Ground Control for Bendy Bodies: How to Move Without Pain (Finally!) with Dr. Melissa Koehl
Release Date: 08/06/2025
How Trauma Rewrites Pain Part 3—When Trauma Turns on the Immune System
Dear body, I’m listening
“Trauma doesn't just live in your memories, your fascia, or your nervous system. It can also reshape your immune system, especially when no one helped you feel safe. That doesn't mean it's your fault, and that doesn't mean your body isn't on your side. It means that your body has been on your side this whole time, trying to protect you the only way it knew how.” —Donna Piper Some days your body throws signals you cannot ignore, but no one seems to hear them. The swelling, the exhaustion, the crashes that make no sense on paper start to feel like a secret only you and your body...
info_outline
Thermal Imaging for Health: Early Answers, Less Guesswork with Dr. Robert Kane
Dear body, I’m listening
"It's a balance between getting information and trusting experts. It's really important that as a patient, you have to be your own advocate." —Robert Kane When it comes to our body, uncertainty can be the hardest symptom to treat. Worry sets in when answers are fuzzy, and bouncing between specialists leaves us more confused than before. The real question is: how can we know what’s happening inside before a health crisis begins? After doubting conventional answers and searching for tools that deliver real clarity, Dr. Robert Kane turned a career in health into a...
info_outline
Chronic Pain & Trauma: Gently Breaking The Invisible Link with Science
Dear body, I’m listening
"The body's intelligent. We just have to show up. I equate it to a dance where the body leads and I follow." —Peter Stuart You can run from nagging pain, but it keeps showing up in new ways—wrecking sleep, fouling up moods, and shutting down energy. The worst part? Real answers are rare, and the world keeps telling you to just “push through” or “try harder.” Maybe it’s not about willpower at all—it’s about listening to the actual story your body’s been trying to tell for years. Peter Stuart spent decades fighting through his own injuries, dismissed symptoms,...
info_outline
How Real Connection Supports Healing (Even When You’re Exhausted) with Heather Nelson
Dear body, I’m listening
“Push your life to be the life that you want and not accept that it's just the way it is. Every choice that you make should be toward loving the life that you have.” —Heather Nelson Connection isn’t just a feel-good extra. It’s a lifeline when the world feels heavy and invisible battles make us want to shut down. Isolation, overwhelm, and invisible struggles don’t need to be our whole story; even small acts of reaching out can reshape everything. The truth is, connecting with the right people and sharing our messy middle is stronger than any secret solution. Heather...
info_outline
The Science of Rest— What the Lipkin Study Taught Us About ME/CFS
Dear body, I’m listening
“Pace first, safety builds capacity.” —Donna Piper There’s a kind of tired that sleep can’t fix, a crash that feels invisible to everyone but you. You push, you pace, you try to “do all the right things,” yet your body still calls a timeout. Maybe it’s not weakness or lack of willpower. Maybe your body’s simply working harder than anyone realizes. In this episode, Donna unpacks a revolutionary study on chronic fatigue, the real science behind “the crash,” and why pacing, rest, and nervous system care are the new power moves for healing. Expect myth-busting,...
info_outline
Beyond the Diagnosis: Reclaiming Life and Purpose With Lipedema with Hiba Hamati
Dear body, I’m listening
"Trust your instinct… Our bodies sound an alarm bell that something isn’t right, and we ignore it for years. Don’t ignore it. Don't accept the bare minimum answer. Just because your labs are normal does not mean that your body is functioning optimally." —Hiba Hamati Going to doctor after doctor, trying every tip, and still wondering why your pain and swelling never make sense. You know there’s something happening that nobody else seems to see, and not getting answers just wears you down. This chat right here puts a name to all that frustration. Hiba Hamati...
info_outline
If Only I Were Skinny…
Dear body, I’m listening
"Your body is not the enemy—the world's impossible standards are. And every time you name that truth out loud, you don't just free yourself, you also free someone else.” —Donna Piper Some lies are so loud they start to sound like truth—like the idea that confidence waits on the other side of weight loss. And the hardest part? The shame of not being skinny can at times feel heavier than our own weight, turning every step forward into a fight against an invisible anchor. Donna spent years believing her size erased her gifts. It wasn’t until she uncovered her...
info_outline
How Trauma Rewrites Pain, Part 2: When Fight or Flight Gets Stuck
Dear body, I’m listening
"If trauma rewrote the wiring one way, that means safety relationship and somatic practices can rewrite it the other way— it is the long game; there is no quick fix.” —Donna Piper Sometimes you do everything right, but your body keeps sending SOS signals no one else can see. Doubt creeps in—is this real, or is something deeper going on? You’re not alone; your body’s story matters, and what you feel makes perfect sense. For years, Donna felt invisible, questioned, and let down by quick fixes and dismissive answers. Her experience battling chronic pain, trauma, and...
info_outline
Dollars and Cents: The Real Financial Stress of Being Sick
Dear body, I’m listening
"I'm not my bills. I'm not my debt. I am worthy of care." —Donna Piper Being sick isn’t just exhausting—it’s expensive in ways nobody warns you about. The stress of medical bills, insurance denials, and endless receipts can weigh just as heavily as the symptoms themselves. If you’re tired of feeling like your wallet is as worn out as your body, you’re not alone. In this episode, Donna opens up about the real price tag of chronic illness, sharing her journey through misdiagnoses, out-of-pocket treatments, and the emotional toll of fighting for care. She breaks down the...
