What can I do to help myself?

You can do a lot! It is very important that you are as fit as possible and that your muscles are strong. Moving your joints keeps blood and a liquid called ‘synovial fluid’ moving around your joints. These take nutrients (or food) to your joints and carry away waste. So, if you exercise your joints regularly, they stay healthy. Building up your muscles by exercise helps to keep your joints in the right place and means you are less likely to hurt or to injure yourself.

It is important that you choose the right sort of exercise and that you warm up properly with gentle stretching exercises. If you have been given physiotherapy to do at home then make sure you do it. Even though you may not notice the difference immediately, be patient and stick at it. It will help you.

You should do some general exercise too, but it is probably best to avoid sports which involve sudden stopping and twisting such as football, basketball and squash etc. These often cause knee injuries in people without hypermobility! Running can also cause knee problems - particularly if you run on a hard surface. Swimming is excellent as the water protects your joints as you exercise. You could try running in water - which is hard work and very good exercise! Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are also very good. Don’t overdo it though - you’re not trying to become the next Arnold Schwarzenegger!

If you are overweight then your joints have to work much harder and they can be damaged more easily so losing a few pounds will help you.

Slouching, kneeling with your legs stuck out either side or showing off your joint tricks to your friends can increase your pain and may damage your joints.

Make sure your desk and chair are at the correct height and in the right position. Don’t carry heavy school bags over one shoulder - make sure the weight is carried evenly across your back (use a backpack—and wear it properly!) - and if you don’t need that extra book don’t take it. Make full use of lockers at school so that you aren’t carrying unnecessary books around school.

If you have problems writing for long periods get one of the thick grip pens that are now available - or stick some foam around one of your old pens. If you have access to a computer type your assignments - they’ll look smarter too! If you have problems using a keyboard then there are several reasonably priced voice recognition software packages available now. If you are worried about long written examinations then see if you can get a ‘scribe’. A scribe will take dictation—in other words they will write out your papers for you. They are available to students who have difficulty writing for prolonged periods. But let your teachers know in plenty of time - don't leave it until the morning of the exam!

Make sure that you buy shoes that fit properly. High heels can make knee and back problems much worse so try to wear flatter shoes and save the heels for special occasions! There are loads of styles available now so you don’t need to wear heels to look trendy. Trainers, for example, are really good for your feet!

And finally…don’t let your body control your life!!