Hypermobility and Anxiety: Why Your Body Feels On Edge

If you’re hypermobile — especially if you’ve been diagnosed with EDS or HSD — you may notice a persistent sense of anxiety that doesn’t quite fit the usual definition.

You’re not having panic attacks or spiraling emotionally.
But your body feels tense, vigilant, and unable to fully relax.

For many people, this experience of hypermobility and anxiety is rooted in the nervous system — and more specifically, in low proprioception.

The Overlooked Link Between Hypermobility and Anxiety

Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense where it is in space.

It’s how your nervous system knows:

• where your jaw is resting

• whether your neck feels stable

• how much muscular effort is needed to stay upright

• whether your body is supported

In hypermobile bodies, connective tissue doesn’t provide clear, consistent feedback. The result?

Your nervous system has to work harder to answer basic safety questions.

That extra effort often shows up as:

• background anxiety

• internal tension

• difficulty relaxing

• feeling “on edge” for no clear reason

This is one reason hypermobility and anxiety so often travel together.

Why Anxiety in Hypermobility Often Feels Physical, Not Mental

Many hypermobile patients tell me:

“I don’t feel anxious about anything specific — my body just won’t settle.”

That’s an important clue.

Because proprioceptive input is unclear, the nervous system stays slightly activated — not in fight-or-flight panic, but in a state of persistent vigilance.

This can feel like:

• low-grade anxiety

• constant muscle tension

• being easily overstimulated

• fatigue from holding yourself together

• never fully feeling at rest

Your body isn’t malfunctioning.
It’s compensating.

The Role of the Jaw and Upper Neck in Hypermobility and Anxiety

The jaw (TMJ) and upper cervical spine are two of the most proprioceptively rich areas of the body.

They play a major role in:

• balance

• orientation

• nervous system regulation

• sense of safety

In hypermobile people, these areas often become sites of compensation.

Common patterns include:

• jaw clenching for stability

• neck bracing or subtle instability

• headaches or migraines

• dizziness

• fatigue and brain fog

When these regions aren’t providing clear feedback, the nervous system stays alert — contributing to the experience of anxiety in hypermobility.

When Your Nervous System Is Always Working Overtime

Living with hypermobility often means:

• muscles doing the job ligaments should do

• constant micro-adjustments (always fidgeting)

• increased effort just to feel supported

Over time, this creates a nervous system that’s always “on.”

Not because you’re anxious — but because your body is trying to keep you upright, oriented, and safe.

This is why telling hypermobile people to “just relax” often backfires.

Relaxation without support doesn’t feel safe to a body that lacks proprioceptive clarity.

Your Body Makes Sense

Too many women with hypermobility are told their symptoms are “just anxiety.”

If that’s been your experience, I want to say this clearly:

Your anxiety makes sense in the context of hypermobility.

Low proprioception, joint instability, jaw and neck tension, and constant muscular compensation can all contribute to a nervous system that struggles to downshift.

Supporting Hypermobility and Anxiety with Gentle, Body-Based Care

Rather than trying to override symptoms, many hypermobile nervous systems respond best to clear, non-threatening sensory input.

Gentle approaches like craniosacral therapy can support:

• improved proprioceptive awareness

• reduced jaw and neck tension

• a calmer nervous system response

• less need for constant bracing

This work doesn’t aim to “fix” hypermobility.

It works alongside your body, supporting regulation, safety, and ease.

You can learn more about craniosacral therapy for hypermobility here:
👉 https://www.tmj-chiro.com/craniosacral-therapy

A Gentle Invitation

If you’re living with:

• hypermobility and anxiety

• chronic jaw or neck tension

• dizziness or fatigue

• a nervous system that feels perpetually alert

You are not broken.

Your body is responding intelligently to the signals it’s receiving.

Gentle, supportive care can help your nervous system feel safer — and often, quieter.

🔗 Learn more about care for EDS and hypermobility in Portland

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