info_outline
How Trauma Rewrites Pain, Part 1: My Body Kept Score
Dear body, I’m listening
“Moving is medicine. There's something with moving that you don't need to know why or how, or how it relates to your emotions or trauma. And just like how trauma rewrites pain, it is also the opposite when you feel safe, embodied, and in a compassionate relationship with yourself, you can rewrite your story for safety.” —Donna Piper Sometimes pain isn’t just in your head—it’s woven deep into your body, shaping how you move, feel, and even how you see yourself. When life keeps telling you to “push through” but your body keeps shutting down, it’s easy to wonder if...
info_outline"You have to give your body the time to repair between sessions and respect from a cellular perspective how much energy they can effectively produce on any given day." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
Why does exercise leave you in more pain—even when you're doing 'everything right’?
If you’re hypermobile, traditional fitness advice might be sabotaging your body instead of healing it. The truth? Bendy bodies need a whole new rulebook for movement—one that prioritizes stability over stretching and rest over reps.
Dr. Melissa Koehl is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Pilates instructor, and founder of Chimera Health. With 24 years of experience—and her own late-stage EDS diagnosis—Melissa bridges clinical expertise with hard-won personal insight to redefine what "healthy movement" really means for connective tissue disorders.
Ready to finally move without pain? Tune in to uncover why less is more, how to spot the hidden signs of overexertion, and the game-changing strategies Dr. Melissa uses to help her clients reclaim strength (and sanity).
Connect with Donna:
Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedonnapiper
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper
Episode Highlights:
04:09 Melissa’s Journey Living with Hypermobility
07:15 The Ground Control Program
10:26 Common Symptoms and Misconceptions of Hypermobility
21:13 The Role of Rest and Recovery in Hypermobility
32:08 The Importance of Diagnosis and Self-Advocacy
36:31 Resources and Support for Patients
39:43 You Are an Orchid, Not a Dandelion
Resources:
Ground Control is starting again in October: https://www.chimera-health.com/ground-control-october-2025-waitlist
Two courses that are always available:
- Navigating Healthcare as a Hypermobile Human: https://www.chimera-health.com/NavigatingHealthcare
- ChimeraFit Video library: https://www.chimera-health.com/ChimeraFit-Video-Library
X:
If your joints are 'too flexible' but your pain is relentless, you’ve been lied to about exercise.
Hypermobility isn’t just about bendy limbs—it’s fatigue, brain fog, and a body that rebels against normal workouts.
Doctor of Physical Therapy and Pilates Instructor, Dr. Melissa Koehl, drops truth bombs on the shocking links between EDS, mast cells, and why your PT might be missing the big picture.
Listen now to learn how to move smarter, not harder.
#DearBodyImListening #MCAS #Lymphedema #Lipedema #ChronicIllness #dysautonomia #hypermobility #painmanagement #EDS
Quotes:
02:54 "Even though I had been hypermobile my whole life, I had no idea it affected my daily living as much as it did." —Donna Piper
04:52 "I definitely didn't know anything about EDS or connective tissue disorders or anything like that. It just really like it made sense to me that, because I was bendy, I might have more injuries." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
11:40 "I think a big thing is understanding that your body shouldn't be in pain all the time." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
12:17 "Fatigue is a huge common symptom of hypermobility. I have yet to meet a patient or client of mine that doesn't struggle with it in a very serious way." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
17:02 "If more of your blood is hanging out in your feet and at the bottom of your pelvis, not as much as getting back up to your heart and up to your head, and that's a big driver of brain fog and fatigue as well." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
21:40 "It's not just your muscles that you're working out when we move, it's all of the tendons and the ligaments and the fascia, all of it needs to repair." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
22:24 "You have to give your body the time to repair between sessions and respect from a cellular perspective how much energy they can effectively produce on any given day." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
30:00 "There's a misconception that hypermobility spectrum disorder is a lesser than diagnosis than hypermobile EDS, when in fact, they are two completely overlapping things. " —Dr. Melissa Koehl
40:33 "I think the one important thing that everyone benefits from hearing is that it's not your fault." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
41:31 "There are extra things that need to be considered with a connective tissue issue. It is more challenging; give yourself the time to find the providers that truly understand it. “Give yourself the time to rest without apology, give your body the rest that it needs." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
43:40 "You don't need joint dislocations to have connective tissue disorder." —Dr. Melissa Koehl
46:10 “These symptoms are just not normal, so symptom management is huge. You don't have to be a pain all the time.” —Donna Piper
Connect with Melissa:
Melissa Koehl is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Pilates instructor based in Chicago, IL, with over 24 years of experience. She's a board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and spent more than a decade co-specializing in vestibular rehab.
Today, Melissa runs a virtual and mobile PT practice focused on helping people with symptomatic hypermobility, including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Before launching her own practice, she worked at the University of Illinois Hospital, where she treated patients with complex chronic illness and trauma, and taught in their Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
After years of struggling with her own mysterious health issues—and nearly leaving the profession—Melissa was finally diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. That turning point gave her the clarity and treatment she needed to not only stay in the field, but to build a practice dedicated to helping others like her.