Nociplastic Pain and the Sensitive Nervous System by Professor Leslie Russek

Nociplasitic pain is due to sensitive nerves that have changed to become better at processing pain. This pain needs to be managed quite differently than “Issues with the Tissues.”

The 3 Types of Hypermobility Pain by Dr. Leslie Russek

Pain is a signal from your brain that it perceives danger. There are 3 types of pain: nociceptive, neuropathic, and neoplastic. People with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorder (hEDS/HSD) may have any or all of these types of pain, and the relative contributions may vary from day to day or hour to hour. 

Managing Nociceptive and Neuropathic Pain by Professor Leslie Russek

Our previous post described the 3 types of pain: Neuropathic, Nociceptive, and Nociplastic. Knowing which type(s) of pain you have can help you manage pain more effectively. Think of it like taking your car to the mechanic – if they replace the air filter when you have a flat tire, it won’t fix the car. You have to address the correct problem. Similarly, different types of pain are managed differently. 

How trauma led me to hypermobility movement therapy

“English is my second language. Movement is my first.” Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. I heard this a while ago and it really resonated with me. I’m not sure where I’d be if I hadn’t found movement therapy. For me, movement is so much more than exercise. It’s so much deeper than simple mechanics.

Creating safety in our own hypermobile bodies is key

“When we feel safe, we can be whoever we were meant to be”. Stephen Porges, author of The Polyvagal Theory, said this at an event I attended with him. I have been curious and passionate about creating a sense of safety for myself and my clients since I created my Integral Movement Method.

Thanks for sticking with me when things got tough

“Thanks for sticking with me when things go tough”. I received this at the end of an email from a lovely EDS client. I work with some very complex cases. There are always going to be ups and downs. A condition like EDS or HSD is never linear. I am prepared for the unexpected.

What’s your breath trying to tell you?

Understanding how we breathe and why we breathe the way we do is key to rehab. When I was struggling to find answers and solutions to my pain and undiagnosed EDS symtoms, I was drawn to breathwork as the first step.

What’s tissue tolerance? Can it help me avoid injury with hypermobility?

Injury prevention – how do we work towards that with hypermobility?

Should I Squeeze my Glutes when I exercise with hypermobility?

Squeezing, pushing, pulling – all words I try to avoid when teaching my hypermobile clients. Why – because they tend to put more tension into the body rather than helping someone move with ease and less pain.

What really happens when we lock our joints?

What happens when we lock our Hypermobile Joints? As someone who always stood with locked knees and picked things up with hyperextended elbows, changing this pattern was really important for my joint health.