Doctor Bradly Tinkle, author of two great books on Hypermobility Syndrome - Issues and Management of Joint Hypermobility, and Joint Hypermobility Handbook - has recently released an app on iTunes. The app is called 'JHDiagnosis' and can be found in the Utilities category in the app store - it is most easily found by simply searching for the word 'hypermobility' in iTunes.
This app takes you step by step through the Beighton Criteria, the most authoritative test used to diagnose generalized joint hypermobility or laxity. The app features pictures of each movement tested, an explanation of how the Beighton Criteria is used, and narration by Dr. Brad Tinkle himself. The app also includes movements not included on the official Beighton criteria, but which are extremely useful when trying to diagnose HMS.
I would highly recommend that every HMS patient download this app (compatible with iPhone and iPad and its free!) to learn a little bit more about the condition. Then, bring your iPod to work, school, or just out and about and test your coworkers, friends, and family to see if they may have one of the major symptoms of HMS (NOTE: This app cannot diagnose Hypermobility Syndrome, instead, it screens for generalized joint hypermobility, a symptom which can be caused by a number of connective tissue diseases, HMS being chief among these). Also, encourage your doctors - GPs, Physical Therapists, Orthopedists, OBGYNs, Rheumatologists - to download this app as well. This will not only help them understand you and your medical concerns more, but will also help them spot Hypermobility Syndrome in their other patients.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
North Carolina Physical Therapy Clinics Interested in Treating HMS
Below is a list of physical therapy clinics in
Physical therapy is critical to managing the symptoms of Hypermobility Syndrome, but must be approached with caution. I saw a PT for months but ended up with more, rather than less pain – but I was told that was a good thing. The whole ‘no pain no gain’ mentality, however, does not apply to HMS. You need to find a therapist that is kind, attentive, and who will not push you too hard. It can be hard and sometimes take time to find a therapist like that, but it is well worth the wait. Before entering PT, do some shopping around so that you know you are going to get the right person and the right treatment.
Best of Luck! And remember, if you have any questions about physical therapy, or HMS in general, feel free to contact me.
Love and Hope,
www.mountainphysicaltherapy.com
Hope Mills, 28348
910-429-0600
TOUCH THERAPY SERVICES
PO Box 16518
Asheville, NC 28816
828-665-0442
touchtherapyservices@charter.net
KERNSERSVILLE REHAB SPECIALISTS
1031 E. Mountain Street Blv
Suite 101
Kernsersville, NC 27284
336-996-4980
www.KRStherapy.com
CENTER FOR ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY
5B
828-255-4567
BALANCED PHYSICAL THERAPY
and
HWY 54
GASTON REHAB ASSOCIATES, INC.
1361-B
And: 2809 AMITY HILL
704-864-4424
BREAKTHROUGH PHYSICAL THERAPY
910-483-9300
MOTIONWORKS MANUAL PHYSICAL THERAPY, INC.
919-734-9644
SPORTS AND MORE PHYSICAL THERAPY, INC.
8300 HEALTH PARK SUITE 127
919-319-6160
and
27513
919-319-3649
PHYSICAL THERAPY OF
919-479-9001
ATHLETIC ADVANTAGE, INC. SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY
919-484-0033
ATLANTIC PT AND REHABILITATION
843-293-7713
MARTHA LEWIS PT
MILLS RIVER PHYSICAL THERAPY
828-890-0040
CENTER FOR PERFECT BALANCE
828-966-9036
SKYLAND FAMILY REHAB
828-299-4636
905-B
336-992-2787
CEDAR HILL PHYSICAL THERAPY
PAUL WEISS and ANGELA COOK
336-644-9661
828-277-7547
KATHERINE J. GRIESSER
910-263-7438
Monday, January 18, 2010
Good News for HMS Research!
The University of Michigan's Genetics department has recently teamed up with the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation to create a 'comprehensive Hypermobility database.' To that affect, the University of Michigan is conducting a survey of Hypermobile patients now through March which focuses on 'their full range of symptoms, treatment efficacies, and experiences with the healthcare community.' This information is absolutely vital, as much of the scepticsm of the healthcare community towards HMS stems from a lack of sufficient data about how HMS impacts a patient's daily quality of life. The information collected in this survey will help to serve future generations of HMS patients, so please take the time to help out.
Anyone with EDS type III/HEDS/HMS/BJHS is welcome to take the survey (you do NOT have to be a member of the EDNF), and please encourage your hypermobile friends and familymembers to participate as well. Under the 'diagnosis' column please select 'other' and then enter 'Hypermobility Hope' if this website has helped you find answers to your diagnostic questions, it will be much appreciated!
The survey can be found here and takes about 45 mintues: http://www.ednf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1862&Itemid=88889153
Anyone with EDS type III/HEDS/HMS/BJHS is welcome to take the survey (you do NOT have to be a member of the EDNF), and please encourage your hypermobile friends and familymembers to participate as well. Under the 'diagnosis' column please select 'other' and then enter 'Hypermobility Hope' if this website has helped you find answers to your diagnostic questions, it will be much appreciated!
The survey can be found here and takes about 45 mintues: http://www.ednf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1862&Itemid=88889153
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Thumb Joint Pain
Hypermobility Hope was recently recognized by ThumbJointPain.net in their Blog Award section, and was the featured blog for the week of December 21st, receiving 4.5 out of 5 stars! Please check out their website where you can tons of great information about relieving muscle pain from thumbs to shoulders to hips!
Love and Hope,
Chelsea
http://thumbjointpain.net/thumb_pain.php
Love and Hope,
Chelsea
http://thumbjointpain.net/thumb_pain.php
Monday, December 21, 2009
Think You Might be Hypermobile? Take these Tests Below!
