Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & Hypermobility Care at Innova Physical Therapy

Specialized Care For Complex Bodies

Living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), or symptomatic hypermobility can be exhausting, confusing, and at times discouraging. Many people have been told their symptoms are “too complicated,” “all connected but hard to explain,” or have had painful experiences with treatment that was simply too aggressive for their body.

At Innova Physical Therapy, we understand that hypermobility is not just about being flexible. It can affect the way your joints, muscles, fascia, nervous system, breathing, balance, pain response, and daily function all work together. That is why our approach is different.

We provide thoughtful, highly specialized care designed for people with EDS and hypermobility disorders — with a focus on restoring stability, reducing flare-ups, improving body awareness, and helping you move through life with more confidence.

Why Innova Is Different

We are deeply specialized in EDS and hypermobility care

Innova is not a clinic that “also treats hypermobility.” This is an area of true focus and passion for us.

Bret Swigard and the Innova team have made EDS and hypermobility care a major clinical priority. Bret teaches provider education in EDS and hypermobility throughout the country and is actively involved in advancing clinician education through Connective Strength. He also supports the EDS community through patient support meetings and presentations, helping bridge the gap between expert clinical care and meaningful community support.

This means our care is built on both advanced clinical understanding and real-world experience with the challenges this population faces.

We are building a team-wide EDS pathway

Our entire team is actively engaged in developing a specialized EDS care pathway and pursuing advanced education toward hypermobility-focused certification. We are committed to creating a clinic environment where patients with EDS and hypermobility are understood, respected, and treated with the nuance they deserve.

We know that “pushing through it” often makes things worse

Many people with EDS have been flared by providers who did not understand how to dose treatment appropriately. Overstretching, aggressive strengthening too soon, heavy manual therapy, or poorly chosen exercise can increase pain, instability, fatigue, guarding, and nervous system overload.

Our approach is different:

• gentle, precise, and respectful of tissue irritability
• focused on stabilization before overload
• attentive to flare patterns and recovery capacity
• designed to help the nervous system feel safer, not more threatened

We understand that with EDS, more is not always better. Smarter is better.

Our Treatment Philosophy

Gentle care with advanced clinical reasoning

We believe people with EDS and hypermobility need care that is both skilled and sensitive.

Our treatment often includes:

• gentle stabilization training
• movement retraining
• fascia-based release techniques
• breathing strategies
• mindfulness-based down regulation
• careful kinesiology taping
• body awareness and proprioceptive training
• gradual progression of strength and function

Our goal is not simply to treat pain at one body part. Our goal is to help your whole system function better.

We emphasize the fascia and nervous system

In hypermobility conditions, the body often feels like it is working overtime just to create a sense of control and stability. Muscles may overgrip. Breathing may become shallow. The central nervous system may stay in a more guarded, reactive state. Pain can become amplified. Fatigue can build quickly.

That is why we place strong emphasis on:

• down-regulating the central nervous system
• improving breathing mechanics
• reducing protective tension patterns
• supporting better load transfer through the body
• helping you find safer, more efficient movement strategies

Our fascia-based and nervous-system-aware approach is designed to help patients feel calmer, more supported, and more capable in their bodies.

A Multidisciplinary Mindset

People with EDS often need more than a one-size-fits-all treatment plan. We take a multidisciplinary approach, meaning we consider the many systems and supports that may influence healing and function. When appropriate, we help patients think through how physical therapy fits alongside medical care, mental health support, lifestyle management, exercise planning, community support, and long-term self-management strategies.

We believe better outcomes happen when patients feel informed, supported, and empowered — not rushed through a protocol.

Specialized tools we use

Kinesiology taping done the right way

When used properly, kinesiology taping can be a valuable tool for some people with EDS and hypermobility. At Innova, we understand that taping for this population requires thoughtfulness, precision, and skin sensitivity awareness. We use taping as part of a broader strategy to support proprioception, body awareness, symptom management, and movement confidence.

Gentle stabilization and movement retraining

Rather than forcing your body into generic strengthening programs, we focus on restoring the foundations of stability and control. This includes helping you:

• find more efficient alignment and movement patterns
• improve muscle timing and coordination
• build control without triggering unnecessary guarding
• develop strength gradually and strategically
• improve tolerance for daily activities, exercise, and life demands

Education is part of our care

Because Bret teaches EDS certification coursework across the country and contributes to Connective Strength provider education, Innova stays closely connected to the evolving conversation around best practices in hypermobility care.

That commitment to education benefits our patients directly. It shapes the way we evaluate, plan, communicate, and treat. It also reflects our mission to improve care not only inside our clinic, but across the broader healthcare community.

Learn about our Innova Hypermobility Foundations Program

For patients who need a structured starting point, Innova is also developing the Innova Hypermobility Foundations Program — a program dedicated to building the essential foundations of control, stability, breathing, awareness, and movement confidence for people with hypermobility and EDS.

This program will have its own page, but it reflects the same philosophy at the heart of our care: start with what the body truly needs, progress thoughtfully, and build lasting function from a strong foundation.

You deserve care that understands your body

If you have EDS, HSD, or symptomatic hypermobility, you deserve more than generic rehab. You deserve care that understands the complexity of your condition, respects your nervous system, and helps you move forward without unnecessary flare-ups.

At Innova Physical Therapy, we are committed to providing expert, compassionate, consumer-friendly care for people navigating hypermobility disorders — with a gentle touch, advanced clinical reasoning, and genuine understanding.

You are not too complicated. You just need the right approach.