Bendy Bodies with Dr. Linda Bluestein

A compassionate breakdown of why hypermobility symptoms are often dismissed and how to validate your own experience. Clear explanations of central sensitization, sympathetic overdrive, and systemic effects on gut, sleep, and the nervous system. Practical tips for organizing medical info, communicating objectively with clinicians, and spotting mast cell triggers that can cascade through multiple systems.

Dr. Dacre Knight, UVA EDS clinician and recurring cohost, and Dr. Eric Singman, neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in vision-brain disorders, map how eye symptoms intersect with EDS. They explain which eye specialists to see, red flags needing urgent care, reading strain linked to neck posture, the pressure spectrum in intracranial issues, pitfalls of prisms, and how to spot low-evidence vision therapies.

Severe back pain that refuses to respond to treatment may sometimes have a far more serious cause than most people realize. In this episode of Bendy Bodies, Dr. Linda Bluestein speaks with Dr. Forest Tennant, a longtime physician and researcher who has spent decades studying adhesive arachnoiditis, a rare but devastating inflammatory condition affecting the nerves in the lower spinal canal. Often misunderstood and frequently missed, arachnoiditis can cause extreme pain, neurologic dysfunction, and progressive disability. Dr. Tennant explains what the arachnoid membrane is, how inflammation can cause nerve roots to clump together, and why people with connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome may be at higher risk. The conversation explores common triggers, including spinal procedures and surgeries, along with the symptom patterns that may signal something more serious than typical back pain. The episode also dives into emerging treatment strategies, including anti-inflammatory protocols, neuroprotective therapies, peptides, and newer approaches aimed at reducing nerve inflammation and supporting tissue repair. For patients living with unexplained severe back pain, and clinicians searching for answers, this episode sheds light on a condition that remains widely underrecognized but increasingly understood. Takeaways: Adhesive arachnoiditis is an inflammatory condition affecting the arachnoid membrane in the spinal canal, which can cause nerve roots to stick together and disrupt nerve signaling. Severe back pain that doesn’t respond to typical treatments may be a red flag, particularly when symptoms worsen with sitting or include unusual skin sensations like crawling or dripping. People with connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome may have an increased risk due to underlying collagen abnormalities. Early recognition and treatment targeting inflammation and nerve health may help prevent progression, making awareness critical for both patients and clinicians. Effective pain management is essential because poorly controlled, high-impact chronic pain can significantly affect both quality of life and overall health over time. Find the episode transcript here. Want more Dr. Forest Tennant? https://arachnoiditishope.com/ Want more Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD? Website: https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bendybodiespodcast Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/BendyBodiesPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/BluesteinLinda⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypermobilitymd/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hypermobilitymd.substack.com/ Shop my Amazon store ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.amazon.com/shop/hypermobilitymd Dr. Bluestein's Recommended Herbs, Supplements and Care Necessities: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/hypermobilitymd/store-start Want to learn more about the UVA EDS Center? For Appointments and Questions: RUVAEDSCenter@uvahealth.org UVA EDS: https://www.uvahealth.com/healthy-practice/advancing-care-through-ehlers-danlos-clinic UVA EDS FAQ: https://www.uvahealth.com/support/eds/faq UVA Pediatric Integrative Medicine: https://childrens.uvahealth.com/specialties/integrative-health Thank YOU so much for tuning in. We hope you found this episode informative, inspiring, useful, validating, and enjoyable. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to level up your knowledge about hypermobility disorders and the people who have them. Join YOUR Bendy Bodies community at ⁠⁠https://www\.bendybodiespodcast\.com/⁠⁠. YOUR bendy body is our highest priority!⁠⁠ Learn more about Human Content at ⁠⁠⁠http://www\.human-content\.com⁠⁠⁠ Podcast Advertising/Business Inquiries: ⁠⁠⁠sales@human-content.com⁠⁠⁠ Part of the Human Content Podcast Network FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links are commissionable, meaning I may earn commission from purchases made through links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Ina Stephens, integrative medicine specialist and Associate Medical Director at UVA’s EDS and Hypermobility Center, brings expertise in lifestyle medicine, autonomic regulation, and multidisciplinary care. She discusses nutrition and the microbiome, vagal tone and breathing practices, gradual strength-building, sleep and circadian hygiene, and practical, minimally disruptive strategies to improve outcomes for people with connective tissue disorders.

Dr. Dacre Knight, founding Medical Director of the UVA EDS and Hypermobility Disorders Center, specializes in EDS, HSD, POTS, and mast cell disorders. He discusses sequencing care when multiple conditions flare. Short sentences cover prioritizing autonomic issues, individualized physical therapy, minimizing treatment burden, and avoiding reactionary overtreatment.

A deep look at conditions that mimic or worsen POTS and why treating the pattern may miss root causes. Short explanations cover nutrient gaps like B12 and thiamine, hormonal and endocrine contributors, and mast cell issues. The conversation highlights sleep, post-infectious problems, neurologic or autoimmune drivers, medication effects, and red flags that should prompt a broader workup.

Dr. Dacre Knight, medical director of the UVA EDS and Hypermobility Disorders Center and clinician-researcher, joins to unpack why multisystem conditions are often missed. They discuss how siloed medicine, short visits, and reliance on “normal” tests lead to dismissal. Conversation covers mislabeling as anxiety, the EDS–POTS–MCAS triad, early pediatric recognition, and the value of listening and clinical curiosity.

Dr Rachel Rubin, a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine expert who founded a patient-centered sexual health practice, explores pelvic and bladder pain in connective tissue disorders. She discusses how hormones, nerves, mast cells, and musculoskeletal issues commonly overlap. Short, clear takes cover why bladder symptoms can occur without infection, when pelvic floor therapy is not enough, and the often-hidden role of vestibular pain.

Dr. Dacre Knight, an internist who built EDS programs at Mayo and now leads UVA’s EDS Center, and Dr. Ina Stephens, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with integrative medicine expertise and pediatric EDS founder, discuss creating a true medical home for EDS. They explore integrative multidisciplinary care, early pediatric recognition, coordinated clinical-research models, and efforts to educate clinicians and expand access.

Lawrence Afrin, internist and leading mast cell disease expert, explains why mast cell activation syndrome is often missed. He discusses how MCAS can present very differently between people. Conversations cover why tryptase testing alone fails, MCAS links to neurologic and psychiatric symptoms, connections with hypermobile EDS, and emerging treatments like GLP-1 agents.