TOP 5 HMS SYMPTOMS
1) Increased Flexibility – ‘double-jointedness,’ majority of joints extend past 180 degrees
2) Skin – extra soft, silky-smooth skin that is very thin, easily bruises and is slow to heal, scarring that is characteristically smoother in texture and lighter in color than surrounding skin
3) Frequent Injury – accident prone and clumsy, due to decreased proprioception (the body’s sense of its own movement through 3D space)
4) Anesthesia Problems – anesthetics (such as novicaine and lignocaine) take longer to take affect and ware off faster than normal
5) Joint Pain – frequent joint pain which does not respond to typical treatments such as ice, rest and anti-inflammatory medication, can be brought about suddenly without any direct injury or trauma and lasts longer than normal muscle inflammation
- If these symptoms sound familiar, it may be worth investigating Hypermobility Syndrome as a possible diagnosis to help explain your medical problems. Below you will find the Beigton Test and Brighton Criteria, the two medical tests used along with family history and certain exclusionary exams (such as Xrays, MRIs and blood work) in diagnosing HMS. First, use the Beighton Test to see if you have Generalized Joint Hypermobility, the primary symptom of HMS, which can be determined by a score of 4/9 or higher. Then, use the Brighton Criteria to asses whether or not HMS is the likely cause of this characteristic increased joint flexibility. Since HMS is a genetic disorder, it may be beneficial to have other family members perform these tests, or to at least have an accurate and detailed family health history at hand. If the Beigton Test and Brighton Criteria indicate that HMS is likely, it may be beneficial to talk to your doctor about Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos.
*Arthralgia = joint pain
1) Increased Flexibility – ‘double-jointedness,’ majority of joints extend past 180 degrees
2) Skin – extra soft, silky-smooth skin that is very thin, easily bruises and is slow to heal, scarring that is characteristically smoother in texture and lighter in color than surrounding skin
3) Frequent Injury – accident prone and clumsy, due to decreased proprioception (the body’s sense of its own movement through 3D space)
4) Anesthesia Problems – anesthetics (such as novicaine and lignocaine) take longer to take affect and ware off faster than normal
5) Joint Pain – frequent joint pain which does not respond to typical treatments such as ice, rest and anti-inflammatory medication, can be brought about suddenly without any direct injury or trauma and lasts longer than normal muscle inflammation
- If these symptoms sound familiar, it may be worth investigating Hypermobility Syndrome as a possible diagnosis to help explain your medical problems. Below you will find the Beigton Test and Brighton Criteria, the two medical tests used along with family history and certain exclusionary exams (such as Xrays, MRIs and blood work) in diagnosing HMS. First, use the Beighton Test to see if you have Generalized Joint Hypermobility, the primary symptom of HMS, which can be determined by a score of 4/9 or higher. Then, use the Brighton Criteria to asses whether or not HMS is the likely cause of this characteristic increased joint flexibility. Since HMS is a genetic disorder, it may be beneficial to have other family members perform these tests, or to at least have an accurate and detailed family health history at hand. If the Beigton Test and Brighton Criteria indicate that HMS is likely, it may be beneficial to talk to your doctor about Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos.
*Arthralgia = joint painNew Study into the Impact of Medical Prejudice on HMS Patients
There is an excellent new study out this month in the Disability and Rehabilitation Journal, which investigates the effects disrespectful encounters with health care professionals has on Ehlers-Danlos and Hypermobility Syndrome patients. The study found that these negative experiences are not only psychologically and emotionally damaging, but can adversely influence the long-term health of such patients who are often hesitant to seek medical assistance. Below you can find an abstract of the study as well as a link to a newspaper article which provides another great overview. This study sets an excellent precedent for future investigations into the impact of Hypermobility on patients’ lives, as well as the consequences of the current hostility of the medical community towards the disorder.
DIGNITY NOT FULLY UPHELD WHEN SEEKING HEALTH CARE: EXPERIENCES EXPRESSED BY INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM EHLERS-DANLOS SYNDROME
Berglund B, Anne-Cathrine M, Randers I. Nursing Division, Department of Medical and Surgical Gastroenterology,
Aim - The principle of human dignity has assumed importance in ethics and constitutional law throughout the 20th century in the Western world. It calls for respect of each individual as unique, and of treating him or her as a subject, never as a mere object. As such, the principle constitutes an ethical cornerstone in health care. Patients suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) challenge medical care and knowledge in health-care professionals' as symptoms sometimes are vague. Individuals with this disorder have reported not being respected when seeking health care.
Purpose - To describe encounters in health-care situations when individuals suffering from EDS experienced that their dignity was not fully upheld. A further aim was to describe the long-term consequences of these experiences.
Method - A study-specific questionnaire was designed, where individuals with EDS described their encounters with health care from a personal perspective.
Results - After qualitative content analysis, the following five categories were identified: 'Being ignored and belittled by health-care professionals,' 'Being assigned psychological and/or psychiatric explanations', 'Being treated and considered merely as an object', 'Being trespassed in one's personal sphere' and 'Being suspected of family violence'. Consequences of these encounters were 'Mistrusting the physician' and 'Risking bad health'.
Conclusions - The memory of not being respected is substantial for individuals with EDS and can last for years. As a result, lack of trust for the health-care system is created and they may experience difficulties in future encounters with health care. Therefore, health-care professionals should base their actions on norms that protect human dignity and confirm each patient as a unique human being with resources and abilities to master their own life.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
New HMS Article
Please check out my new article in the Daily Tar Heel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's on-campus newspaper. It is more of a human interest piece than about awareness, but being able to put a face to the disease is extremely useful in getting people to care. Please read and pass along the hope to others!
http://www.dailytarheel.com/content/student-learns-be-flexible
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