Navigating Hypermobility and Fibromyalgia with Dr. Melissa Koehl
Zebra Talks: Living Your Best Bendy LifeShow Notes
In this episode of Zebra Talks, host Dr. Libby Hinsley welcomes Dr. Melissa Koehl to discuss her journey with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and how it has shaped her career in physical therapy. Melissa shares her personal struggles with diagnosis, the importance of recognizing hypermobility in the context of fibromyalgia, and the intersection of these conditions with other systemic issues like dysautonomia and mast cell activation syndrome. She also discusses the significance of personalized exercise programs, gut health, and the holistic approaches necessary to manage these complex conditions effectively. 00:00 Introduction to Zebra Talks 00:35 Meet Melissa Kahle: A Journey with Hypermobile EDS 01:40 Melissa's Personal and Professional Journey 03:35 The Diagnosis and Its Impact 06:19 Exploring Fibromyalgia and Hypermobility 06:48 Understanding Fibromyalgia: Diagnosis and Criteria 12:04 Treatment Approaches for Fibromyalgia 16:13 Exercise and Movement Strategies 22:35 Exploring Mast Cells and Fibromyalgia 24:28 The Gut Microbiome and Pain Connection 24:53 Personal Struggles with SIBO 29:20 Navigating Healthcare as a Hypermobile Human 31:59 Creating Resources for the Hypermobile Community 37:33 Final Thoughts and Resources
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.