Dr. Chung
Why Do I Get Injured So Easily? Ehler-Danlos A Missed Cause of Chronic Pain
Why Do I Get Injured So Easily? Ehler-Danlos A Missed Cause of Chronic Pain It's no secret that my practice caters to a lot of people that have chronic pain syndromes. Chronic pain is a complex problem because it's usually an invisible illness. For these patients, MRIs are usually negative, standard blood panels are normal, and just looking at the person, there's no obvious signs that the patient is sick and suffering. One particular problem that I've noticed recently is a subset of a rare problem called Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Here are some of the signs and symptoms:
Wide spread muscle pain
Frequent sprains or strains with minimal contact
Easy bruising
Early onset osteoarthritis (20's and 30's)
Frequent tearing of muscles or tendons
Hyperelastic skin
Scoliosis and other spinal deformities
Thin skin
Dysautonomia Ehler-Danlos is a genetic disorder that disrupts the normal production of collagen and connective tissue in your body. It's easy to underestimate the importance of connective tissue because it's not an artery, nerve, vein, muscle, or bone. The problem is that all of those other bodily tissues are made out of connective tissue. A small problem with the genes that make connective tissue can impact your ability to heal from wounds. They can make your joints loose, unstable, and prone to injury. It may also lead your body age faster from a degeneration perspective.