Constipated, Achy and Dizzy Spells? It Might Not Be a Coincidence

By Sarah Plunkett Chartered Physiotherapist

This week, we’re focusing on a pattern I see often in clinic: people dealing with constipation, ongoing aches and pains, and occasional dizziness or a racing heart—without realising these symptoms may be connected. Many try to manage each issue separately, but in a lot of cases, hypermobility can be the missing link. At BodyRight Physiotherapy, we often help people make sense of these seemingly unrelated symptoms by looking at the body as a whole.

One of the most common complaints is feeling constantly “tight,” yet stretching doesn’t seem to help. In hypermobile bodies, this tightness is often protective. Because joints move more than average, muscles have to work harder to create stability. That constant effort can lead to fatigue, tension and soreness—so the answer isn’t always more stretching, but better support and strength.

Constipation is another piece of the puzzle that’s often misunderstood. It’s not just about diet. Tight muscles around the trunk and pelvis, along with altered or shallow breathing patterns, can affect how easily the gut moves and how efficiently the bowels function. When you add in a busy or overloaded nervous system, digestion can slow down even further.

Dizziness, especially when standing, is also commonly reported. In people with hypermobility, blood vessels can be more flexible, which means blood may pool more easily in the lower body. This can reduce how quickly blood returns to the brain, leading to that lightheaded or “off” feeling many people describe.

Alongside this, a racing heart or palpitations can occur. This can feel very similar to anxiety, but often there’s a physical reason behind it. The body increases heart rate to help maintain circulation when blood isn’t returning as efficiently. Once medical causes have been ruled out, this pattern is sometimes diagnosed as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, which is more common in people with hypermobility due to the increased compliance (flexibility) of the blood vessels.

Underpinning all of this is the nervous system. It plays a key role in regulating muscle tone, digestion, circulation and stress responses. In hypermobility, it’s often working harder to keep everything stable and balanced, which can contribute to that mix of tightness, fatigue, gut symptoms and dizziness.

When you step back and look at the bigger picture, these symptoms are often not random at all. They’re part of a pattern—your body adapting and compensating as best it can.

This pattern can present in children and adults alike, and can be triggered by periods of inactivity, or perhaps after a hormonal change like postnatally.

That’s why treatment needs to go beyond isolated symptoms. At BodyRight Physiotherapy, we take an individual approach to managing hypermobility, focusing on building strength, improving stability, and supporting nervous system regulation. Because every body is different, understanding your specific pattern is key to making meaningful progress.

If any of this sounds familiar, it might be time to stop chasing individual symptoms and start looking at how your body works as a whole.