=645)
1. fingers extended back to 90 degrees (2 pt)
2. bend thumb to forearm (2 pt)
3.hyperextend elbows (2 pt)
4. hyperextend knees (2 pt)
5. bend forward and touch the floor (1 pt)
The not so good effect of FLL
Finally, the GOOD out of all the negatives:
1. No stretch marks
2. Often look 10 years younger in age
3. Less wrinkles
Best activities:
1.Yoga
2.Pilates
3.Swimming
Sports that people with FLL have shown to excel with:
Examples:
1. Gymnastics (increase number of FLL cases found in this sport)
2. Swimming (butterfly has increase ROM due to ability to hyperextend elbows)
3. Golf (back swing increased due to the increase in ROM)
4. Yoga
