Collaborative Physical Therapy and Wellness
EDS and HSD, generalized joint hypermobility, Dysautonomia/POTS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
Assessment and treatment in Chicago area
(in person or via video conference)
EDS and HSD, generalized joint hypermobility, Dysautonomia/POTS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
Assessment and treatment in Chicago area
(in person or via video conference)
Physical Therapy for people with EDS is now available in Chicago in-person or via live, secure video conference!
Wendy4Therapy understands how you feel and what it takes to FEEL BETTER. With a visit to W4T, you will spend focused, one-on-one time with a licensed physical therapist who will listen to your health story with a trained and compassionate ear. Your therapist has hEDS, POTS, MCAS, a lifetime of disabling headaches and cranial-cervical instability...she gets it. You will leave W4T with a clear understanding of your symptoms and a concrete PLAN for how to find your own, personal road to wellness. This is not your typical PT session because you are not a typical PT client.
Joints: Joint instability, sprains and strains, feel like you need to brace things just to keep them in place
Pain: Joint pain (particularly ankles, hips, knees, jaw, hands/fingers/wrist, jaw), neck pain, abdominal pain, frequent headaches, numbness/tingling in extremities, pain that doesn’t seem to correlate with imaging
Headaches: Persistent headaches resistant to treatment, migraines, neck pain, headaches that worsen with the position of your body
Dizziness: Dizziness when you stand up (orthostatic intolerance), poor balance and coordination, fainting or near fainting
Heart: Rapid heart beat, palpitations that come out of nowhere, difficulty regulating your body temperature, blood pooling in your legs, flushing of the skin
Fatigue: Disabling fatigue, need to rest more than your friends and family, difficulty standing still, difficulty maintaining upright position at a desk, poor posture because it requires a lot of energy to stand upright, poor sleep quality, difficulty tolerating social outings
Cognition: Brain fog, difficulty concentrating for long periods of time, memory loss, difficulty with word finding
GI/Digestion: Chronic constipation, pain after eating, bloating, poor gut motility and absorption, chronic nausea, food sensitivities/intolerances/allergies, difficulty gaining weight
Immune system: Sensitive skin, food sensitivities, flushing, hives, itching, inappropriate immune response to what should be benign
Psychosocial: Been discounted by friends/family/medical community, anxiety, depression, ADHD/ADD, unable to tolerate school or work, feel like you are in a constant state of “fight or flight,” considered suicide due to pain and fatigue, feel socially isolated, been told you are exaggerating your symptoms
Been diagnosed with: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), dysautonomia, craniocervical instability, Chiari malformation, tethered cord, gastroparesis
I’m fine.
I’m used to the pain. It’s a part of my life.
I’m flexible and have a lot of seemingly unrelated medical issues
I used to be able to do that, but I can’t anymore because it hurts or I don’t have the energy
I have to stay close to home so I can eat, drink, rest and avoid things that will likely trigger and flare my symptoms.
Doctors don’t believe me when I tell them about my symptoms. Especially because all of my tests come back “normal.”
I’m sorry, I can’t do that…I don’t feel well. Again.
I don’t like taking pain medications. They just don’t work for me.
Isn’t everyone in pain and exhausted all the time?
I’m too tired to exercise.
I’m afraid to exercise because when I exercise, everything hurts more.
I’ve been to PT before. It didn’t help or it worsened my symptoms.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) affects connective tissue throughout the body, so symptoms rarely stay confined to just one area. Many people recognize pieces of themselves in several of the sections below. This wide-ranging presentation is not random—it reflects how connective tissue, the nervous system, and regulation systems interact in EDS [Castori 2017; Malfait 2017].
These are often the first symptoms people notice, but they are rarely the only ones.
Common features include:
Soft tissue injuries and frequent sprains and strains
Skin that feels soft, wounds that take longer to heal, scars that heal wide
Joint instability, subluxations, and occasional dislocations, clicking, popping
Pain that is widespread
Pain and fatigue that are delayed and disproportionate to activity
Muscle spasms, trigger points, and chronic tension
Clumsiness
Delayed motor milestones in childhood (late sitting, crawling, or walking)
Joints most commonly affected:
Shoulders
Hips
Knees and ankles
Wrists, hands, fingers
Jaw (TMJ)
Neck
In EDS, ligaments and joint capsules do not provide firm passive support, so muscles must work constantly to maintain alignment. Over time, this leads to fatigue, pain, and injury—even during everyday activities [Castori 2012; Celletti 2015].
EDS affects how the nervous system senses, regulates, and responds to movement and stress.
