HSD

A minimalist watercolor-style illustration of a young Asian woman performing a dumbbell chest press while lying on an exercise mat. She wears a light zebra-print athletic top, gray shorts, white compression socks, and white trainers. Beige kinesiology tape is applied to her upper arm. The bright, neutral-toned home workout space includes a potted plant and simple shelving, conveying a calm, low-impact strength training environment.

Strength Training with Hypermobility: The Goldilocks Principle

There’s a good chance you’ve heard how important “getting stronger” is for bendy people. And it’s true: bendy people have been shown to generate about 30% less muscular force (i.e. be 30% weaker) at baseline than their non-bendy counterparts. And yet, the bendy body relies even more heavily on muscular support than others, thanks to […]

Illustration of a uterus and ovaries overlaid on a grid of white tiles, symbolizing the shift from viewing PCOS as an ovarian condition alone to recognizing PMOS as a complex multisystem endocrine and metabolic disorder.

A Name Long Overdue: PCOS Becomes PMOS, and What That Means for the hEDS Community

  There is exciting news for the recently reported 17% of hEDS patients and 14.7% of HSD patients who experience polycystic ovary syndrome, now renamed to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.   On May 12th, 2026, a new article was published in The Lancet announcing the name change from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic […]

Overhead view of multiple blister packs containing different prescription medications and tablets beside medication bottles and a tissue on a white surface, representing the complexity and emotional burden of starting and managing medications with chronic illness.

The Fear No One Talks About: Starting a New Medication When Chronically Ill

  “What if it causes anaphylaxis?” “What if it makes me sick?” “What if it doesn’t work?” “Once I take it I can’t undo it.” For most people, starting a new prescription is routine – pick it up, get generic instructions from the pharmacist, take it, then report back to your doctor in a few […]

Abstract scientific illustration of interconnected protein-like molecular networks in shades of navy blue, light blue, gray, black, and white on a clean white background. Glossy circular nodes are connected by thin lines to form two minimalist network clusters, with small scattered dots suggesting additional molecules. The image is decorative and represents protein interaction networks and proteomics rather than specific biological structures.

New Study Finds Shared Protein Signatures in hEDS and HSD

A recent 2026 study is providing additional clues about the biology of hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). In this article, we’ll explore what the researchers discovered, why they believe the two conditions may share common biological mechanisms, and what these findings could mean for future research. How the Study Was […]

Things People Have Done That Made Me Feel More Comfortable as Someone with Chronic Illness

Chronic illness can be isolating in ways that are hard to articulate, even to the people who love you most. It’s not just the physical reality but also the guilt of canceling plans, the exhaustion of explaining yourself, and the fear that your illness is impacting your relationships. I have found great value in people […]

"Graphic for Disability Pride Month featuring the Disability Pride flag with diagonal red, yellow, white, blue, and green stripes on a dark gray background, overlaid with a black accessibility wheelchair symbol in the center."

Disability Pride Month: The World Works Better With Us

  Every July, the disability community marks Disability Pride Month: an annual celebration tied to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. The ADA was a landmark civil rights law that prohibited discrimination against disabled people in employment, public accommodations, transportation, and government services. It was the result of […]

Soft sketch-style illustration of an upright MRI machine with a dark-haired patient seated inside wearing MRI-safe clothing. A female MRI technologist stands beside the machine, speaking with the patient and adjusting the controls. The image depicts a weight-bearing upright MRI in a calm clinical setting.

Seeing the Spine in Motion: Exploring the Potential Benefits of Upright MRI in EDS

This article explores whether upright MRI may be a useful tool for evaluating EDS-related spinal instability. Understanding the limitations of standard MRI and what positional imaging could offer instead, may help patients, clinicians, researchers, advocates, and healthcare providers better navigate the complex neurosurgical landscape of EDS.   Why Supine MRI May Miss the Problem Cervical […]

Pencil sketch of a woman in a T-shirt sitting in an armchair by a window, holding a mug and looking thoughtfully outside at a sunlit spring landscape. A lightweight throw blanket drapes across her lap, while a potted plant and candle sit on a small table nearby.

What’s the Point of Pursuing EDS Diagnosis?

Like many people, my hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) was diagnosed after a steep and sudden decline in my health. I had been navigating fatigue, pain, and fogginess for years, but in April 2020, I became bedbound for months following an incident during a Zoom call where I began blacking out and twitching. I had been […]