The skilled therapists at Momentum Physical Therapy, located in the Sawtelle neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, understand the unique needs of those dealing with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Tanya Balakrishnan, MPT and her team are skilled in developing gentle Pilates-based rehabilitative therapy plans to treat joint hypermobility without increasing your risk for dislocations and other complications. If you have overly flexible joints or other symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, request a consultation online or call the office to speak with a team member directly.
Ehler-Danlos Q & A
What is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome describes a group of inherited connective tissue disorders that affect the health of your joints. The condition is a type of joint hypermobility disease, which causes you to have overly flexible joints due to abnormally loose connective tissue.
The excess joint flexibility allows your joints to exceed your normal range of motion. As connective tissues can’t properly support your joint, you may be at increased risk for recurrent dislocations and chronic pain. You may also be susceptible to developing early-onset arthritis.
In addition to affecting your joints, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can affect the health of your skin, allowing it to stretch farther than normal and become increasingly fragile, which can lead to permanent scarring.
How does physical therapy treat Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?
Because of the uniqueness of the symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, many rehabilitative programs are too aggressive to be safe.
At Momentum Physical Therapy, the experienced therapists understand the complexities of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. They take a conservative approach to treatment and focus on controlled Pilates movements to safely strengthen your joints. Tanya and Kelly have successfully treated many Ehlers-Danlos patients with gentle and conservative therapeutic Pilates programs that have helped their patients safely strengthen and reduce their pain.
What can I expect during therapy sessions for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?
Momentum Physical Therapy's knowledgeable staff customizes your treatment based on your needs and the severity of your symptoms. After your initial evaluation, the Momentum team will closely supervise your exercise program to ensure you are performing movements properly and safely.
Your treatment plan focuses on slowly progressing through each exercise to address the stability of your hypermobile joints. The Momentum Physical Therapy team provides guidance to protect the health of your joints and prevent injuries like dislocation and tissue tears from occurring.
As you move forward with your Pilates training, you can enjoy an increase in joint function and stability and reduce your risk factors for injury.
While there’s no cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, practicing Pilates movements during supervised sessions and at home can help you better manage your symptoms and lower your risk factors for long-term complications, like degenerative arthritis. The team also offers private Pilates sessions that your therapist can customize to meet your needs.
If you need an effective treatment for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, request a consultation with the knowledgeable physical therapy team at Momentum Physical Therapy by calling the office or by using the online booking tool.