Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD)
Are You Too Flexible?
Your Hypermobility May Be Hurting You
People with connective tissue problems such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) often struggle with orthopedic issues and chronic pain. Through movement education, customized exercises, and The Bowstring Method® of manual therapy, Body Reform guides children and adults to a more symptom-free life.
Joint Hyper-Mobility exists alongside Hypo-Mobility
Joint hypermobility refers to a greater-than-normal range of motion in a given joint. In many cases, hypermobility is a positive attribute. A well-trained person with mobile joints, ligaments, and musculature can develop a pliable body capable of amazing physical performance. However, when hypermobility leads to instability in the alignment of the bones, it can result in joint subluxations, dislocations, sprains, and other injuries.
Paradoxically, too much flexibility in some areas of the body often leads to other segments becoming overly stiff or hypomobile. It’s a protective mechanism. Think of it as the spine splinting itself after an injury to allow the structure or tissue to heal without the risk of continued damage. Generally, this is a good and natural response to injury and happens to everyone. But in people on the hypermobile spectrum, having one area that barely moves next to one that moves too much can lead to increased tissue breakdown and injuries. Joint instability, or hypermobility, and the accompanying hypomobility can cause acute and chronic pain that interferes with daily life.
The Bowstring Method® of manual therapy, created by Body Reform’s co-owner Shannon Harris, addresses the hypo-hyper dysfunction. Our therapists identify areas of your body that are stiff (the hypo aspect) and use hands-on manual therapy to create more fluidity throughout your muscles and joints. To address the hyper-mobility aspects of the body, we utilize comprehensive movement education and strengthening programs that bring awareness to posture, gait, and the importance of joint centration during exercises and activities of daily living. In other words, our manual therapy resets your joints and muscles to be more agile, then our movement coaches teach you to live your life in a more stabilized position, resulting in a stronger, more resilient body.
Case Study
Here’s an example of how Body Reform in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles successfully treats hypermobile people with chronic pain. A new patient, Kelsie (not her real name), had been previously diagnosed with HDS. She reported recurring pain in her back and knees after standing or sitting for extended periods, even though she had seen a physical therapist at a different clinic for over ten sessions. Kelsie’s first P.T. clinic had focused primarily on lumbo-pelvic stability and strengthening exercises, a standard protocol in many practices for someone with hypermobility. This approach can be beneficial, but as we often see, exercises alone aren’t as effective as the patient would like. Despite following the plan, her symptoms persisted, and she feared she would have pain for the rest of her life. She decided to try another clinic and came to see us.
Body Reform therapists immediately understood why the exercises alone weren’t working. Without effectively addressing the Hyper-Hypo Syndrome, her body wasn’t capable of using the intended muscles and movement patterns that her exercises called for. Kelsie’s upper back and hip flexors were hypo, meaning that her joints and muscles in those areas were too rigid to move correctly, and she compensated by gaining extra motion from her overly-flexible low back and knees. As is often the case, this scenario caused harmful postural deviations and increased wear and tear on her joints. The Bowstring Method® of manual therapy released her stiff upper back and hip flexors, which resulted in the elimination of her pain. Just as importantly, the newly released tissues offered more freedom of movement, allowing her to adopt the optimal alignment encouraged by her therapists at Body Reform. Once she could perform the strength and stability work in the best biomechanical position, the exercises we did with her were much more effective, resulting in her successfully managing her orthopedic conditions.
We’re Here To Help
Body Reform’s unique treatment protocol for hypermobile patients, including those with Ehlers-Danlos, improves overall function and ease of movement. It eliminates or significantly diminishes the key causes of pain, releases restrictions that hinder proper recruitment of muscles during exercise, and contributes to greater injury prevention than stability exercises alone. Have questions? We’d be happy to chat and schedule an appointment for you. Body Reform provides Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome physical therapy for patients in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Century City, West Hollywood, Santa Monica and surrounding areas. We’re also available for tele-health consultations for patients who can’t make it into our office.
The Ehlers Danlos Society website is a great resource for more detailed information on Ehlers-Danlos Sydrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder. Follow the link below.