A Deeper Dive into Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome!

An in depth dive into Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as the need for advice, support and treatment is largely growing. EDS is a rare group of genetic disorders and until recently was largely misunderstood and often dismissed by many health care professionals.

EDS is a disease that weakens the connective tissues of your body, like ligaments and tendons and vary greatly in how they affect the body. In general, EDS is typically characterized by joint hypermobility, skin that is unusually stretchy and tissue frailty.

There are currently thirteen variations of EDS, called subtypes. Now, while symptoms amongst the varying subtypes tend to be quite similar, it’s important to remember that everyone’s individual experience with EDS is different! It’s like the saying “no two cookies are alike.”

So what ARE the symptoms of EDS? The clinical manifestations are most often skin and joint related as mentioned previously, but they also may include some or many of the following symptoms:

***Joints ~ loose joints, double jointed (as they use to call it), joint hypermobility, joints which are inclined to dislocate and/or subluxate, joint pain and joints which move beyond the normal range of motion. Osteoarthritis is often seen at an early onset.

***Skin ~ skin that easily bruises or tears, poor wound healing, stretchy skin, scarring and/or keloids (raised scars that grow much larger than the wound).

***Less Common ~ poor muscle tone, periodontal disease, uterine/intestinal or artery weakness (usually associated with Vascular type), clubfoot deformities at birth, bowel disorders, short stature, scoliosis at birth and deformities of heart valves.

So what do you do if this is all beginning to sound a bit familiar and especially if someone in your immediate family has been diagnosed with EDS? Its time then to visit a healthcare professional who is trained and familiar with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, like us here at Actify Physiotherapy & Wellness!

Now while there is currently no cure for EDS, many of the symptoms can be managed and treated through Physical Therapy. Whether you have already been diagnosed or just beginning on this journey of discovery, remember we are here to help! There is power in knowledge and we are here to help guide the way.

Contact us today to learn more by scheduling your first appointment. It’s time to get back into the driver seat and drive this thing called life!