Show Notes
In this episode, Dr. Libby Hinsley hosts Zebra Talks and interviews physical therapist and massage therapist Kala Hildebrand about hypermobility and feet, including common presentations of chronic foot pain in bendy bodies and why issues aren’t limited to “floppy” overpronation. Kala discusses how long-standing pain often comes with fear, limited information, and habituated strategies like constant shoe use or lifelong orthotics without an exit plan, and emphasizes reassessing current reality rather than old stories. They explore the value of gradually reintroducing sensory input and progressing slowly toward functional strength, while considering whole-chain contributors from foot to hip and pelvis.
00:00 Welcome to Zebra Talks 00:35 Meet Kala Hildebrand 02:03 Dance and Hypermobility 04:13 Common Foot Pain Patterns 05:41 Chronic Pain Stories 09:03 Barefoot Tolerance Check 11:24 Feet Freedom Myth 13:56 Libby Foot Pain Journey 15:59 Whole Body Foot Clues 18:45 Hip Mobility Meets Feet 20:43 Pain Free Loading 21:26 Motor Control Lightbulbs 22:44 Compression vs Distraction 23:02 Force Transmission Chain 24:01 Isometrics for Foot Pain 25:33 Progressive Loading Mindset 28:16 Thriving Not Striving 29:29 Plantar Fasciitis Myths 30:58 Orthotics Exit Strategy 33:28 Intrinsic Foot Strength Plan 36:35 Resources and Wrap Up
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.