'My condition means my joints dislocate every day'

A woman said she has suffered joint dislocations on a daily basis after being diagnosed with a rare condition two years ago.

Caitlyn Payne, from Harwich, Essex, was told she had hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) when she was 21.

The inherited disorder means her joints are more flexible and stretchy than normal and her skin is more fragile.

Ms Payne said that two years on from her diagnosis, she was still having to take care with every step she took while walking.

The condition had caused her connective tissue to loosen, which has caused her to suffer partial-dislocations at least once a day.

It had happened to Ms Payne while rising out of bed and getting dressed in the morning.

"In terms of when I walk, that usually comes second nature to people," she told BBC Essex. "For me, I've got to think of how I hold my back to minimise pain.

"If my hips are clicking, there’s something wrong. If my knees are clicking, there’s something wrong.

"I’ve got to be careful how I put my foot down in case I hyperextend my knee backwards and accidentally fall.

"It's a lot of thinking about how to do it to minimise the pain and not fall over."

Ms Payne said she would come home from her dancing classes and collapse on the floor in agony.

She initially thought her pain was delayed onset muscle soreness, but cried with relief when she was diagnosed with EDS.

"Everyone on my mum’s side of the family has the same set of symptoms and we always have had," Ms Payne said.

"With my mum having the same symptoms and everyone around me, I grew up thinking it was normal."

She added that more people needed to be aware of the rare condition, which she had since learned how to better manage.

"You learn how to deal with it and when to go to hospital - when you need the extra help," Ms Payne said.

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