{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Healthy Project Podcast","title":"Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Pain Disparities, and the Power of Physical Therapy with Dr. Emma McCauley","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1497,"description":"Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or EDS, is a genetic connective tissue disorder that can affect nearly every system in the body. Yet many people spend years living with unexplained pain, frequent injuries, gastrointestinal concerns, cardiovascular symptoms, and other challenges before receiving a diagnosis.\nIn this episode, Corey speaks with physical therapist Dr. Emma McCauley about the difference between hypermobility and EDS, why diagnosis can take more than a decade, and how racial disparities can make that journey even longer for people of color.Dr. McCauley also explains how physical therapy can help people improve joint stability, body awareness, movement, and quality of life. The conversation highlights the importance of listening to patients, building diverse healthcare professions, and helping people find ways to live full lives while managing chronic conditions.\nShow NotesEhlers-Danlos syndrome is often associated with flexibility, but the condition can affect far more than a person’s joints.Dr. Emma McCauley joins The Healthy Project Podcast to explain how EDS affects connective tissue throughout the body and why symptoms can look different from one person to another.Corey and Dr. McCauley discuss the long road many patients face before receiving a diagnosis. They also explore why pain reported by Black patients and other patients of color may be dismissed, contributing to even longer delays in receiving answers and care.Dr. McCauley explains the role physical therapists can play in recognizing patterns, helping patients understand their bodies, and connecting them with other healthcare professionals.\nIn This EpisodeWhat Ehlers-Danlos syndrome isThe difference between EDS and general hypermobilityWhy an EDS diagnosis can take 10 to 12 years or longerHow racial bias and pain dismissal affect diagnosisWhy EDS is not only a white person’s conditionHow EDS can affect the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nervous, and musculoskeletal systemsThe connection between...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/MSRYwgzVwmOkZXeinjXJXt6vM1REXDF2oD3ZSMgwLMU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9lY2Zl/MzVlNDRkOWQ4MDEz/ZTNkOTY2MzMyNzYx/M2I0MC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}