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I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a client, Anton, about hypermobility EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) and his journey with red light therapy and sauna.
EDS is a group of genetic connective tissue disorders, where the body doesn't make collagen properly causing stretchy tissues and ligaments. While is most known for hypermobility it also impacts other parts of the body including the skin and digestive and cardiovascular systems. It can result in musculoskeletal instability, injuries, blood pressure and heart rate issues, severe bruising and digestive dysfunction.
Red light therapy, also called Photobiomodulation (which means the biological changes that light cause in the body), is a growing treatment option for people with a range of disorders including EDS, MS, Chronic pain, ME/CFS, neurological disorders, skin disorders and injuries. Red light wavelengths are most known for supporting skin health and reducing the signs of ageing, however full body red light therapy units combine red and near infrared wavelengths and have a greater impact on the body that red light alone.
Our bodies need natural light to create cellular energy and using red light therapy increases the bodies ability to produce ATP in our cells, which helps to boost circulation, reduce inflammation, relax muscles and balance the autonomic nervous system. Enhancement of these factors then supports the immune response, injury healing, can reduces pain, improve sleep and energy and more.
While sunlight is important and necessary, light therapy provides an enhanced form of light with specific wavelengths that have benefits to the body over and above that of sunlight.
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Anton's journey from battling chronic pain to finding relief, better sleep and more energy.
Anton discovered red light therapy through a friend with ME/CFS who found it benefited his fatigue. He initially started using sauna for the overall health benefits, but soon discovered the impact it also had on his pain levels, relaxation and recovery.
Anton's story is a testament to resilience and the power of holistic treatments.
He highlights the benefits of red light therapy, sauna sessions, and cold showers, emphasizing their impact on his sleep, energy levels, and overall well-being. It’s also enhanced his quality of life through enabling him to do gym rehabilitation exercises to stabilize his joints without debilitating delayed onset muscle soreness that’s common with EDS.
Anton's advice? "Just give it a go. It's straightforward and relaxing.
Watch the full interview on YouTube @InsideMattersNZ
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EDS changed my life
My life changed in my 20s when I developed significant symptoms of what we now know was EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome).
I lost the love of my life, playing sports, and at times couldn't work either. I was dealing with severe digestive issues, allergies and intolerances and fatigue which left untreated years later developed into ME/CFS, chronic pain and POTs - Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.
As Anton described in our interview recently it can take upwards of 10 years to get a diagnosis for EDS and for me, it was over 20.
I finally got a diagnosis in my early forties and this has allowed me to make lifestyle changes and be proactive about treatment options that reduce the severity of the symptoms.
I no longer live with POTS a debilitating condition where your body can't regulate your blood pressure and heart rate when standing, which in people with EDS is caused by the stretchy nature of blood vessels. I still have digestive dysfunction and constant injuries that take a long time to heal, however thanks to lifestyle changes and treatments like osteo, acupuncture, red light therapy and infrared sauna my quality of life has drastically improved.
I often wonder what my life would have been like without EDS or if I was diagnosed earlier. I still grieve some of the things I haven't been able to or still can't do, however, I'm grateful for the opportunities that have opened up due to the lessons I've learned and the experiences I've had.
EDS is one of many hidden disorders and because people with this condition may look fine, many people don't see or know what's going on for them.
Hopefully sharing mine and others stories might bring more awareness, understanding and options to people with disorders like EDS.
Read more about EDS here - https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/
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