In this episode of Zebra Talks, I get to chat with Jess Gregory, an Australian disability advocate living with hEDS. Through her work through Delicate Little Petal, Jess gives voice to those living with chronic health conditions such as hEDS that aren't well understood by the medical community. In this conversation, she shares insights about the unique challenges of navigating life with an invisible and dynamic disability.
Some highlights of this episode include:
- Jess’s personal experience with hypermobility and advocacy work through Delicate Little Petal
- Unique challenges of having an invisible and dynamic disability
- The stigma many experience around using mobility aids
- Risk of burnout when managing a chronic health condition
- Why self care must be tailored to each individual’s unique situation
- How to resume your exercise routine after a flare up or illness
- Reasons bendy people love to stretch
- The movement and physical therapy approaches that have been most helpful for Jess
- Why manual therapy techniques can be so important for bendy people
- Our shared appreciation of dry needling as a manual therapy technique
- How our habit of pushing harder gets in the way of sustainable self care practices
- The importance of cultivating safety and agency for hypermobile patients
- Key characteristics of practitioners who cultivate a positive experience for bendy people
- The importance of allowing space for grief as you navigate life in a bendy body
