For those struggling with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), pain can be a common part of your day. This condition doesn’t have a cure, and while there are numerous sub-types of it, many of those who have EDS go through their days with intense pain and discomfort. Yet, Ehlers Danlos physical therapy can be highly effective and beneficial to improving overall well-being.
What is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)?
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome affects the connective tissues in the body, which affects collagen. This inherited condition limits the production of collagen, which is a protein your body needs to build connective tissues. When abnormal collagen is present, the ligaments, tendons, and other soft in the body are impacted. This includes hypermobility of joints or instability.
Numerous types of EDS exist, with hypermobile EDS being one of the more common forms. Most forms result in skin extensibility and joint hypermobility. That means joint dislocation is very common, leading to intense pain in the joints themselves as well as in surrounding muscles. Many with EDS also suffer from muscle fatigue.
Causes & Symptoms of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
As a hereditary condition, those with family members who have had EDS are most likely to suffer from it themselves.
The most common symptoms of EDS include:
- Musculoskeletal symptoms: Chronic pain, muscle fatigue, and headaches, as well as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
- Neurological symptoms: Debilitating migraines, pain, and fatigue
- Cardiopulmonary: Some experience abnormal chest pain and blood pressure fluctuations, and some may develop postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
- Hematological: Easily bruised
- Gastrointestinal: Functional bowel disorders and chronic abdominal pain
- Oral: Dental crowding
- Integumentary: Skin that is hyperextensibility and loose, very soft, and sometimes painful, increasing the risk of cuts and wound development
Symptoms may range from mild to severe, but they often include chronic pain and, in many cases, mental health complications, including depression and anxiety. Treatment could help you see improvement.
How is EDS Treated?
There is no cure for EDS. There are strategies that can help to reduce pain and improve overall mobility and stability. Physical therapy for Ehlers Danlos syndrome has been shown to be extensively helpful in reducing pain and quality of life.
How Can Physical Therapy Help with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Ehlers Danlos physical therapy can be very effective as a way to reduce pain when done within specific limitations. The goal of physical therapy is to support healthy collagen production, build muscle strength and endurance, and reduce inflammation that causes pain.
There are a number of ways physical therapy for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome can help. One of the most important factors is that when you choose physical therapy, you get a custom level of treatment designed to address your specific needs. Some of the ways physical therapy can help include:
- Utilization of gentle pressure through manual therapy to reduce pain, improve stability in the joints, and better joint alignment
- Exercise can help to reduce muscle spasms, strains, and sprain risks while also helping to reduce joint inflammation, causing pain
- Hands-on guidance on how to perform daily tasks with less risk of pain and injury
- Provide strategies for managing joint instability at home in areas specific to your concerns
How Physical Therapy Techniques for EDS
Individualized strategies for Ehlers Danlos physical therapy are critical. After a comprehensive consultation to discuss your symptoms and overall pain, your physical therapist will recommend specific strategies to address your needs. This generally includes three areas:
- Exercises for EDS: Exercises (done with very specific methods) can help to improve muscle strength. This directly contributes to improve stabilization of hypermobile joints, making it less likely to cause pain. Exercise works to reduce pain that develops directly due to that instability.
- Stretching: Many people feel the need to stretch with this condition, but doing so improperly only worsens the discomfort. Your physical therapist will show you how to properly and gently stretch your muscles when they hurt or are tight, reducing inflammation. Often, overstretching can cause additional pain, so minimizing that risk is essential.
- Manual therapies: Manual therapies beneficial to EDS may include hands-on techniques like joint manipulation, trigger point therapy, and nerve mobilization. The use of myofascial release and soft tissue mobilization can help some people as well. Positional release therapy may also be a recommended treatment strategy.
Exercises That Help with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Physical therapy for EDS centers on exercise. Some of the strategies you will learn with a physical therapist include:
- Strength training: Utilizing resistance training strategies, you’ll build both muscle strength and endurance. This includes the use of light weights and resistance bands. Your physical therapist will help you choose what’s best for the specific type of EDS you have with any modifications you need.
- Aerobic exercise: Many with EDS benefit from cardio exercise, too. It helps to build muscle strengthen and may help reduce fatigue. Walking, swimming, and biking tend to be good options.
- Balance training: Your physical therapist may also recommend the use of balance training, a process that helps build the core strength of your body and positions your joints properly to improve posture and balance. Over time, this can help to reduce the tightness and pain you feel. However, limited intensity and duration are critical to avoid complications common with EDS.
The exercises incorporated with EDS physical therapy must center around slow progression. That is, your body needs one-on-one guidance from a physical therapist to gradually increase what you are doing, the extensiveness of the exercises, the amount of weight, and the overall activity level and type appropriate for your condition.
Let Rock Valley Assist You Today!
Ehlers Danlos physical therapy is critical for the improvement of your well-being. At Rock Valley P{Physical Therapy, we offer the strategies you need to improve your quality of life. Learn more about what we do to help reduce pain and improve stability.
You can request an appointment with our physical therapists near you now. Physical therapy for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, completed by our highly experienced team, can make a big difference. Let us help today.