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The kids at school think I'm a freak because I can put both my legs and arms behind my head with no trouble at all. My mother thinks I'm going to dislocate something doing this trick. Is it really possible to pop a joint out when I'm already so flexible?

People who can put their legs behind their head or fold up the arms and legs and then fit into a tiny box have something called joint hyperlaxity. The condition is considered congenital because it is something they are born with and remains present throughout life. Joint hyperlaxity means the soft tissues around the joint that usually hold it in place are extra long and very elastic. Without those restraints, the joint can slide and glide all over the place. The end result is the ability to move and rotate joints in all directions without dislocation. The condition can be acquired, too. Athletes who perform the same motion over and over (e.g., serving a tennis ball over the net, pitching a ball forward) can also develop joint hyperlaxity. One portion of the joint capsule gets so stretched, the joint becomes hyperlax. This can happen to window washers who have their arms and hands overhead hours each day or rowers who are repeatedly pulling the arms back. Gymnasts, tennis players, weight-lifters, pitchers, and house painters Can those joints be dislocated? Yes they can. Fortunately it doesn't happen very often. But you don't want to develop shoulder instability by repeatedly stretching out the soft tissues that are meant to support the shoulder. By showing others what you can do over and over, you actually develop muscle patterns that can be difficult to change.

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