Ehlers-Danlos and Hypermobility Clinic at Addison’s

08/28/2026

🧠🦓 This is exactly why addressing the nervous system is such an important part of how we approach EDS and hypermobility in our clinic.

When someone has lived for years with joint instability, repeated injuries and persistent pain, we can’t look only at the joint that’s hurting today. We also have to consider what years of repeated input may have taught the nervous system to do.

Pain begins as protection. But the nervous system is remarkably adaptable, and with persistent nociceptive input, pain processing can change. For some people, the system can become increasingly sensitive and protective, amplifying signals that once would not have produced the same response.

This is one reason our approach has never been simply, “Where does it hurt?”

We want to understand the bigger picture: joint and mechanical stress, proprioception, movement, neurological function, pain processing and the factors that may be keeping someone’s nervous system in a heightened state of protection.

It also helps explain why two people with similar degrees of hypermobility can experience pain very differently, and why addressing only the painful tissue may not always be enough.

None of this means the pain is psychological or “all in your head.” Quite the opposite. Changes in pain processing are biological, and central sensitization has been documented in the hypermobility literature.

I thought our friend at Connective Issues explained this concept exceptionally well below and wanted to share it.

When we care for complex EDS patients, the nervous system isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of the conversation from the beginning. 🧠🦓

For more on our approach to EDS and hypermobility care, including why we look beyond individual symptoms and consider the nervous system as part of the bigger picture, visit: FSMforEDS.com

The average time to diagnosis for hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is 10.39 years. That number describes how long the average hEDS nervous system reorganizes itself before anyone intervenes.

The dismissals, the psychiatric labels, the years of being told it's anxiety or deconditioning: those are the visible face of diagnostic delay. The less visible consequence is biological. A decade without a diagnosis is a decade of unmanaged nociceptive input, with the nervous system altering in response.

When connective tissue is structurally abnormal, joints move in ways they shouldn't, and that movement generates a constant stream of nociceptive (pain-signaling) input to the spinal cord and brain. In the early stages, it's mechanical pain: a joint fires a signal, the brain registers it, and the signal stops when the joint stabilizes. The system is working as intended.

But the nervous system is plastic, meaning it changes in response to the signals it receives, and sustained nociceptive input is one of the most powerful drivers of that change. When pain signals arrive relentlessly for years, the dorsal horn neurons in the spinal cord begin to reorganize. Their activation thresholds drop, their receptive fields expand, and the inhibitory circuits that normally dampen incoming signals start to lose their effectiveness. The result is 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, a state in which the central nervous system itself has become the amplifier.

At that point, the pain is no longer a direct readout of what's happening in the joint. Stimuli that would normally be innocuous, like light pressure or normal movement, now register as painful. Stimuli that are genuinely painful feel disproportionately intense and last far longer than they should. The pain has spread beyond the original site, and the system that was supposed to protect the body has become the problem.

That's what a decade of undiagnosed hEDS can build. A 2016 study in the European Journal of Pain found that patients with joint hypermobility syndrome and hEDS showed lowered pain thresholds and an increased wind-up ratio (a measure of how quickly the spinal cord amplifies repeated pain signals), consistent with central sensitization, despite showing no evidence of nerve damage. The pain is a structural change in how the nervous system processes input, driven by years of unrelenting mechanical instability.

That's also why the psychiatric labels accumulate during the delay. Central sensitization produces a clinical picture that looks, on the surface, like anxiety, somatization, or functional neurological disorder. The pain is widespread, the triggers seem disproportionate, and the patient can't point to a single structural lesion that explains it. A survey of 505 individuals with confirmed hEDS found that the average patient received 10.45 alternative diagnoses before the correct one, with anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia among the most common. Those labels follow a pattern. They're the clinical system's attempt to categorize a centralized pain syndrome it doesn't yet have the framework to explain.

By the time a diagnosis arrives, the clinician isn't just treating the original connective tissue problem. They're treating a nervous system that's been reorganized by a decade of unmanaged input, and that reorganization doesn't reverse itself simply because the underlying cause has finally been named.

