FYZICAL East Asheville 4 S Tunnel Rd #440,

Asheville, NC, 28805

Identifying & Treating EDS and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder in Physical Therapy

People with joint hypermobility syndromes, such as hypermobility spectrum disorder and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, often present to physical therapy with a wide variety of common complaints. Many of them arrive at PT without a formal diagnosis. Unfortunately, due to some of the unique features of the hypermobile body, physiology, and nervous system, many of these patients don’t respond as expected to traditional PT approaches. They tend to experience pain flares, exercise intolerance, and slower progression than expected. Many of them report feeling worse, not better, after PT. 

This course is for physical therapists and PTA’s who want to do a better job of identifying and treating patients who have hypermobility syndromes, whether formally diagnosed or not. The course will cover background information to help participants identify this patient population and understand why they tend to need a modified approach to treatment. 

We will discuss key ways to modify our approach to PT treatment and optimize outcomes for this population, including considerations for postural training, exercise progression, pacing, nervous system regulation, and strength training.