New App launches for people living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes
This week a new app has launched, designed to help people living with chronic condition Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) manage their symptoms, including pain and fatigue. The Zebra Club provides users with safe exercises and movement-based sessions, designed specifically for people with hypermobility and EDS. It is now available from both the App Store and Google Play.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes refers to a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue. Symptoms can range from mild to more serious, and include joint hypermobility and joint pain, fatigue, digestive issues and organ prolapse. Awareness of EDS has risen in recent years, in part due to a number of celebrities - including Jameela Jamil and Coronation Street’s Cherylee Houston - talking about their experiences of living with the condition.
The Zebra Club has been developed by movement therapist Jeannie Di Bon, who herself has hypermobile EDS. Di Bon has spent over a decade studying a range of disciplines to help her understand what works for hypermobile bodies. The result is the Integral Movement Method (IMM) which draws on Pilates, biomechanics, anatomy, neuroscience and lifestyle medicine. All of the content available through The Zebra Club app is based on the IMM.
Di Bon says: “I always suffered from chronic pain, with a hypermobile, ‘bendy’ body. I experienced three episodes of pneumonia that left me with a lifelong lung condition called bronchiectasis. My extensive medical history of seemingly unrelated issues finally led me to a diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
“These experiences changed me, but I decided to devise my own approach to take back control of my health and I am passionate about sharing this with others. The Zebra Club means more people living with EDS and hypermobility will be able to learn how to enjoy pain-free movement.”
People with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome sometimes struggle to receive the right diagnosis, as the symptoms often appear unrelated. It is also not always well understood, even in medical circles. As a result, sufferers can find themselves struggling to find a solution to their chronic pain and joint issues. Since developing the Integral Movement Method, Di Bon’s approach has been recommended to hundreds of patients by doctors and physiotherapists.
Di Bon says: “When you have a chronic condition, even thinking about movement can create feelings of anxiety because you are anticipating more pain. And the less you move, the more painful your condition can become. With The Zebra Club, members learn how to use movement to release stress and tension from the body and replace it with a calm nervous system and efficient movement patterns. Pain and discomfort start to disappear, even for people who have been stuck for years.”
The Zebra Club app is available with both a monthly and annual subscription. More details can be found at thezebra.club