Introduction
摘要
Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobile spectrum disorder (hEDS/HSD) are complex disorders that have multisystemic abnormalities due to the high prevalence of connective tissue dysfunction in many, if not all, body systems. It is still largely misunderstood and often dismissed as affectation. Until recently, the name “Ehlers-Danlos syndrome” was used to describe all forms of the condition. However, there are many different types of hEDS/HSD. Geneticists are still working to fully characterize the spectrum of subtypes of this disorder in the formation of collagen in order to find treatments that are curative. Meanwhile, autonomic, both parasympathetic and sympathetic (P&S) dysfunction, which often underlies the majority of symptoms of hEDS/HSD, is treatable and helps to restore and establish quality of life and productivity. This book provides a comprehensive description of the various types and subtypes of hEDS/HSD and other heritable connective tissue disorders and a comprehensive description of the effects of collagen disorders on the P&S nervous systems, how P&S dysfunction leads to all the symptoms they underlie, and how to test, assess, treat, and manage P&S dysfunction to restore, establish, and maintain an individual patient’s quality of life, productivity, and possibly wellness.