For most artistic athletes, competition is a part of life. Whether you’re a dancer, skater, gymnast, or cheerleader chances are you’re competing at some point. Competitions can be grueling, multi-day events consisting of 14-hour days, multiple performances, and little access to fresh whole foods. So how do you prepare for…
Life with multiple chronic illnesses is physically and mentally challenging. Feelings of exhaustion and emotional fatigue crowd in with physical symptoms and can be overwhelming in your daily life. How do you find balance? How do you find a way forward and regain joy in your life? We posed these…
Dance and other performing arts are, by nature, stressful. Stress can easily develop into anxiety, which is exponentially more common in the hypermobile population than the general population. How can you distinguish between stress and anxiety? What can you do to manage your anxiety? When is it time to seek…
Chiropractic care has been around for over 100 years, but many people don’t quite know what it entails. Artistic athletes may be told to add regular chiropractic visits to their regimen to help relieve pain without really understanding why. How does a method best known for joint manipulation work for…
As the weather changes and schedules become busier, staying healthy can feel like a huge challenge. Artistic athletes may struggle to keep their bodies at optimal performance level, and fighting off infectious illnesses may seem like an uphill battle. How can we naturally strengthen our immune system, supporting its function…
It's YOUR time to access information that #BendyBodies need, crave, and deserve. Medical insights, science-based information, inspiring stories, empathy and support, hypermobility hacks, and news you can use. In this episode, where we close out Season 3 of the podcast and kick off Season 4, YOUR guest (and host!) is…
As a young dancer, Jazz Bynum enjoyed the benefits of being “bendy”. Later, she experienced more than her fair share of injuries but it wasn’t clear how these could be connected. A diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) gave Jazz the information necessary to build the resiliency and strength she…
Mast cell disorders are prevalent in the hypermobile population, but can often go undiagnosed. Persistent pain can be initiated and perpetuated by mast cells, which have also been referred to as “gatekeepers of pain”. How can someone who suspects mast cell issues go about seeking relief for mast cell-related pain?…
Hypermobility is far more prevalent in dancers, circus performers and other aesthetic athletes. While some hypermobile artistic athletes have asymptomatic joint hypermobility, others have symptoms due to an underlying hypermobility or connective tissue disorder. How can a physical therapist or physician assess the bendy artist, beyond tools like the Beighton…
Jaw pain affects a relatively large percentage of the general population, but is even more problematic for those on the hypermobility spectrum. It’s not often something we think of addressing, however, until it’s clamoring for our attention. Leslie Russek, DPT, PhD is a practicing orthopedic physical therapist specializing in hypermobility…
Hypermobile athletes and artists are often excellent movers - until they hit “the wall”. Sometimes you hit a point where even basic movements become a struggle. How can you continue moving without increasing your pain? Bendy Bodies discusses this important topic during pain awareness month with Jeannie Di Bon, a…
As a physical therapist for circus artists and dancers, Dr. Jen Crane regularly treats artistic athletes with hypermobility. As a circus artist and former dancer who is also diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Jen Crane intimately understands the struggles of these athletes. How does a hypermobile artist use that…
As an elite ballet dancer, Bonnie Moore Southgate danced as a soloist first with American Ballet Theatre, then with the Royal Ballet. Struggling with injuries and pain for years, Bonnie retired from dance and eventually was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Her journey to find treatments and pain relief led to…
Hypermobility can help the artist create aesthetically pleasing lines with one of the most obvious locations involving the foot. And while many artists envy the banana feet that sometimes accompany excessive ranges of motion, having hypermobile feet and ankles can just as often bring complications. Andrea Zujko, a physical therapist…
Evidence shows that neurodivergency occurs at a higher rate amongst people with hypermobility disorders. And we know that anxiety is also prevalent in the hypermobile population. When we look at neurodivergency, hypermobility, anxiety, and dysautonomia, we see hints of lines drawn between them. Might science soon be able to connect…
People with hypermobility often struggle with fatigue. They want more energy, and know that exercise and adequate sleep can help. But what is the role of nutrition in combating fatigue? Bendy Bodies team member, Kristin Koskinen, RDN, chats with us on how what we eat can influence how we feel.…
Fatigue is common in people with chronic disease. Pain, fatigue, and depression can feed into each other and become a vicious cycle that’s difficult to break. Combating fatigue can be particularly difficult for those with bendy bodies and comorbidities. Alan Pocinki, MD, specialist in hypermobility and related autonomic and sleep…
Pregnancy can be a time of new physical challenges, and hypermobility may make the season even more complex. Hormones can change tissue elasticity and the body may struggle to adapt. Dr. Shanda Dorff began working with connective tissue disorders in 2008 and has helped countless women through pregnancies and beyond.…
Artistic athletes like dancers, gymnasts, and skaters require highly skilled medical care in order to maintain peak health while operating at an elite level. Understanding the unique demands placed on their bodies is crucial for their physicians. And when the artist is competing as part of a team - say,…
Hypermobility disorders can be difficult to diagnose, with no one clear path forward. Without an obvious road to walk, people with chronic pain who suspect hypermobility disorders may feel defeated and overwhelmed, struggling to find the help they need. In this episode, Bendy Bodies founder Linda Bluestein, MD opens up…
People struggling with a chronic illness often feel overwhelmed at the idea of pursuing a passion. Health issues may seem insurmountable when trying to go after your dream, and you may feel hopeless and alone on your journey. Camille Schrier, Miss America 2020, was diagnosed with Classical Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome at…
What is overstretching, and why should we talk about it? As the artistic world seems to demand ever more extreme ranges of motion from its dancers and athletes, many people turn to overstretching as a way to stay competitive, forcing an artificial hypermobility in some joints. Dr. Linda Bluestein interviews…
Artistic athletes often push their flexibility to the limit, both for competitive and aesthetic reasons. Nowhere are limits tested more than in rhythmic gymnastics where hypermobility tends to be the norm. Vita Bachman, former international Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast and now a highly respected coach, speaks openly with Bendy Bodies about…
Chronic illness can make your life feel filled with insurmountable obstacles. Pursuing your dreams, even in the face of health issues, may feel hopeless. But moving forward, even in small increments, you can accomplish great things. Just ask gold medalist Allysa Seely. Allysa grew up as a dancer and competitive…