What does it mean when people say they are double-jointed?

You might know some kids who are "double-jointed" and can naturally do some funny things like pulling their fingers back really far or crossing their arms a bunch of times behind their backs. When someone can do this, does it actually mean they have extra joints??

People who are double-jointed don't actually have any extra joints, they're just really flexible!

Joints are the places in your body where one bone meets another and you are able to bend, like shoulders, fingers, hips, and knees. Double-jointed people are able to bend their joints more than most other people because usually they've been built a little differently, making them naturally very flexible.

Always pay attention to your body and never try to over-extend any of your joints on purpose. Everyone is built differently with different eye color, hair, senses of humor, and abilities to bend and flex!