That's why earlier pattern recognition matters, and why the question of what to do with a diagnosis is almost always more complex than the diagnosis itself suggests.

08/27/2026

🧠🦓 Neuro-EDS: For So Many of Us, This Feels Like a Big Moment.

If you’ve been seeing the term “Neuro-EDS” circulating in the EDS community lately, you’ve probably also seen the excitement and emotion surrounding it. So many people are saying:

“This is me.”

I understand that feeling more than I can put into words. When I read through this newly proposed clinical framework, I wasn’t reading it only as someone who has advocated within the EDS community for years. I was reading my own story.

My journey with EDS has included significant neurological, cranial, spinal and autonomic complications, along with more specialists, procedures and surgeries than I ever imagined would become part of my life.

Like so many of you, I’ve experienced what happens when medicine looks at our bodies one piece at a time. One specialist looks at the head. Another looks at the spine. Another looks at the autonomic system. Another looks at the GI system.

Meanwhile, we’re wondering:

Does anyone see how all of this might fit together? That’s why this new proposal feels so meaningful.

🔬🦓 A recently released preprint proposes Neuro-EDS, a clinical framework describing a neuro-predominant phenotype within hEDS/HSD and related heritable connective tissue disorders. It brings many of the neurological, cranial and spinal, autonomic and systemic manifestations our community has been talking about for years into the same clinical conversation.

And I think that’s why it’s hitting so many of us emotionally. It’s not about wanting another label. It’s about finally feeling seen, heard and validated.

Neuro-EDS is not a recognized new EDS subtype or currently an established diagnosis. This is a proposed framework from a preprint that has not yet undergone peer review, and much more research and validation are needed. But I think we can understand that and still be excited.

Sometimes progress begins when someone finally recognizes that the pieces patients have been describing separately might deserve to be looked at together.

Our team at the Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility Clinic at Addison’s will be following this research closely as it develops, and we’ll continue sharing meaningful updates with our community.

Dr. Bloom has also released a new video discussing Neuro-EDS, and I’ll put it in the comments for anyone who wants to learn more.

I’d love to hear from you:

Did you have that same “this is me” moment when you learned about Neuro-EDS?

Because I certainly did. 🫶🏻🩵

Belinda Addison
EDS Coordinator

Source: “Defining Neuro-EDS: A Neuro-Predominant Phenotype in hEDS/HSD and Related Heritable Connective Tissue Disorders,” Bloom et al., 2026.

08/25/2026

🩵🦓 You asked. We listened. And we laid it all out for you.

Over the years, we’ve received so many questions from people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and hypermobility who are simply trying to figure out where to turn, what their options are, and whether our clinic might be the right fit for them.

So we’ve been working behind the scenes on something I’m really excited to finally share…

✨ Our brand-new website is here!

We wanted this website to be more than a pretty new look. We wanted it to feel different.

We wanted you to visit and feel seen, heard, understood, and hopefully a little less alone in navigating EDS and hypermobility.

So we took the questions we hear most often from patients and families and laid everything out as clearly and honestly as we could.

🦓 Who we help
🩵 What makes our approach different
🦓 How Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) is used in our clinic
🩵 What you can expect when you come to see us
🦓 Options for those traveling from out of state
🩵 And yes, transparent pricing, so you can see costs before deciding whether care with us is right for you.

But there’s something else I’m especially happy we were finally able to share.

You’ll get to know Dr. Jason Addison a little better, too. Not just his professional background, but the personal story behind why helping people with EDS and hypermobility has become such an important part of his life and his practice.

EDS isn’t something our family learned about from a textbook. We live it.

Dr. Jason has spent years beside me through appointments, surgeries, setbacks, unanswered questions, and everything that comes with navigating a complicated condition. That experience changed him as both a husband and a doctor, and ultimately became the reason he felt called to learn more and do more for this community.

I think understanding that part of his story helps explain why this clinic exists in the first place.

