Helpful EDS Products Worth the Investment
There are countless therapies, apps, and tools out there that you can try to relieve your pain, ease your fatigue, and sleep better, or whatever symptom you are trying to resolve. Many are not covered by health insurance.
Below we share a few basic recommendations and insights learned over the years. We strongly recommend these things be a regular part of your self-care routine. Consult your care provider(s) before beginning any of these suggestions based on your individual needs. Included is an ongoing list of products below that is hard to maintain. These suggestions may cost you time and/or money. Research and invest in things that may work for you. Everyone’s experience will be different.
- The Fascia Blaster: A patented muscle tool to help relax chronically tightened muscles. It’s useful to relieve spasms. There are different sizes with various types of claws to penetrate different muscle groups. Amazon says it is “the #1 selling self massage myofascial tool for massaging your tissue.” It touts the benefits of temporarily increasing blood flow to the working areas of your body.
- The Body Braid: This unique body wrapping tool helps me pull joints and muscles gently into proper position. Use it on the shoulders to pull them back into alignment with your spine and head. Check it out online at thebodybraid.com.
- Bongers: Acupressure tools that you bang on trigger points to release spastic muscles as needed. It can also bring circulation to the part of your extremities you focus on banging gently or as an acupressure point for additional potential pain relief.
- BodyBackBuddy tool: This S-shaped muscle relaxation “digging” tool is suitable for spasms you cannot reach, for example, on your back.
- Dynamic Cupping: Many masseuses use these soft silicon cupping sets of various sizes to aid in circulation to tight muscle spasms that regularly bound up. Ask your PT how to use them. It can be effective if you can handle the short-term pain and the bruising it causes.
- Thera Bands: For affordable home rubber resistance bands for dynamic stretching and gentle strength building.
- Foam Rollers: For the occasions you need to roll out a painful subluxed joint back into place. Get your PT to help teach you how.
- Thera ICE Headache & Migraine Relief Hat: Can reduce inflammation and reduce tension or stress-related headaches.
- Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts: A cup or two added to your warm bath for soaking is a cheap and easy way to soothe sore muscles, aid in recovery, and pain relief.
- Compression clothes/socks: I find that compression shirts or tank tops that primarily cover my torso are the most helpful. Compression socks can help with blood pooling in the feet and ankles, but they’re not very comfortable to wear all day or every day. Many people recommend wearing thigh-high stockings as compression wear.
- Magsoothium: A magnesium and arnica blend soothing pain cream. Available on their website and on Amazon in varieties of cooling, warming, and with CDB.
- Salt Stick Fast Chews: Maintaining healthier than average levels of salts helps the fluidity of our blood flow.
- Electrolyte drink mixes: If you have POTS, it is helpful to get enough fluid in to enhance your blood circulation. I like Nuun tablets and Ultima Replenisher 1–2 times a day in your water. In addition, occasionally you might need to increase magnesium when feeling extra fatigued or sensitive to barometric weather changes. Try products such as LYTEshow, Liquid IV, or Natural Vitality Calm magnesium powder in your water.
- CBD products: There are many sources and not agreed-upon standards, so buyer beware. I use a home farm supplier where I can order online at 804hemp.com.
- Prism glasses: These are important to avoid cervical spine overuse, particularly with craniocervical instability. They have a mirror to allow you to look down without bending your neck forward.
- Pulse oximeter: Get this low-tech home device to learn the patterns of your heart rate and blood oxygenation. Learn what activities increase and decrease your heart rate or cause palpitations.
- HRV monitor: Heart rate variability (HRV) can increase vagal tone and improve tachycardia with POTS. I like these two products to be used in order. First, get a 4–8 week subscription to a Lief Therapeutics heart monitor device and app for becoming more aware of your HRV. Once you are more aware, get an Oura ring to train to recover and enhance your HRV. Many Apple watches today also measure HRV.
A few EDS advocates and patient experts maintain product lists on Amazon that may or may not be affiliate (they earn commissions).
Here are a few to checkout:
