Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy Life

Understanding Hypermobile Bodies: Insights from Dr. Mamak Shakib

Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy Life

Show Notes

In this episode of Zebra Talks, host Dr. Libby Hinsley talks with Dr. Mamak Shakib, a chiropractic physician specializing in functional mobility, joint hypermobility, and pelvic floor dysfunction. Dr. Shakib shares her 30-year journey in treating hypermobile patients, emphasizing the importance of developmental kinesiology and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) for sustainable joint health and stability. She discusses common issues faced by hypermobile individuals in traditional chiropractic and rehabilitation settings, the significance of tailored approaches, and the role of proper breathing techniques in maintaining functional stability. The episode sheds light on Dr. Shakib's unique methodologies and her advocacy for better communication and understanding between healthcare providers and patients with hypermobility syndromes.

Highlights of this episode include: 00:00 Introduction to Zebra Talks 00:35 Meet Dr. Mamak Shakib 01:58 Discovering Hypermobility 07:23 Challenges in Traditional Rehabilitation 20:55 Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) 34:05 Breathing Techniques for Bendy People 45:45 Final Thoughts and Resources

More from Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy Life

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Host Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes physical therapist Dr. Laura Glazebrook to discuss scoliosis, especially its overlap with hypermobility. Laura shares her own history of rapidly progressing scoliosis, undergoing a spinal fusion at age 11, and later realizing she likely falls on the hypermobility spectrum.

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Host Dr. Libby Hinsley interviews Abbey Phillipson, a classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) advocate and Paralympic strength and conditioning coach at the University of Michigan. Abbey shares her experience with early signs, diagnosis via genetics (COL5A1), and serious complications of Classical EDS.

May 11, 2026

Host Dr. Libby Hinsley interviews pelvic floor physical therapist and author Dr. Amy Stein, founder of Beyond Basics Physical Therapy. Stein discusses the strong overlap she sees between hypermobility and pelvic floor dysfunction (estimating about 70% of her patients), including patterns of pelvic floor gripping used for stability, pelvic pain, prolapse, hernias, constipation/IBS symptoms, possible pelvic congestion, and bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction across all genders.

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