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.”

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 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.

Relationships and Chronic Pain

I recently did a post about pain management. Someone raised the question on the post of ‘how can I communicate my pain to my partner effectively?’

Chronic Illness Exercise – Do you mourn your previous regime?

What’s your relationship with exercise? Has it changed over the years? Did a chronic illness diagnosis change your approach?

What people don’t see when you live with a chronic illness

What’s it like when you go out out – if you do go out out? Is there a lot of preparation and organisation involved? I have friends who don’t have EDS or chronic illness. They fill their weekends with activities from morning till night – doing multiple things in one day. And they don’t seem that tired.

Hypermobility Flare-Up Management

Can we ever really be prepared for a flare-up? And when they arrive, how do we manage them? They can be as unpredictable as the rain. You dress for sun and a sudden downpour arrives. Sometimes we definitely know rain is coming and we can pack an umbrella but sometimes rain, like a flare-up, can appear when the sky seemed so blue. We just weren’t expecting it.

Am I Doing This Exercise Right? Progress Not Perfection Wins Every Time.

We’ve probably all ventured into the previously unknown world of online exercise during these unusual times. When our regular gym or Pilates classes closed (or still remain closed), if you wanted to stay healthy and exercise safely you probably turned to YouTube for inspiration. Or maybe you became a regular on Zoom with your regular teacher.