Foot

What It Is

Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder affecting the connective tissues of the body. These are the tissues that maintain the structure of the body and support and anchor your organs and other structures (NHS, 2023a). The syndrome often affects the eyes, heart, blood vessels and skeleton (NHS, 2023b). People who have the syndrome are often tall and thin, with long arms, legs, fingers and toes (NHS, 2023a). The syndrome can be mild or severe. If your heart or main artery (the aorta) is affected, the condition can be life-threatening (NHS, 2023b).

There's no cure, so treatment focuses on managing the symptoms and reducing the risk of complications. You will usually be looked after by a team of different health professionals, and depending on how severe your symptoms are and which part of the body is affected, medicines or surgery might be needed (NHS, 2023c).

Marfan syndrome is caused by a change in a gene that leads to the body making less of a protein called fibrillin. Fibrillin gives connective tissue its strength and elasticity, so with less of it, parts of the body can stretch abnormally when under stress, and some bones grow longer than they should (NHS, 2023a; MedlinePlus Genetics, 2018). In about 3 in 4 cases, the syndrome is inherited from one parent who has the same disorder, and each child of a parent who is affected has a 1 in 2 (50 percent) chance of inheriting it. In the remaining 1 in 4 (roughly 25 percent) of cases, neither parent has the syndrome; the gene change happens for the first time (NHS, 2023a).

Many people with Marfan syndrome have loose and very flexible joints (hypermobility) (NHS, 2023b). However, loose joints are only one of several features. Some of the most important problems in Marfan syndrome affect the eyes, such as the lens of the eye moving out of place, and the heart and aorta (MedlinePlus Genetics, 2018; NHS, 2023b).

Marfan Syndrome Anatomy

The syndrome can affect multiple parts of the body. Some of the signs might be easy to see, while heart problems aren't visible. Your heart and aorta are checked with tests such as an echocardiogram, an ultrasound scan of the heart (NHS, 2023c).

The symptoms tend to get more severe as a person gets older (NHS, 2023b). Because the symptoms do not always develop during childhood, children might not be diagnosed until they are teenagers (NHS, 2023a). The first thing you will probably notice is how tall and thin the child is. A very long arm span, longer than the person's height, is common (MedlinePlus Genetics, 2018).

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Marfan Syndrome

Regular moderate exercise and physiotherapy can help with joint pain, movement and the muscles that support your joints (NHS, 2023c). Within the limits your medical team has set, I can help with gentle hands-on care and exercises to support your joints. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

1. Exercise

Keeping fit through regular moderate exercise helps your overall health and, together with pain relief, can help with joint pain (NHS, 2023c). However, you may be advised to avoid contact sports such as rugby, long-distance running, heavy weightlifting, gymnastics, climbing and scuba diving. These activities raise your blood pressure and heart rate, which may increase the risk of a tear in the aorta, and they also put strain on your joints. Your cardiologist (heart specialist) can advise which sports and activities are suitable for you (NHS, 2023c).

2. Therapy

Physiotherapy can help improve your range of movement and strengthen the muscles that support your joints, making moving easier and more comfortable (NHS, 2023c). I can help with exercises to support and stabilise your joints, within the limits your medical team has set.

3. Eye Care

You may be referred to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) and have regular eye check-ups. If you are short-sighted, your vision can usually be corrected with glasses or contact lenses (NHS, 2023c).

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Options outside my scope

Beta blockers: medicines often prescribed to slow your heart rate and reduce the force of your heartbeat, which helps slow down enlargement of the aorta. Other medicines can be used if you cannot take beta blockers (NHS, 2023c).
Heart surgery: an operation to replace an enlarged section of the aorta before it becomes too big, to reduce the risk of life-threatening complications (NHS, 2023c).
Eye surgery: in rare cases, or if cataracts develop, the lens of the eye may be replaced with an artificial one (NHS, 2023c).
Scoliosis treatment: a curved spine may be monitored, or treated with a back brace or surgery (NHS, 2023c).

How I can help (see the My Approach tab)

Gentle hands-on care for aching, tight muscles

Exercises to support your joints, within your team's limits

Advice on staying active safely

Tips

Even though there isn't a cure for the condition, treatments can help to reduce the risk of complications (NHS, 2023c).
Children with the condition may be tall and slim, with long, thin arms and legs, long fingers and loose, flexible joints. The breastbone may stick out or sink in, and in rare severe cases a sunken chest can press on the lungs and affect breathing (NHS, 2023b; NHS, 2023c).
About 1 in 5,000 people in the UK have Marfan syndrome, and men and women are affected equally (NHS, 2023a).
The condition is inherited, but it might not always be diagnosed right away (NHS, 2023a).
Regular check-ups with your heart specialist are important so that any problems can be found and treated early (NHS, 2023c).

Treatment

My Approach

Marfan syndrome is looked after by your medical team, and your heart specialist decides which activities are safe for you. I support that care by easing the aches and tight muscles that come with loose joints or a curved spine, and helping you stay active within your limits. Massage can't change the shape of your spine or chest, but it can ease the discomfort. After heart, eye or spine surgery, I need your surgeon's okay before any hands-on treatment.

I start by asking what your team has told you, then assess your posture, how your joints move and where you're sore.

Hands-On Care

Gentle massage for muscles working overtime to steady loose joints, and for the back, neck and shoulders
Easing stiff areas above and below a loose joint, rather than stretching the loose joint itself
Warm applications in the clinic
Gentle scar work once your surgeon is happy (chest wall work only with your informed consent and a signed consent form)

Supporting Your Joints

Holding exercises, where muscles tighten without the joint moving, to build control
Light, controlled strength and balance work at a moderate effort, with no heavy lifting and no holding your breath
No stretches that push a joint to the end of its range
A home programme between visits

If you have sudden, severe pain in your chest, back or tummy, or sudden shortness of breath, call 911.

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: Most people come weekly at first, with a reassessment at about 4 to 6 weeks, then every few weeks or as needed. Expect aches and stiffness to ease gradually over the first several weeks of regular exercise; Marfan syndrome itself is lifelong, so this is ongoing support alongside your medical team's plan.

What I Focus On

Working Within Your Team's Limits

Gentle Muscle Care

Joint Stability

Safe, Moderate Exercise

Posture & Comfort

Sources

References

NHS (2023a) Marfan syndrome. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/marfan-syndrome/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
NHS (2023b) Marfan syndrome: symptoms. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/marfan-syndrome/symptoms/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
NHS (2023c) Marfan syndrome: treatment. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/marfan-syndrome/treatment/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
MedlinePlus Genetics (2018) Marfan syndrome. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/marfan-syndrome/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooMarfan Syndrome

What It Is

Marfan Syndrome Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Marfan Syndrome

1. Exercise

2. Therapy

3. Eye Care

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Hands-On Care

Supporting Your Joints

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooMarfan Syndrome

What It Is

Marfan Syndrome Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Marfan Syndrome

1. Exercise

2. Therapy

3. Eye Care

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Hands-On Care

Supporting Your Joints

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Club Foot

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Diabetic (Charcot) Foot

Extensor Tendon Rupture (Foot)

Book a session