Columns

Sometimes Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) just doesn’t seem to have a discernible pattern to me. While I’ve been doing much better overall recently, thanks to fascial counterstrain physical therapy (FCS), that doesn’t mean that I don’t have triggers or pain flares. It just means that hopefully they’re less…

Note: This column describes the author’s experiences with fascial counterstrain therapy (FCS). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. It’s still hard to believe how much I’ve benefited from adding fascial counterstrain therapy (FCS) to my self-care routine.

As I sit here for the fourth hour at the infusion center, I feel a wave of gratitude wash over me. I’m thankful to have hydration and other infusion options to help me power through difficult days. It has taken me years to accept that I sometimes need supportive care…

As I drove along the highway, I could feel my muscles getting tighter. Despite my best efforts to avoid setting off a pain flare, I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to stop this one. While I’ve developed a number of strategies over the years to manage my Ehlers-Danlos…

I suspect that many of us with chronic conditions use self-deprecating humor to cope with our frustrations. For me, it’s a way to show others that while my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) can be challenging sometimes, it won’t keep me from doing what I want to do. A few…

Recently, I got back on a horse for the first time in several months. It’s been six months since a bad fall resulted in a broken rib and healing complications courtesy of my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). While I did ride a horse a few times earlier in my…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with over-the-counter pain medications. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Recently, I attended my first horse show in several years. I wasn’t riding due to a bad fall last…

Note: This column describes the author’s experiences with fascial counterstrain (FCS). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. I’ve been trying a new type of physical therapy called fascial counterstrain (FCS). Before I started it, I’d been struggling with the after-effects of a fall from my horse that…

Walking through the door for my first Pilates session in nearly six years, I felt a wave of nerves. The last six months had been a difficult recovery from a severely broken rib and a sprained diaphragm, injuries further complicated by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). I was anxious that engaging…

I’ve reached a plateau in my recovery from a badly broken rib and sprained diaphragm that’s been complicated by my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), and I’ve been searching for what to do next. Recently, I went in for an evaluation with a physical therapist I’ve known for years, who…