And we’re not finished. 🩵

We also have a new blog series coming, where we’ll be digging deeper into EDS, hypermobility, FSM, common concerns we hear from patients, and other topics we hope will help you better understand your body and your options. We’re really looking forward to sharing those with you.

As someone who has spent many years on the patient side of EDS care myself, I know how exhausting it can be to search through website after website looking for answers and still walk away with more questions.

Our hope is that when you visit ours, you feel like someone finally understands.

No pressure. No guessing. Just information, transparency, and a place where we hope you feel heard.

Take a look around. We’d love to know what you think. 🩵🦓

🌐 FSMforEDS.com

Ehlers-Danlos and Hypermobility Clinic at Addison’s

08/24/2026

✨ Stories of Hope
Patient Testimonial from Kevin ✨

Every time we share a patient’s experience, our goal is simple: to show what’s possible… to give others with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome real hope, real options, and real examples of meaningful change.

Today, we’re honored to share the words of one of our patients whose experience reflects exactly why we do what we do each day at the Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility Clinic at Addison’s.

This testimonial can also be found under the “reviews section” of our page.

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Here is Kevin’s Testimonial:

“Jason Addison is one of the few chiropractors I've met who truly understands instability and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. After working with more practitioners than I can count, I don't say that lightly.

I'm not an easy case. I was born with a tethered spinal cord that went undiagnosed for over five decades, which led to lifelong spinal instability, Eagle syndrome, multiple surgeries, and regenerative medicine injections...the way I understand it, all tied to hEDS. I can tell the difference between someone going through the motions and someone who solves problems. Jason definitely does the latter. He even told me that I'm not really a chiropractic patient, that I'm dealing with neurological dysfunction instead. That was refreshing, especially coming from someone who stood to make money off of me in that regard.

Jason is a systems thinker and looks at how everything connects instead of treating symptoms in isolation. I'd been using frequency specific microcurrent for a couple of years before I met him, and his protocols for instability opened up a level of healing I hadn't reached on my own. He even loaded some of his EDS-specific protocols onto my FSM device so I can run them at home. He also offers laser and shockwave therapy which have really helped me, especially the latter.

He's fully engaged during every session, adapts to how your body responds, and is constantly learning rather than assuming he already has all the answers (like most practitioners, it seems). His staff are kind and personable, which says a lot about the practice he runs.

If you're dealing with instability, hypermobility/EDS, see Jason. I wish I'd found him years earlier. That could have saved me a TON of time, effort, and money seeking other treatments I didn't need.”

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🫶🏻🤍 We believe every story matters, and that every experience shared has the potential to give someone else hope, encouragement, or the confidence to take their next step forward. If we’ve had the privilege of being part of your journey, we’d be incredibly grateful if you would consider sharing your experience by leaving us a review on our page. We’re truly honored to care for our patients, and we’re grateful for every story that’s shared.

07/21/2026

✨ Stories of Hope
Patient Testimonial from Kellie ✨

Every time we share a patient’s experience, our goal is simple: to show what’s possible… to give others with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome real hope, real options, and real examples of meaningful change.

Today, we’re honored to share the words of one of our patients whose experience reflects exactly why we do what we do each day at the Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility Clinic at Addison’s.

This testimonial can also be found under the “reviews section” of our page.

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Here is Kellie’s Testimonial:

“The FSM treatment and Dr. Addison at Addison’s Chiropractic and Sports Clinic have changed my life!!

here’s how…..

Most of my life, I have been told I was extra flexible and “double jointed”. I always seemed to be “the clumsy one”, the kid that sprained their knee or ankle at least once a month. I felt as though I led a fairly normal life until my early- 20’s, trying to work out and be healthy….but I seemed to regularly become injured. My routine injuries led me to completely tearing a ligament in my knee and required surgery. Through my surgeon, I was told that I needed to have my ligament replaced and that they would normally use a persons “own muscle” from somewhere else, but they could not use my own because they were not great either. I ended up having the surgery with a donor ligament and never heard anything more. I followed through with all of the recommendations, did the rehab and was considered “healed”. But the joint pain and hypermobility persisted.