Common features include:
Poor proprioception (reduced joint position sense)
Clumsiness or frequent bumping into objects
Headaches or chronic migraines
Anxiety or heightened stress response
Difficulty concentrating or “brain fog”
Poor sleep quality
Chronic, disabling fatigue
Neurodivergent features are also more common in EDS, including:
ADHD
Autism spectrum traits
Emotional dysregulation
Sensory sensitivities
These patterns reflect an overactive or poorly regulated nervous system rather than a psychological weakness [Rombaut 2015; Engelbert 2017; Eccles 2012].
Many people with EDS experience symptoms related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
Common features include:
Orthostatic intolerance (feeling worse when upright)
Low blood pressure
Rapid heart rate (POTS)
Dizziness or fainting (syncope)
Easy bruising
Frequent nosebleeds
These symptoms can significantly affect stamina, exercise tolerance, and daily function [Eccles 2012; Hakim 2017].
Immune dysregulation is increasingly recognized in people with EDS.
Common features include:
Allergies or multiple sensitivities
Mast cell activation symptoms (flushing, itching, hives)
Anaphylaxis or near-anaphylactic reactions
Sensitivity to medications, foods, or chemicals
These symptoms can overlap with GI, skin, and cardiovascular issues, making them difficult to recognize as part of one condition [Afrin 2016; Castori 2017].
Connective tissue plays a key role in GI structure and motility.
Common features include:
IBS-type symptoms
GERD or reflux
Severe constipation or alternating diarrhea
Bloating and abdominal pain
Food sensitivities or restricted eating patterns
GI symptoms can strongly influence energy levels, nutrition, and overall symptom burden [Fikree 2017].
Skin and fascial tissues are often affected in EDS.
Common features include:
Stretchy or fragile skin
Slow or poor wound healing
Abnormal scarring
Easy bruising
Hernias
These signs reflect differences in collagen structure and tissue resilience [Malfait 2017].
Pelvic and bladder symptoms are common but often under-discussed.
Common features include:
Urinary incontinence
Pelvic pain
Painful or heavy periods
Dysmenorrhea
Pelvic organ prolapse
Pelvic symptoms often intersect with musculoskeletal instability and nervous system regulation [Castori 2017].
Breathing mechanics are frequently altered in EDS.
Common features include:
Upper-chest–dominant breathing
Shortness of breath
Asthma-like symptoms
Worsening symptoms after viral illness, including long COVID
Inefficient breathing patterns can worsen fatigue, dizziness, and muscle tension [Engelbert 2017].
Fatigue in EDS is multifactorial and often profound.
Contributing factors include:
Poor sleep
Autonomic dysfunction
Chronic pain
Nutritional challenges
Deconditioning
Ongoing stress and inflammation
Fatigue is not simply “being out of shape”—it reflects system-wide strain [Clauw 2014].
Living in a body that feels unpredictable has real emotional consequences.
Common experiences include:
Anxiety or depression
Kinesiophobia (fear of movement)
Social withdrawal
Medical gaslighting
Identity stress, including gender dysphoria
Feeling dismissed or misunderstood
These responses are understandable adaptations to chronic symptoms—not character flaws [Clauw 2014; Castori 2017].
“My symptoms don’t stay in one system because EDS affects connective tissue, nerves, circulation, and immune responses throughout my body. Joint pain, fatigue, dizziness, GI issues, allergies, and anxiety are all connected—not random. Understanding this helps me see that I’m not imagining symptoms or failing treatment. My body works differently, and care needs to support the whole system, not just one painful joint.”
• Why am I always in pain?
• Why does my head feel so heavy?
• Why do my joints move around so much?
• Why do I get hurt so often?
• Why is it so hard to digest food?
• Why do I bruise so easily?
• Why do I get dizzy when I stand up?
• Why do my fingers get so cold?
• Why do my feet swell?
• Why does my heart race sometimes?
• Why do I always seem to bump into things?
• Why don’t I have energy like my friends?
• Why can’t I stand in line at the grocery store before I feel like I have to sit down?
HOW DO I GET BETTER????
• Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (and hypermobility)
• Patient Education
• Core Strengthening and Posture
• Exercise strategies
• Bracing
• Injury Prevention
• Pain Relief Techniques
• Resources for mobility aids
… and MORE!
Rebekah L. - Architect and mother of 3 children with EDS
Lauren L. - Young adult
Stephanie V. - Special Education Teacher
Rachel F. - Graduate student at Pepperdine
Margaret E. - Mother of five
Jill R. - Pastor at Resolution Church