A Personal Update

As many of you have heard, I will be retiring from massage in just a few short weeks. For those of you who are just finding this out, please allow me to bring you up to speed.

Back in December, I had to take a month off of work due to an injury to my right hand and wrist. I used this time to catch up on appointments with my doctors, work my way through physical therapy, and seek out a diagnosis I had suspected for a while. It turned out that not only did I have loosey-goosey joints that sprained, hyperextended, and subluxated often - I was diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

photo from Rhesus Medicine on YouTube

What is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

I’m glad you asked. According to the Ehlers-Danlos Society, “The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of 13 heritable connective tissue disorders. The conditions are caused by genetic changes that affect connective tissue. Each type of EDS has its own set of features with distinct diagnostic criteria. Some features are seen across all types of EDS, including joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility, and tissue fragility.” The ‘Hypermobile’ part of my diagnosis is one of thirteen different types of EDS that affects 1 in 3,100 – 5,000 people, according to that same article.

It is more than having “loosey-goosey” joints - it’s a connective tissue disorder that affects the connective tissue in your WHOLE body. This means fragile skin, poor wound healing, weak enamel (and cavities!), hernias, digestive problems like leaky gut, and higher risk of organ prolapse among many other potential complications.

That being said, due to the consistent pressure and strain on hypermobile joints, being a massage therapist is probably one of the worst professions to get into if you have this disorder - especially if you have a tendency to over-work yourself (like me). Now, you can understand why my physical therapist asked me, “So… when are you changing careers?” That was when I knew (but didn’t want to admit) that I would actually have to stop massaging, and soon. I thought if I just did the exercises, if I strengthened the joints, then maybe I could push past this too.

The problem is: you can’t physical therapy away hypermobility… No matter how strong I get, it will not fully “fix” the problem because it is a systemic issue that started in my DNA.

I’ve heard, “What about supplementation? Have you tried collagen?” Unfortunately, it is not a LACK of collagen that is the problem, but that my body does not know WHERE to put the collagen, let alone process it efficiently.

What Comes Next?

I am definitely not in a position to retire altogether, so I still have to work, right?

Luckily, I have been working on something for the last two years… This July, I will be graduating from the Berkeley Herbal Center’s Village Herbalist program as a Clinical Herbalist!

My goal is to work with clients to address their individual health concerns through a holistic lense. This means going through health history, lifestyle habits, emotional health and traumas, living situation, medications, and getting the whole picture so that we can identify and address the root causes together. It is a collaboration, not a prescription.

Starting this week, I will be accepting appointments for July and August for those who would like to work with me to address their health concerns as an herbalist. If you would like to be one of the first people in the door, and are seeking someone to assist your body in finding balance again, then reach out to me via the contact forms on my website or book your appointment online! My prices are the lowest they ever will be. In a few months, that will change, so now is the time if you are on the fence!

Keep Up to Date

While I am sad about not being able to massage anymore, I am so excited for the next chapter.

In order to stay up to date on events, workshops, virtual classes, free stuff, and just whatever is going on with little old me, please subscribe to my newsletter here. You can also follow me on Instagram and TikTok (if you haven’t already). For those that are inclined, let me know if you would like me to create a Discord group where we can converse as a community!

Thank you so much for reading this. I am so grateful for the amount of people that have been sending well wishes and those who want to continue with me on this journey.

Write soon,

Savy

Savannah Guidi

Formerly a certified massage therapist, now a clinical herbalist, and always a health educator.