What is the Beighton Scale / Score
- SEDSConnective
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
The Beighton Scale is a simple test that checks how bendy your joints are. It gives you a score out of 9 points. It measures how much your joints bend beyond what's considered normal - specifically beyond 10 degrees of hyperextension for elbows and knees beyond 90 degrees for bending your little finger backwards. It includes whether you can touch your thumb to your forearm or place your palms flat on the floor while keeping your knees straight.
So "normal range" means your joints stop at these typical limits, while hypermobile joints can bend much further. This does not mean you have a medical condition and but might be part of a large clinical assessment for either hypermobility EDS (hEDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD). It is also part of the paediatric assessment.
How does it work?
An informed healthcare professional presently tests 5 different body parts:
Little fingers (5th) (2 points - one for each hand)
Your thumbs (2 points - one for each hand)
Your elbows (2 points - one for each arm)
Your knees (2 points - one for each leg)
Your spine (1 point - touching the floor with flat hands)
Total possible score: 9 points
What scores mean you are hypermobile?
For Adults (after puberty to age 50):
5 points or more = Hypermobile
4 points or less = Not hypermobile
For Children:
6 points or more = Hypermobile
5 points or less = Not hypermobile
Children are not diagnosed before the age of 5 due to lack of bone maturity
For People over 50:
4 points or more = Hypermobile
3 points or less = Not hypermobile
As you age your Beighton scale will often decrease
Important to know:
Children are naturally more bendy than adults
Women tend to be more flexible than men
Your usually get much stiffer as you age
Different doctors might use slightly different cut-off scores and this is important to know as often they might differ
You might have an injury or illness during a flare which means you might not score in some joints.
The Beighton Scale is just ONE part of diagnosing hypermobility conditions
What happens if you score high?
A high score doesn't automatically mean you have a medical condition. Your doctor will also look at:
Whether you have pain or other symptoms
Your family history
Other signs of hypermobility conditions
Points to note however, is that many people will not reach the threshold for a positive score yet still suffer from hypermobility which is multisystemic and can affect all systems throughout the bodybrain. You can also reach the criteria but not be symptomatic!
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