I have recently discovered that I am hypermobile but social anxiety and the pain prevent me from going to a doctor (also I don’t trust them and they scare me) Do you have any tips on living with chronic pain? Anything from over-the-counter drugs and physical aids to tips for everyday tasks I know I’ll have to talk to a doctor someday but in the meantime I’d like to be able to survive lol
See a doctor.
Seriously. They can help. Not all of them, and they can be a real barrier to getting the help you need. And it takes time to work through them.
I had one asshole actually tell me “well I guess you’re gonna have to learn to live with it”. I’m lucky to not be in jail, I came very close to knocking that doctor’s head off.
Now I have a moderately sympathetic doc, I’ve learned how he views things, and the way I have to present information so he can justify the treatments and meds he prescribes.
I second this. OP, you say you’re mistrustful of doctors. That impulse isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Doctors are people, and sometimes people ain’t shit. If you meet one that sucks & just tells you some variation of “deal with it”, you are well within your rights to tell them to pound sand & find a different doctor. It can be discouraging when the first / first few you see suck ass, but the right doctor can make a huge difference.
Doctors are people
Exactly. Some suck. Some are assholes. Some are having a bad day.
As a consultant, I’ve been all of these to my clients at one time or another (well, I hope I don’t just suck). I’ve misunderstood them. I’ve made mistakes. Doctors are no exception.
Then there’s personality - you gotta figure out how to communicate with each person, not really any different than at work.
I have hEDS. Moist heat pads are my go to after injury. That sounds gross but I feel like it helps the heat penetrate. A hugely helpful thing was a script for a muscle relaxer though. I get muscle spasms around the joints that slip the most (probably my body trying to hold everything together lol). My friend who also has EDS swears by a passionflower/cbd gummy for muscle relaxing, so maybe try that until you can get a prescription.
Physical therapy helps, too, and you can probably find one who will do video appointments.
Canes are pretty cheap, and they make collapsible ones. My hip and knee heal a lot faster when I use a cane after a dislocation. I don’t really care for braces, but my friend really loves them, so ymmv. I much prefer using kt tape for stabilization. There’s lots of guides on placement online. Just make sure you keep some oil on hand for when you’re ready to remove the tape. Hypermobilty often comes with very sensitive skin that tears easily
All the online stuff says that the most effective treatment for hypermobility consistent low-impact joint exercises and minimal excess body weight.
Please see a doctor. You shouldn’t have to live in constant pain. A doctor should be able to get you on a pain management plan and help you live your life. They may also be able to help with the anxiety.
Boswellia+Curcuma or (pharmaceutical grade) lavender essential oil, collagen+hyaluronic acid, mineral supplements all help me personally.
In general I would recommend getting extensive blood work done to see if you have any nutrient deficiencies or other easily detectable abnormalities. That is a low-effort objective first to help relieve a lot of issues, that doesn’t require you to visit a million doctors.
Even if you live as healthily as can be, it’s possible you can’t properly uptake or process some nutrients, for whatever reason. So it’s alway good to check it out.
For example a variation of the MTHFR gene can lead to abnormal folate levels and cause hypermobility. But it could also be due one of many other causes, many of which you could sus out with blood work.
Most people are deficient in something or another anyway, like Vit D, Bs, Iodine, Minerals, etc. So it never hurts to check it out. Even if it doesn’t help you with this issue, it might help you in other ways.
