Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder

Connective tissue disorders known as Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) result in joint hypermobility, instability, injuries, and pain. Additionally, symptoms like fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and autonomic dysfunction are frequently associated with HSD. Joint Hypermobility can also be part of known syndromes like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), Marfan syndrome, or Down syndrome. It necessitates tailored care due to varied symptoms across the body. As there are no specific treatments, managing HSD involves addressing individual symptoms. Collaborating with diverse specialists is often essential as symptoms and responses to management strategies differ among individuals. We can help in creating individualized care and exercise plan based on the subtype

What to Expect at Your First Visit

Your health journey is unique, and your first appointment will reflect that. Your initial evaluation is a 60-minute, one-on-one session dedicated entirely to your story. We will take the time to discuss your medical history, map out your symptoms, establish your goals, and identify what hasn't worked for you in the past.

Next, we will complete a comprehensive physical evaluation always moving at your pace, and always guided by your explicit permission.

  • You will not be rushed. We protect your time.

  • You will not be dismissed. Your lived experience is valid.

  • You will not get a generic exercise packet. Every body requires a unique blueprint.

We are here to co-create a sustainable care plan that truly respects and supports your body’s unique physiology.

Our Clinical Approach

Hypermobile bodies do not respond well to standard, aggressive physical therapy protocols. Our clinical framework is specifically designed to support connective tissue and hyper-reactive nervous systems through precise, evidence-based interventions:

  • Targeted Joint Stabilization: We shift the focus away from traditional stretching and prioritize deep, controlled stabilization to protect your joints from subluxations and prevent painful symptom flares.

  • Neuromuscular Co-contraction & Proprioception: Connective tissue laxity alters how your brain perceives your body in space. We use specialized tracking exercises to improve joint position awareness, naturally reducing the risk of clumsy strains or injuries.

  • Calming the Autonomic Nervous System: Hypermobility frequently co-occurs with dysautonomia, heightened anxiety, and centralized pain sensitization. Our care integrates strategies to help regulate your nervous system and dial down systemic stress.

  • Strategic Energy Pacing: We help you find your baseline, teaching you how to build physical capacity gradually without triggering the "boom-and-bust" cycle of exhaustion.

  • Symptom-Informed Manual Therapy: When hands-on techniques are indicated, we use highly precise, gentle manual therapy designed to alleviate muscle guarding and support your joint.

  • Comprehensive, Whole-Body Mapping: Because connective tissue is a system-wide network, a localized issue is rarely isolated. We evaluate how your entire kinetic chain moves together to find the true root of your discomfort.

Direct Access: Begin Care Without Delay

Under California’s direct access law, you have the right to seek physical therapy without waiting for a doctor's referral or prescription. You can take the first step toward specialized care today—simply call or email our office to schedule your comprehensive evaluation.

A Note From Our Founder:

As a physical therapist, I have heard far too many stories from patients with complex connective tissue disorders who felt dismissed or misunderstood by the medical community. This lack of validation causes real trauma, and I founded this clinic to change that.

My commitment to this work is deeply personal, I am hypermobile myself. My own lived experience, combined with a deep fascination with neurology, shaped my clinical approach. Connective tissue is everywhere, impacting your joints, gut, eyes, skin, and autonomic nervous system. Managing it effectively requires a comprehensive, team-based approach that looks beyond just joint protection to support your entire system.

In the rehab world, practitioners often split into two camps: some focus only on pain neuroscience and ignore real physical subluxations, while others take a strictly orthopedic approach and ignore the nervous system.

The truth is, it’s both. For hypermobile patients, joints are truly subluxing or tracking poorly, and a hypersensitized nervous system is amplifying those pain signals. Real healing requires treating both at the same time restoring physical joint movement and muscle firing patterns while simultaneously regulating the nervous system.

If you have been made to feel like you are "just complaining," please know this: I see you, I believe you, and I understand your body's complexity. You are here because you want to learn how to get better, and my goal is to give you the tools, direction, and hope to do exactly that.

— Akanksha, PT, OCS, FAAOMPTFounder & Clinical Director, Neev Physical Therapy and Wellness Inc.

Resources

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/resources/

https://marfan.org/resource-library/

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Musculoskeletal_Effects_Of_Down_Syndrome

Contact Us

  • "I work long days at a desk job and sought treatment for chronic pain and issues related to hypermobility, and just a few months of weekly visits and daily at-home exercises has already helped me more than over a decade of prior chiropractic care. Akanksha is very knowledgeable and kind, and was comprehensive in her approach to addressing my specific symptoms. Her treatment plan has greatly reduced my chronic pain and has been flexible based on changes in my symptoms over time, and I have definitely seen tangible improvements as a result"

    - Clara K

  • "Akanksha has extensive experience in chronic pain management especially in areas of occupational therapy including TMJ, Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis, Carpal Tunnel, De Quervain, spinal nerve pinches and many many more! I worked with her to relieve a lot of the nerve, and muscle issues. She was spot-on and the first to diagnose Hypermobility Syndrome Disorder which is less heard of and made a lot of sense given the strange interconnection of my symptoms postpartum. She’s been caring and professional, would highly recommend working with her!"

    —Richu C