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Combating Ehlers Danlos Syndrome With Bodysuit Shapewear

2nd October, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, also known as “Cutis hyperelastica”, is a rare condition where there exists a defect in the synthesis of collagen. Since collagen decreases elasticity and the disorder’s severity can range from mild to life-threatening, it’s a condition that has no cure and only supportive treatments. In lay man terms Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is defined by extreme hyper mobility, which means the joints bend in each and every way without any clarity as to which way they may bend and when, leading to constant dislocation. When one looks at numbers, one in every ten thousand to fifteen thousand are afflicted with any particular range of hyper mobility.

Doctors, Edvard Ehlers of Denmark and Henri-Alexandre Danlos of France named this condition at the beginning of the 20th century.

Examples of hyper mobility would be circumstances where one can bend their toe fingers all the way down or rotate their arm out of it’s socket and bring it back.

One such girl, born in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, was born with a very extreme form of this condition. Three year old Olivia Court, afflicted with the incredibly severe form of this condition, has been through two hip surgeries and has been taken to countless doctors and surgeons in order to find a way to help her walk .

Olivia’s mother and father, Lena, thirty-six, and Adrian, forty-one, a couple based out of Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, were alerted to the condition when Olivia still could not crawl or sit up at the age of one. After much contemplation and meeting with many doctors, they decided to go ahead with two corrective hip surgeries. However, Olivia would end up with a dislocated hip, even when wearing a cast for eleven months that covered her from her chest to her knees.

Since her muscles were not strong enough to support her joints, she was not able to sit up, crawl, and definitely not walk. Despite years of experience with different levels of the condition, Doctors were clueless in finding a solution to her condition.

After doctors told them that they would never see their daughter run, Lena and Adrian strove to find a way.

Finally a surgeon gave them a suggestion. Something akin to a bodysuit was suggested for Olivia. Although a great idea, the bodysuit was out of the Courts’ price range. Costing two thousand-five hundred pounds, this shapewear like bodysuit was meant to hold her muscles together in order to keep her joints together.

After learning that their local NHS Trust could not fund the bodysuit due to lack of medical evidence, the Courts were assisted by a local community group that was able to raise the money.

Olivia must wear the suit for 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. Because of the suit, which is made of Lycra, Olivia is not able to lead a normal life.

When before it was difficult for Olivia to attend playschool, she now is able to attend regularly.

Although a new solution to the problem of hyper mobility, Shapewear may be the answer.