hEDS

Minimalist graphite sketch of five towering stacks of administrative forms, folders, and clipped papers against a plain white background.

Beyond the Medical: Why Disability Is an Administrative Experience Too

For most of my life, other people told my story. As a teenager, I saw my story appear in newspaper articles, documentaries, and conference presentations, focused on my rare genetic condition, scientific discovery, and perseverance. The stories helped other families find answers and gave people hope, and I remain grateful for the community they created. […]

Illustration of a young Black woman coughing during a meal while holding her throat, with a bowl of soup containing a spoon and a glass of water in front of her, representing swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD).

Why Is Swallowing So Hard? Dysphagia in EDS and HSD 

If you’ve ever coughed while eating, felt like food got stuck in your throat, or found yourself avoiding certain foods because they’re harder to swallow, you’re not alone. Many people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) describe these experiences, yet swallowing problems are often overshadowed by other symptoms like joint pain or […]

Minimalist illustration of a woman surrounded by symbols of love, happiness, anger, sadness, and other emotions, while a band of fog obscures her eyes, representing emotional numbness and difficulty accessing feelings.

Understanding Emotional Numbness in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Living with EDS often comes with navigating an ongoing cycle of injuries, fatigue, symptom flares, medical appointments, unexpected setbacks, and uncertainty about what your body will do next. For many people, EDS-related stressors are cumulative, where each new experience adds to an already heavy emotional burden. Over time, this constant state of stress and adaptation […]

Minimalist illustration of a laptop displaying an online webinar, with a speaker, microphone, chat bubble, and three participant icons.

CPP Webinars Are Back! And Why We Need Them More Than Ever

Have you ever clicked on the webinar section of our Chronic Pain Partners website and looked through the archives of the presentations featured? In 2013, our founder, John Ferman, started this highly popular educational series with a clear mission to provide free access to emerging research interpreted by experienced physicians. Wow, did he succeed! Looking […]

Illustration of a woman with EDS lying on a gray exercise mat in a bright, neutral-toned home workout space. Wearing a striped crop top, gray shorts, knee-high white socks, and sneakers, she holds two dumbbells above her chest. Kinesiology tape is wrapped around one elbow, with potted plants, folded towels, and storage baskets in the background.

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 with a red squiggly line around it all, 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 […]

When Pain Is Real but Tests Come Back Normal: New Research Sheds Light on the Nervous System in hEDS

  For many people living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), one of the most frustrating aspects of the condition is pain that feels impossible to explain — burning sensations, widespread sensitivity, symptoms that seem to involve the whole body rather than just the joints. Standard neurological tests often come back normal, leaving patients without answers […]

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 […]