Bendy? Just Keep Swimming This Winter

The Gold Coast doesn't get that cold during winter, with our top temperatures only occasionally dipping below 20C. Still, it's relatively cold compared to what you get used to, and most people don't swim from some time in autumn to some time in spring, or summer. But if you have joint hypermobility like I do, it may be best to swim all year round, depending on your symptom profile and severity. 

The hypermobility spectrum, even up to more serious forms of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, is one of the most under-researched conditions in the world. While some people have mild cases - I and another bendy person can work as massage therapists, for example -  others need a wheelchair much of the time. There is a wide range of potential symptoms and genes that cause the condition, so many advocates spend all their time fighting for recognition and validation because it's so common to be dismissed as a psychosomatic case. 

As a genetic disorder, a cure will require gene therapy to insert a correct copy of the defective gene. But while we wait, some people have found that specific types of exercise are more beneficial in taming symptoms than others. 

Can Cold Water Swimming Relieve Some Hypermobility-Related Symptoms?

The under-researched nature of hypermobility means that we sometimes have to piece together information from personal experiences and research that implies a possible benefit. It's not the best way (my naturopathy degree had high standards of what research to cite), but if what you're trying is already known to be safe, it may be the best you can get. 

Cold water swimming is safe within limits. It's generally recommended that you keep to water between 10C and 16C, which is the usual temperature range seen in open-water winter swimming. Stay in the water for no more than 30 minutes, and only start actively swimming once the cold-shock period of 2-3 minutes has worn off. In my experience of controlled 12.5C water, your breathing will start to even out again and you will be able to feel your hands and feet more. If you have trouble with dislocating joints, it's best to see a physiotherapist to refine your stroke technique first. 

One of at least several people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome to publicly describe how cold water swimming has benefitted their condition is Charlotte Leonard, an advertising professional from the UK. After years of pain from injuries and pregnancy, no conventional treatment was safe and effective. Swimming worked, however, to the point that she no longer needs painkillers (individual results can vary, so this is not medical advice). Others still experience significant pain, but swimming reduces its severity. Even moments of freedom, described as a calming of an overactive nervous system, are all worth it for people with more severe cases. 

How Does Cold Water Swimming Work?

Cold water swimming may have multiple benefits for hypermobility conditions. When it comes to pain, the shock of cold water may dull pain through the adrenaline rush and by altering blood flow to the brain. It could also remove the fear of movement and desensitise the nervous system, numbing a pain response that has "learnt" to be overactive over a number of years. In a case study that used postoperative neuropathic pain as an example, cold water swimming at around 11C was more effective than standard physiotherapy. Their pain level dropped to near-indetectable levels, and they enjoyed persistent relief afterwards. 

Swimming in cold water also hardens the body in several ways. It can increase your body's production of its own antioxidants, and help to recharge them. The antioxidants we produce ourselves are reusable and more potent than those found in food, as I learnt in my naturopathy degree. Perhaps even more importantly in winter, cold water swimming may boost your immune cell counts so you can fight infection more effectively. Some research even shows a 40% lower risk of respiratory infection among regular winter swimmers! And whether you're too stressed or too flat to do much of anything, cold water swimming may help here, too. It seems to regulate stress hormone levels, which are often too high in anxiety or too low in cases of fatigue. 

Of course, the best way to relieve issues such as fatigue or pain are individual, so it's best to consult health and fitness professionals in-person.