As I got further into my 20’s and then later reaching my 30’s, it’s seemed the harder I tried to stay mobile and “stay active” the worse I felt. I was getting regularly scheduled chiropractic adjustments in a different clinic and they helped, but the effects of the adjustment were very short term.

I would be in pain daily and felt like I had regular/ on-going symptoms that didn’t make sense. Basic tasks like walking caused much pain, and being too sedentary also cause much pain. I was unable to nail down root causes, to why my own body hurt, no matter how hard I tried. I was struggling with fatigue, weird GI symptoms, reactions to food, and even environmental products that didn’t make sense (even day-to-day). For example, one day I could use a product and the very next day it would cause irritation. I would also have trouble with symptoms of dizziness, brain fog, weird heart rate spikes, out of no where!

My sister brought up hEDS, Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) it is a genetic connective tissue disorder. It causes hypermobility, joint dislocations, and chronic pain. I spoke with my regular health care providers and the doctor thought I could possibly have hEDS but he did not diagnosis it and wanted me to see a specialist.

If you have ever tried to self diagnosis or assist in your own medical care you might know how frustrating it can be to find providers in rural areas that specialize in what you need. I went to the Ehlers-Danlos Society website and began looking for providers within driving distance of me. It took speaking with several different providers that weren’t exactly what I was looking for to find Dr. Addison. He is a chiropractor out of Kennesaw and he had an EDS clinic in his practice. His wife has hEDS and he wanted to help people like her.

From the first conversation with his staff I knew this office and this care team was different. I never felt like a number or just another patient. They took the time to ask questions, provide information about what is offered and connected me with his EDS coordinator, Belinda (Dr. Addisons wife) the same day.

Dr. Addison offers two initial options for treatment, a 4 week treatment plan and a 1 week Fast Track plan. I was driving from over an hour away and went with the Fast Track option.

At my first appointment I was welcomed in and Dr. Addison brought me to his office for a conversation and intake. My experience has been that a practitioner generally wants a two minute conversation and then move on. This wasn’t the case with Dr. Addison, he had some general questions about health and medical history that I was expecting but then he asked me what was going on with me, what did I feel, what was I struggling with.

After some conversation and me trying to put together 36 years of medical issues into a rabbled statement he asked if he could ask me if I had experienced any of the things he was about to mention. Then Dr. Addison literally told me all my symptoms without even knowing me. He asked me if what he said resonated and I just started crying. He got it, a doctor finally got it and believed me and didn’t try and tell me it was just anxiety or weight (if you know you know). I felt seen and understood to a level I have never experienced before from a provider.

Then we started treatment. He introduced me to something called FSM. Frequency Specific Microcurrent. It’s a non-invasive therapy that uses low-level electrical currents to treat pain, inflammation, and tissue damage.

I’ll be honest…I doubted if FSM would even help me. I thought, “this is woo woo” and probably a waste of my time. But I was desperate and my husband encouraged me to give it a try. The worst that could happen was that it didn’t help but at least I tried.

Boy was I wrong. From the first visit I felt different. It didn’t suddenly change every bit of pain or hyper-mobility I had but I felt like my body relaxed and I did have a fair amount of joint pain relief.

I was still skeptical. Then day three….
I woke up with severe rib pain. If you have hyper-mobility you might know what I’m talking about. Rib subluxation or a partial rib dislocation. I could hardly breath, I could hardly move, I had to sit at an angle to just drive. Every bump, sneeze, or deep breath caused excruciating pain. All this from a rib? YES! I made it to Dr. Addisons office and my pain was an 8/10, I had tears in my eyes. I discussed the pain with him and he made adjustments to my treatment and by the end of my appointment my pain was a 3!!!!! That’s huge!! I was a believer! Something like that would have normally taken me weeks to months to get better and have relief.

I purchased my own FSM machine for home use through Dr. Addisons so that I could have daily treatments and he programmed my machine to fit my specific needs.

Like I have mentioned I live a good bit away from the clinic and Dr. Addison even stayed late to help me get my device quickly. I have never had a provider do something like that.

