Gender Affirming Care and Hypermobility with Dr. Laura Ross
Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy LifeShow Notes
In this episode of Zebra Talks, host Dr. Libby Hinsley discusses the intersection of hypermobility syndromes and gender affirming care with Dr. Laura Ross, a pelvic health physical therapist and sex counselor. Dr. Ross, based in Decatur, Georgia, shares her journey and passion for providing inclusive care for all genders, focusing on pelvic pain, sexual health, pelvic health in athletes, and care specific to transgender and gender expansive individuals. She emphasizes the importance of creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ patients, especially those dealing with hypermobility. Their conversation explores the high prevalence of hypermobility among individuals seeking gender affirming surgeries, citing research that highlights a significant connection between hypermobility and gender diversity. The conversation also covers the importance of comprehensive care that includes prehabilitation, rehabilitation, and the consideration of sensory processing issues. Dr. Ross stresses the necessity for healthcare providers to develop competencies in treating gender diverse individuals, suggesting resources for both patients and practitioners. The episode aims to raise awareness about the need for accessible and affirming healthcare for hypermobile and gender diverse communities. Highlights of this episode include: 00:38 Introducing Dr. Laura Ross: A Journey into Pelvic Health and Gender Affirming Care02:24 Exploring the Intersection of Hypermobility and Gender Affirming Care04:39 Demystifying Gender Affirming Care: Terminology and Importance10:35 The Link Between Hypermobility and Gender Diversity: Emerging Research22:17 Gender Affirming Surgeries and Hypermobility: Pre and Postoperative Considerations39:19 Empowering Healthcare: Inclusivity and Competency in Gender Diverse Care45:46 Connecting with Dr. Laura Ross and Final Thoughts
More from Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy Life
Host Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes Jennifer Parkinson, a certified functional nutrition practitioner and founder of EDS Nutritionist, who supports people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, MCAS, and POTS.
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.
Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes menopause specialist and nurse practitioner Vanessa Weiland, founder of Phases Clinic and creator of Bendy Menopause, who also has hypermobile EDS and MCAS.
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.
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.