Good Health Physical Therapy has become a partner with Amazon. Below are items that our therapists often recommend to patients. If you click on the item title, you will be linked to Amazon. If you make a purchase by clicking the link we provide, we receive 4% of the purchase price. Additional streams of income help us not only to keep our lights on, but also to continue our one hour appointment times while most other therapy clinics see patients for much shorter appointments.
Click any title line below for a link.
Book: Taming the Zebra
Recommended by Heather. This 417 page text authored by Good Health Physical Therapy and Wellness owner and president, Heather Purdin, MS, PT, CMPT with Patricia Stott, DPT, PT, explores the state of the art of physical therapy care for hypermobility conditions. Filled with helpful illustrations it is the first of two planned volumes and was published in 2023. For those local to Portland, OR, copies of the text are available at both the SW Good Health clinic (4475 SW Scholls Ferry, Suite 258) and the NE location (4943 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd).
Thumb splint
Recommended by Mark: Thumb hypermobility is a common issue with people with hypermobility spectrum disorder or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. In the clinic, this can be helped by a sequential trial of supports starting with tape (if the patient is not sensitive). The item shown here is called a “Spica Splint”. This can be a good intermediate level of support. Higher levels of support may include a full wrist support with the thumb, spica, sleeve and hard shell variations on this same kind of splint.
TENS Unit
Recommended by Multiple therapists: This is a good and inexpensive unit for both pain control and also for Vagus Nerve stimulation. The model shown uses replaceable batteries. If you are getting this for Vagus nerve stimulation, you will need an ear clip electrode and a small tube of electrode gel which we buy in bulk and can supply you with in the office.
Wrist Widget Braces
Recommended by Liz. Many patients with hypermobility or hypermobile Elhers-Danlos have too much mobility at the ends of the forearm bones. This is one form of wrist hypermobility. These wrist braces can help and without the need for tape or adhesives.
Basic Wrist Brace
Recommended by Mark: This is a very basic wrist brace and can be useful for patients with mild wrist hypermobility.
Step Arch Supports
Recommended by Liz: These inexpensive stick on supports can be helpful in supporting the fallen soft tissue of the foot. The feet are the base of all movement. This link is for medium size. Small, large and extra large are available.
Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow Brace
Recommended by Mark: These elbow straps with the foam pad can be useful for tennis elbow (on the outside of the elbow) and golfer’s elbow (on the inside). While not by themselves a cure, the support can help protect the painful area and lower stresses on painful muscle attachments.
Heel Lift Small
Heel Lift Medium
Recommended by Mark: In therapy, after careful analysis, we find that some patients have a difference in their leg lengths. This is usually due to a difference in the long bone lengths. For those patients, a heel lift place in the shoe on the short leg side can reduce pain, improve quality of movement and improve balance. These lifts are adjustable in thickness. The size relates to the width of the lift. A small lift is commonly for a woman, a medium lift is commonly for a man and a large lift (not shown)is for a big (!) work boot.
TheraCane
Recommended by Jennifer: Knots, sore spots in your back? The Theracane provides a way for you to reach them and perform a self-massage to calm them down.
Small Exercise Ball
Recommended by Jennifer. This 9 inch diameter ball has a million uses during exercise, especially with Pilates exercises.
Resistance Bands– Intermediate to Advanced Level
These bands provide economical resistance at an intermediate to advanced level for stabilization exercises.
Resistance Bands – Beginner to Intermediate
These basic bands are commonly used in therapy for a great number of exercises. The degree of difficulty goes from lightest (easiest) to darkest (hardest): yellow, red, green, blue, black.
Ankle Brace
This very economical brace provides compression and support for ankle instability. With hypermobile patients, we have also used it stabilize both the talus bones and fibula of the ankle when these have a tendency to “go out” (sublux).
Exercise Ball
This large exercise ball (65cm = 26inch diameter) is extremely useful for a number of different kinds of exercises, especially the kind of stabilization exercises needed by our hypermobile patients. This ball is listed as useful for people ranging from 5’6″ to 5’11”. In our experience, they can be slightly under or over inflated to make them useful for people a couple of inches shorter or a couple of inches taller than this range. If you are much shorter, get a 55cm ball. If you are much taller, get a 75 cm ball. If you choose to buy from a store or another source, please be sure that you are getting a pump. These large therapy balls cannot be pumped up with a bike pump as a rule.
Foam Roller
Foam rollers also are very versatile for working on areas of tightness and stress. We find the firm model here in the 36″ in size to be the most commonly used by our patients. Softer foam rollers are available with a little searching. Short, 12″, rolls are available also and can be useful for travel or in cases of lack of space.
Support Stockings
Recommended by Jennifer. Many patients with mild to moderate dysautonomia or POTS benefit from wearing knee high support stockings with 20-30 mm HG of compression for normal daily activities. These are one example. The addition of the natural Merino wool fiber will be a plus for most wearers.
Stocking Puller
Recommended by Beth. This is one of the best devices to assist with pulling socks on for those who have difficulty grasping, pulling or bending.
Here is a link that shows how this is used plus more ideas for getting compression garments on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5d_hjSs9mA
Diabetic Sock Puller
Recommended by Beth. This assists with putting on stiff or thick diabetic compression socks.
Here is a link to an instructional video on this item: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8JjMzFsdjo
Gripper Gloves
Recommended by Beth. These simple garden gloves can be very useful for those with problems gripping or grasping and who are putting on or smoothing out slippery clothing such as silk or satin items. These also can be very helpful in putting on/ taking off compression garments.
Doff-Donner Sleeve
Recommended by Beth. This is another item for use with putting on and taking off thick or stiff compression stockings. (Stocking not included.)
Here is a link to an instructional video for this item: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjiuz-z3lE0
Diastisi Recti — Book
Recommended by Katie, this book gives some good tips on managing diastisis rectus.
Myofascial Release Ball
Recommended by Jennifer. This travel sized ball can provide pressure over sore areas, trigger points, pressure points and minor subluxations to help coax muscle release. It is not excessively hard as some balls are and is inflatable allowing for adjustment of pressure.
