Having a connective tissue disorder that can affect literally any part of the body means you’re constantly discovering things that you thought were “normal” or that you didn’t even realise were symptoms. It turns out I’ve been subluxing (partially dislocating) joints my whole life and didn’t even know it. (That isn’t uncommon, by the way. I’ve spoken to and read about so many people who thought the same thing I did: “Subluxations sound really serious, so surely I would know if my joints were coming out of their sockets! I’ve probably just pulled a muscle or slept on it funny.” 🙃)

This probably explains why I always have muscle tension and why my spine is so stiff (people with hypermobile joints often have tight muscles because they’re literally trying to hold the joints in place). And subluxations and muscle tension can compress nerves, which could explain the neuropathic itching and tingling in my back.

It’s also possible that the weird flares I have that precede a depressive episode are mast cell reactions (which isn’t surprising, since HSD/EDS, POTS and MCAS all like to hang out together and I’ve had other unexplained allergy symptoms for years).