Show Notes
💡Why are patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility often dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told their severe pain is "just growing pains"? In this episode of PT ProTalk, host Mariana Parks sits down with Dr. Jan Dommerholt, a globally recognized expert in myofascial, chronic, and orofacial pain, and a leading authority on hypermobility disorders. Dr. Dommerholt breaks down the systemic reality of EDS and explains exactly why physical therapy is the number one profession to help these patients regain control of their lives.
💭 "They used to call it benign hypermobility. Well, there's nothing benign about hypermobility, believe me." - Dr. Jan Dommerholt
👉🏻 Dr. Jan Dommerholt PT, DPT, MPS is a Dutch-trained physical therapist, widely recognized as a leading expert in myofascial, chronic, and orofacial pain. A pioneer in his field, he introduced dry needling to the United States in 1997 and remains a global authority and consultant on the practice. Leveraging his background as a former musician, he also specializes in performing arts physical therapy, focusing on treating musculoskeletal issues in instrumentalists. Furthermore, Dr. Dommerholt is a prolific author and educator who has published numerous books, over 130 articles, and nearly 80 textbook chapters, while also lecturing globally and teaching at the University of Maryland. In addition to his extensive academic contributions, he is the president of Bethesda Physiocare®, serves on several editorial boards, and has received multiple prestigious awards for his clinical practice and educational excellence.
📚In this episode, you'll learn: How to identify HSD/hEDS patients you're likely already seeing but missing
Why your standard MSK approach often fails this population - and what to do instead
How to build a practical treatment plan that accounts for pain flares and nonlinear progress
How education and validation can be your most powerful clinical tools with these patients
🔎Dr. Jan's Resource of Information: Mintken, P. E., Dommerholt, J., & Francomano, C. A. (2026). Managing Patients With Hypermobility Disorders: They've Seen You, but Have You Seen Them? Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2026.13979
The Ehlers Danlos Society Website
EDS ECHO Programs & Courses for Healthcare Professionals
📲 Dr. Jan's contact information: [email protected]
Bethesda Physiocare Website
Bethesda Physiocare Facebook
Myopain Seminars Website
Myonpain Seminars Facebook
🎥Link to interview on Youtube
🚨Try Hanna Health free for 30 days - a customizable HEP platform where you can use your own videos, edit quickly, and track patient access. Start your trial here. 👉 Share Your Feedback Help Us Build Better Solutions for Your Practice! 🚀 Take 60 seconds to answer 3 quick questions and help us build new paths to make your practice run smoother. 🎙Join our email list to receive podcast updates 📸Instagram 📱Facebook 💻LinkedIn 🐦Twitter 📩Email: [email protected] PT Pro Talk Podcast is only possible with the support of forward-looking and innovative companies like Hanna Health and SaraHealth.
More from PT Pro Talk
💡 In this episode of PT Pro Talk, host Mariana Parks speaks with Professor Tasha Stanton, a clinical pain neuroscientist and physiotherapist who leads the Persistent Pain Research Group. This interview breaks down the clinical application of pain neuroscience for knee osteoarthritis, from debunking the harmful "bone on bone" narrative to addressing systemic, low-level inflammation. From utilizing the Protectometer to identify danger and safety cues in a patient's life to enhancing exercise adherence with novel technologies like virtual reality, Tasha shares actionable insights on how to properly deliver pain education, reframe the aging process through bioplasticity, and optimize non-pharmacological treatments for chronic joint pain.
💭 "I think the biggest mistake is ignoring an irritable knee." - Jill Monson
💡 In this episode of PT Pro Talk, host Mariana Parks sits down with Dr. Philomena Commons (Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, McKenzie Tutor, and PhD) to explore what it really takes to practice physical therapy in some of the most restricted, dangerous, and under-resourced environments in the world. From treating endemic leprosy in Bangladesh to teaching the McKenzie Method (MDT) under government surveillance in North Korea and evaluating back pain in Afghan prisons, Dr. Commons shares extraordinary insights on clinical intuition, cross-cultural adaptation, and patient empowerment. Learn how shifting from a purely mechanistic approach to addressing the social determinants of health (like poverty, education, and social stigma) can completely transform patient care and long-term outcomes. 💭 "I didn't really appreciate what the value of freedom until I left North Korea." - Dr. Philomena Commons 👉🏻 Dr. Philomena Commons PhD MSc Dip MDT Grad Dip Phys MCSP is a highly experienced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and McKenzie Tutor specializing in evidence-based treatments for complex, recurrent pain. She has held senior clinical roles in the UK's NHS and served as a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University. Beyond her clinical and academic work, she integrates her CrossFit and Life Coaching backgrounds to run functional exercise classes for Parkinson's patients. Deeply committed to global and social impact, Dr. Commons has advanced physiotherapy education in developing countries and currently volunteers to provide care for homeless individuals in the UK.
💡 In this episode of PT Pro Talk, host Mariana Parks speaks with Gregg Johnson, a physical therapist with over 50 years of clinical experience and co-developer of the Functional Manual Therapy (FMT) system. This interview breaks down how shifting your focus from treating local symptoms to evaluating the entire human system can completely transform your daily practice. From curing the "migrating miseries" in chronic pain patients to understanding the feed-forward mechanism of the core, Gregg shares actionable insights to help you look beyond the joint, integrate PNF, and properly assess mechanical capacity and motor control to unlock life-changing patient outcomes.
💡 In this episode of PT ProTalk, host Mariana Parks speaks with Colin Davies, a physiotherapist with over 50 years of clinical experience who worked directly alongside Robin McKenzie. This interview breaks down how recognizing the spine's hidden role in extremity pain can completely transform your daily clinical practice. From uncovering the true source of recurrent patellar dislocations to solving a professional dancer's 13-year history of hip pain, Colin shares actionable insights to help you look beyond the joint, avoid confirmation bias, and properly assess the spine to unlock life-changing patient outcomes.