I'm posting this for my fiancee' who has lived almost her entire life in pain.  Last week at work, one of her managers was in the process of describing a surgery that he was going through, and as he was descirbing his ailments and his condition, she realized that it was very similar to what she's been experiencing.  She has a few questions though.  Would her family physican have any way of detecting the said condition, or would she have to go to a specialist.  If she has to go to a specialist, what kind of specialist would she have to go to?  Short of surgery what else can she expect?






Thanks in advance for any info.

How much information have you found on the web?
From what the google search indicated, hypermobility is often misunderstood by medical professionals.  I would say that is a big red flag that you need to see a specialist.  Since it is a joint problem, find a doctor who specializes in joints.  Your General Practitioner should be able to refer you to the correct specialist.

Ehers-Danlos syndromes are collagen (makes up most of the tissues in your body, like bones, cartilage, organs, etc.) defects.  Depending on the type, you could experience weak collagen, weak blood vessels, and so forth.

Now being a lowly 1st year med student, we learn the theory but don't learn the reality: that is, I don't know if a family physician can do the tests but a competant one should know what Ehers-Danlos type III is and where testing is available.  Make sure to bring it up as it is not something that is easy (or sometimes even possible)  to diagnose just from taking a history.

James

Does she have any family members who have been diagnosed with similar conditions?
My only experience with Ehlers-Danlos is (you guessed it) in non-humans.
I hope you guys find the right people to talk to soon. Merry Christmas-
-Hobbit