FSM hasn’t cured me but it has made living more normally possible. It allowed me (with God sustaining me) to make it in camping conditions on a mission trip. That wouldn’t have been possible before. I feel like my daily pain has decreased, I have less extreme symptoms, and even my sleep has improved. I am still working toward an official diagnosis with the help of Dr. Addison and referrals to geneticist, but that didn’t hinder my treatment.

I continue to go into Dr. Addisons clinic for treatments as well as use my personal device at home daily. Dr. Addison has adjust my treatment plan every time and focused on my concerns and problems areas. The treatments in his office are different that what I can do at home because he can make adjustments in the moment and I have 5 machines treatment me at once.

If you think you have hypermobility or possibly hEDS, I would very highly recommend and suggest FSM treatment from Dr. Addison and his team!!”

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🫶🏻🤍 We believe every story matters, and that every experience shared has the potential to give someone else hope, encouragement, or the confidence to take their next step forward. If we’ve had the privilege of being part of your journey, we’d be incredibly grateful if you would consider sharing your experience by leaving us a review on our page. We’re truly honored to care for our patients, and we’re grateful for every story that’s shared.

06/06/2026

✈️ Before We Head to New York: From One EDS Family to Another

🤍🦓 As an EDS family ourselves, we understand what it’s like when complex medical needs require you to travel far from home, place your trust in specialists, and face difficult decisions in hopes of improving your quality of life.

This weekend, I’ll be heading to New York for a major neurosurgery. The plan is a revision of my previous craniocervical fusion with an extension of the fusion down to T3, along with additional evaluation for possible treatment of my jugular vein compression.

If you’ve ever prepared for a surgery like this, you know it’s about so much more than the operation itself. It’s the packing, the medication schedules, the travel arrangements, the paperwork, the waiting, and all the emotions that come with putting your life on pause for a while in hopes of getting a little more of it back.

Moments like this remind me why this clinic means so much to our family. The Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility Clinic at Addison’s wasn’t created because EDS was a specialty we chose. It was created because EDS is a part of our lives.

As we prepare for this next chapter, Dr. Jason has decided to begin sharing some of our family’s EDS journey from his perspective on a new page, Dr. Jason Addison, DC: The EDS Husband. Through it, he’ll be sharing the challenges, victories, humor, heartbreak, and lessons learned from walking this journey alongside someone he loves. He hopes to offer encouragement not only to those living with EDS, but also to the spouses, partners, caregivers, and family members who are walking beside them every step of the way.

Because Dr. Jason will be traveling to New York with me, the clinic will be closed June 8th through June 12th. We appreciate your patience and understanding during that time.

While I’m away, Alesea will be stepping in as our EDS Coordinator. Many of you recently had the opportunity to get to know her a little better, and it means a great deal to me knowing our patients will be supported by someone who not only cares deeply about this community, but understands it firsthand through her own experience with EDS.

Thank you for trusting us with your care, for your encouragement, and for allowing us to walk alongside you on your own journey. I look forward to recovering, returning home, and continuing to meet and support so many of you in the months ahead. 🫶🏻🤍

Warmly,
Belinda Addison

06/04/2026

Our clinic has always been built by people who truly understand this journey, and we’re continuing that in an even deeper way.

We’ve recently added someone very special to our team, and I’d love to introduce her to you. Her name is Alesea, and she brings something to this space that can’t be taught… a true, lived understanding of what it means to navigate Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

She’s walked her own journey with EDS, and she’s also had a front row seat to mine over the years… the appointments, the unknowns, the surgeries, and everything in between. Because of that, she carries a level of empathy and awareness that I know so many of you will feel the moment you meet her.

And in case you hadn’t already guessed… she’s also my daughter. And now, she’s also experiencing this journey as a mom… raising her own little zebra. It’s given her an even deeper perspective on what it means to navigate this condition, not just personally, but for someone you love.

This has been something really meaningful for both of us. What started as shared experiences has grown into a shared purpose… helping others feel seen, understood, and supported in a way we both wished for along the way.

