Hypermobility - the little-known 'bendy disease' that causes pain and fatigue

Vivienne Duval has always been flexible. She can do every yoga pose there is, but it was not until she turned 58 that she realised that this bendiness was not a good thing.

In fact, it was the answer to all of the strange health problems she had been experiencing for years - issues with digestion, fatigue, and pain.

Earlier this year, when Vivienne came across a video on social media explaining the symptoms of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, it was like a light bulb switching on.

"I saw myself in everything they were saying," she tells me. "So I armed myself with all the information and went to my doctor."

Vivienne's hunch was confirmed - she had hypermobile joints. "I had all these separate things, but no one had ever put them all together. Now it's blindingly obvious."

The disorder may affect hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, but many - like Vivienne - face significant delays in getting a diagnosis.

Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) are connective tissue disorders that cause joint hypermobility - when joints have a greater-than-normal range of motion.

Due to lax collagen between connective tissues, muscles have to work harder to keep joints stable, leading to fatigue and pain, as well as clumsiness.