By Helen on Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 03:30 am:

Hello,
I hope there is someone who can help me out here - I've recently been diagnosed as having HMS after visiting a physio for shoulder problems.
I've been told that after years of competitive swimming I am not to swim more than once a month, or play raquet sports, or anything else which involves overhead arm action eg netball, basketball and darts!! (the latter being no great loss!!).
Anyway after surfing the net regarding HMS I'm scared!!!
I'm unsure how severe my bendiness is, and need some ideas, also where do I go from here - I have physio exercises and have been advised to take up Pilates, as an active person I just want to know where I stand. I'm probably over-reacting and just have wonky shoulders, but if poss can I have some advice!!
Thankyou in anticipation
Helen

By Gwen on Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 10:28 am:

Helen check out http://www.hypermobility.org which is the English Hypermobility Assn website. Also if you run a search for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connected disorder, you will find a lot of useful,information. If you've browsed through the correspondence on this site you'll realise just how difficult it is for HMS sufferers to get any real information about the disorder. I think I'm correct in saying most of us have learned more from each other than from the medical profession. It takes a lot of searching to find a health professional who has even heard about the condition let alone knows how it affects us. And much of the difficulty lies in the fact that it seems to affect all of us diffrently and fluctuates in its severity and which joints are involved in any given individual.
Good luck and do make use of this site. Most people are very helpful and talking with someone who understands is great for the morale after one has been told it's all psychological, joints don't do things like that, you need to exercise more/less, there's nothing wrong with you etc etc.