I left a neurology appointment shocked. My eldest daughter has cerebral palsy, and part of her physiotherapy is trying to stop her knee from hyper-extending because she is hypermobile. During that appointment, the neurologist said she did not understand why physio was trying to prevent hypermobility because, in her words, it is good to be hypermobile. If you live with hypermobility or care for someone who does, you already know how wildly misinformed that sounds.

Hypermobility is not just being bendy. It can mean a higher chance of dislocations, serious injuries, cartilage damage, trapped nerves, and long-term structural harm. When medical professionals treat it like a quirky bonus instead of a real health issue, patients get dismissed, disabled people get talked over, and the care they need gets undermined. That is not just frustrating. It is dangerous.

Unfortunately, medical gaslighting and invalidation is a lot more common than you may think, and there is a lot of change that needs to happen to better the care of patients across the board. 

I am calling on neurology clinics and hospital leaders to require real training on hypermobility, related complications, and disability bias for all clinicians who treat patients with complex conditions. Medical staff should understand why physiotherapy may be trying to prevent joints from hyper-extending, and they should know how to listen when patients and families explain what hypermobility actually does to daily life. No family should walk into an appointment and leave feeling like basic facts about their condition were brushed aside.

If you are tired of ableist, misinformed care being treated like normal, please sign this petition. We need clinics to take hypermobility seriously, respect disabled patients, and make sure harmful attitudes do not keep shaping medical care.