I wanted you to get to know her a little more, so we put together a small Q&A series where she shares some of her personal thoughts and experiences navigating EDS, motherhood, medical care, and what compassionate support means to her.

I hope as you read through it, you’ll get a glimpse of the heart she brings into this space and the compassion that’s been shaped through her own experiences navigating EDS.

We’re so grateful to have her as part of the team, and I know many of you will connect with her in a really special way. And as always, thank you for trusting us with your care.

Warmly,
Belinda Addison
EDS Coordinator

05/26/2026

As we continue recognizing EDS & HSD Awareness Month, we wanted to take a moment to highlight someone we truly believe has become an incredible resource within the EDS community over the past year: Jaime M Prout PhD and her platform, Connective Issues. 💜🦓🧬

Dr. Jason and I had the pleasure of getting to know Jaime last year around the time she was first launching her platform. We had the opportunity to exchange stories, experiences, and perspectives surrounding EDS, and immediately appreciated both her big heart and her genuine devotion to helping this community.

Her knowledge, wisdom, scientific background grounded in biochemistry and clinical genetics, and lived EDS experience have been such a gift to so many people navigating these complex conditions.

One of the things we especially admire is her ability to take complicated research, body systems, related conditions, symptoms, and treatments and break them down into explanations that are approachable and easy to understand for patients and families. She has worked incredibly hard to create thoughtful, evidence informed content while still deeply honoring the lived experiences of patients.

🫶🏻💜 This week marks one year since the launch of Connective Issues, and we just wanted to say congratulations and thank you for the work you’re doing for the EDS community. We’re excited to see all the resources and educational tools still to come.

If you haven’t followed her page yet, we absolutely recommend checking Connective Issues out.

📸 Image Credit: Connective Issues

05/01/2026

🩶🦓 EDS & HSD Awareness Month

Before we jump into statistics, awareness ribbons, or education posts… this is for the ones living it.

If any of this feels familiar:

You know what it feels like to have your joints slip out of place.
You’ve ever been told “you look fine” when you’re not.
Your body feels unpredictable, but you still keep going.
You’ve had to explain your condition more times than you can count.
You’ve been told “everything looks normal” when it doesn’t feel that way.
You’ve learned how to smile through symptoms.

Then you already know that May is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) Awareness Month.

Before anything else is said this month, please know this:

What you’re carrying is real.
The way you’re navigating it matters.
And even on the days it doesn’t feel like it,
you’re doing an incredible job.

The strength it takes to live in a body like this often goes unseen, but it deserves to be recognized.

This month is for you. 🫶🏻🩶

💬🦓 As we work to spread awareness, what’s something you wish others understood about living with EDS or HSD?

04/20/2026

Care Designed With You in Mind

Through working closely with individuals with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, one thing becomes very clear:

It affects far more than people often realize.

For many, it can include:
✦ Chronic pain that doesn’t follow typical patterns
✦ Fatigue and sensory sensitivity
✦ Nervous system dysregulation
✦ Symptoms that may appear unrelated but are actually connected

And when all of those layers are happening at once… it can feel overwhelming trying to figure out what to focus on.

That’s where our approach comes in.

At the Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility Clinic at Addison’s, we focus on supporting the body as a connected system and not just addressing one symptom at a time.

Our care is centered around:

✦ Stability-focused support
Helping the body feel more supported and less reactive through gentle, targeted care designed for hypermobile joints

✦ Nervous system regulation
Working to calm an overactive system so the body isn’t constantly in a heightened, reactive state

✦ Targeted, noninvasive therapies
Including Frequency-Specific Microcurrent (FSM), cold laser, and shockwave used in a way that’s adapted for sensitive systems

✦ Pattern recognition
Looking at how symptoms connect, rather than treating them in isolation

Because when the body is supported in the right way… things often start to feel more manageable, more predictable, and more sustainable over time.

🫶🏻🤍 Our goal is to help individuals with EDS feel more stable, supported, and better able to navigate their symptoms through care that is designed specifically for them.