People with a condition known as generalized joint hypermobility, often referred to as being “double-jointed,” may have a higher chance of experiencing long COVID, according to a study in BMJ Public Health.
The study found that these individuals were 30% more likely to report not fully recovering from a COVID-19 infection, particularly struggling with persistent fatigue, a common symptom of long COVID.
Long COVID refers to the continuation of symptoms that persist long after the initial infection has resolved.
Previous research has linked the likelihood of developing long COVID with various health issues, such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, allergies, anxiety, depression, and back pain.
Interestingly, these conditions are also associated with joint hypermobility, which is characterized by an unusually large range of movement in the joints.
The researchers aimed to investigate whether being double-jointed could independently increase the risk of long COVID. They analyzed data from 3,064 participants of the COVID Symptom Study Biobank, all of whom had contracted COVID-19 at least once.
The participants were surveyed in August 2022 to assess whether they had hypermobile joints, their recovery status from COVID-19, and any ongoing fatigue.
Out of the participants who reported having COVID-19, 32% said they hadn’t fully recovered from their last infection. Within this group, nearly 30% had generalized joint hypermobility. Conversely, among those who reported full recovery, less than 23% were double-jointed.
The study also took into account various factors like age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level, and vaccination status, confirming that joint hypermobility was significantly associated with an incomplete recovery from COVID-19.
Notably, high levels of fatigue were linked to the lack of full recovery among those with hypermobility.
It’s important to note that this study is observational and cannot definitively prove that joint hypermobility causes long COVID. Additionally, the majority of participants were women and white, which could limit the generalizability of the findings.
The research also did not adjust for other possible influences such as the duration of symptoms, the variant of the virus, or pre-existing conditions known for causing fatigue.
Long COVID is believed to be a complex condition with multiple underlying factors, including immune, inflammatory, and autonomic responses, leading to a wide range of symptoms affecting both body and brain.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for long COVID, this study suggests that joint hypermobility may be associated with specific symptoms or subtypes of the condition, warranting further research into its connection with long COVID recovery.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about vitamin D deficiency linked to severe COVID-19, death, and how diets could help manage post-COVID syndrome.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies that low-sodium plant-based diets may prevent COVID-19 better, and results showing zinc could help reduce COVID-19 infection risk.
The research findings can be found in BMJ Public Health.
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