Our Letter to the EDS & Hypermobility Community

Welcome to the official website for the Seattle Hypermobility Alliance (SHA)!

SHA is comprised of medical providers serving on our Seattle Hypermobility Alliance, who are dedicated to helping you on your journey of self-discovery about your hypermobility disorder. There is no doubt that your journey to date has been a long and winding one. It is our hope that we can provide you some guidance going forward. 

Everyone’s path is unique, and we will never be able to fully appreciate the trial and tribulations of yours. Many patients self-diagnose their hypermobility disorder; this is after years of seeing many different doctors and specialists, undergoing extensive testing, and finding no answers to why they suffer from repeated injuries and chronic pain. These patients often turn to the internet for the answers the medical community was unable to provide them.  One of the goals of SHA is for this website to serve as a central location for information regarding hypermobility disorders. 

Some people first learn they have an underlying hypermobility disorder while doing rehabilitation for one of their many injuries. Whether it be their physical or occupational therapist, a keenly aware rehabilitation specialist can point you in the right direction. As part of this alliance, we have excellent physical therapists Dr. Joan Quinonez and Paige Raffo, and occupational therapist Molly Allison. Each of these providers has an expertise and special interest in working with people with underlying hypermobility disorders.

In the Pacific Northwest, many patients with hypermobility disorders learn about their diagnosis from an unlikely source, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. William Ericson is a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon who has taken a particular interest in treating patients with underlying hypermobility disorders. He has been an intellectual driving force behind the advancement of treatment options for those suffering from EDS/HSD. For many, he has been the first step in their journey. He specializes in treating people with upper extremity orthopedic issues, that are present because of their underlying hypermobility disorder. We feel very fortunate that he has joined us for this endeavor.

For many people, they are not officially diagnosed with a hypermobility disorder until they see a geneticist. A geneticist is uniquely positioned to differentiate between the many different hypermobility disorders and arrive at an official, accurate diagnosis. We are very fortunate that Dr. Mitzi Murray has joined our team and is willing to help you along in this journey. Dr. Murray formerly worked at The University of Washington in the Department of Genetics.

Other people are helped along their journey by a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialist. Dr. Virtaj Singh has dedicated himself to trying to help treat this population. In particular, he has a clinical area of focus on thoracic outlet syndrome and how it relates to underlying hypermobility disorders. He also utilizes treatments such as prolotherapy to try to help provide additional stability to ligaments. He is very happy to be a part of this group.

Some patients arrive at a diagnosis through a neurologist. Neurologists are uniquely positioned to help diagnose you with autonomic dysfunction, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and other neurological disorders. 

In addition, as part of your journey, you may find that pain, including headaches, and mood-related difficulties are another source for your problems. Fortunately, as part of our group, we have Dr. Dan Krashin, who is a psychiatrist, a headache specialist, and a board-certified pain management doctor. Think of him as a Renaissance man. He may turn out to be crucial in your journey to understanding how to feel better.

One of the biggest issues we hear from patients is problems with care-coordination. Part of the mission of SHA is to address this issue in an effective manner. With our invaluable medical providers and patient advocate Board Members at SHA, partnership with The Willow Clinic, and future SHA virtual webinars & events, we hope and strive to create, support, and enhance EDS & HSD education, awareness,  and advocacy serving the Seattle Area EDS & Hypermobility community. 

In conclusion, our team of providers is dedicated to helping you along your journey and connecting you with the Hypermobile patient community of the Seattle Area. 

Sincerely,

Virtaj Singh, MD