The Chalela Physical Therapy Institute for EDS & CCI/Cervical Instability

06/24/2025

🔜COMING SOON!
To better serve more patients—and make care more affordable—we're excited to introduce:

📚Group Patient Education Programs
Available in-person or via telehealth, covering topics such as:

✅Posture
✅Gait & Supportive Shoewear/Inserts
✅Ergonomics (Computer & Car)
✅Managing Chronic Fatigue
✅Use of Supports & Braces..and more!

💪Supervised Gym Time
For patients who are independent with their exercise program and would benefit from extra practice time between therapy sessions.

❓Have suggestions or specific needs?
We’d love to hear from you! Please email us at edshmconsultingpt@gmail.com

06/09/2025

EDS ECHO at The Ehlers-Danlos Society is delighted to announce applications are now open for licensed physical therapists/physiotherapists, and licensed occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, wanting to learn how to use principles of neuroplasticity to retrain alignment and stability in hypermobile patients.

The EDS ECHO Finding Functional Foundations (FFF)™ course approach uses biofeedback and specific cuing methods, to retrain the brain allowing patients to:

🟢Improve faulty proprioception
🟢Strengthen deep stabilizers
🟢Learn proper physical alignment, and; a
🟢Apply those skills to functional movement.

This leads to decreased pain and neurological symptoms, and improved function.

The treatment approach focuses on the management of older adolescents and adults. However, there will be optional supplementary sessions and content providing modifications for clinicians working with pediatric patients over 10 years old. The course includes 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ Continuing Education (CE) credits.

The course is cotaught by Susan Chalela, PT, and Prof. Leslie Russek, PT, PhD.

The next course is running from September 15 to December 8.
Mondays at: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm London Time (UK) / 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Please note that the FFF Course is not an introduction to EDS and HSD and prior attendance of selected EDS ECHO programs is strongly encouraged.

Learn more about this course and apply here: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/eds-echo-finding-functional-foundations-registration/

09/22/2023

Wishing a big zebra “WELCOME!” to the newest member of our staff here at The Chalela Physical Therapy Institute, Kari!

Kari is a fellow zebra who will take over running the office and be the right hand woman to Susan, Beth, and our wonderful dazzle of patients!

If you call, text, or come in to the clinic, chances are you’ll be lucky enough to work with Kari!

Welcome Kari, we’re elated to have you!

09/19/2023

✨Come Join Our Dazzle!✨

- We specialize in PT for EDS and CCI, and also offer consultation services!
- We accept a variety of insurances, and also have a cash price option.
- We can help you via telehealth if you cannot come in-person to our clinic.

Visit www.chalelapti.com/get-on-the-waitlist to get on the waitlist, or text us at 843-364-3213 to ask any questions that you may have!

We look forward to joining you on your EDS journey soon, and adding you to our dazzle! 🦓

09/01/2023

We can’t wait to see you all at the annual unite4answers event hosted by the Bobby Jones Chiari & Syringomyelia Foundation!

The Details:
- Date: Saturday, September 23 2023
- Time: Registration 3:30, Walk 5:30 (walking is NOT required to attend and enjoy the event)
- Place: Charleston Medical District Greenway

Come join our community to raise awareness and funds, meet other patients, and just have a great time!

Zebras, wear your stripes and we’ll see you there! 🦓

Link to Register!
https://igfn.us/vf/23charlestonsc

08/08/2023

Reposting this from our wonderful patient Kiva who we were fortunate enough to treat while she was in town for tethered cord surgery! Here's what Kiva had to say: "I can not thank Susan Chalela physical therapy specialist for EDS and CCI for all her wonderful love and support through my difficult tethered cord surgery!! She has been a light in the darkness and truly inspires me to push forward for my dreams!! As a fellow zebra she inspires me with everything she accomplishes each and every day!! Ever since I met her she has been a record playing in my head to help me remember ways to become stronger and has cheered me on through this difficult time!! I am so thankful for physical therapist like you who care about people like me!! 🩷" Thank you so much Kiva for your sweet words, we are so glad we have been able to encourage and support you before and after surgery! Welcome to our dazzle!

07/28/2023

Another member of team Formthotics out there making the world a place with a little less foot pain… we love to see it!

Thanks to The Chalela Physical Therapy Institute for EDS & CCI/Cervical Instability from Charleston South, Carolina for tagging Formthotics in this great Formthotics wheel shot.

Don't forget to tag us in your Formthotics content so we can see the great things you get up to too 👣

07/24/2023

Ever heard of reusable cloth pads? Sherrie, a fellow Zebra, has created Sherpax, and there are so many benefits for the EDS community!

•No adhesives, so you won’t have to worry about allergic reactions the adhesives typically found on pads.
•Can be worn as a supplement to the products you are already using for the extra-heavy flows often caused by having EDS.
•A comfortable and sustainable way to have peace of mind with the incontinence often caused by common co-occurring conditions like Tethered Cord Syndrome or weak bladder control.
•A great way to cut down on the cost associated with most menstrual products, these can be washed and reused!

We sell all three sizes in the clinic and can ship them as well! Go check out Sherrie and Sherpax Woman to learn more!

06/28/2023

We can’t wait to hear Dr. Patel speak on The Highs and Lows of Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow, we hope to see you all there!

Don’t forget to register ahead if you are planning to attend, date is July 6th!

06/20/2023

Ever heard of Formthotics? They are medical memory foam orthotics that mold to your feet, and become custom orthotics without the custom price!

We carry them here at the clinic and can fit you for the right pair!

They will make a 🌍 of difference in how you feel, even in the best shoes!

06/13/2023

A wonderful article featuring Cort Does Science! We are so grateful for all that she does for the EDS community!

An often misdiagnosed disease called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is the focus of growing research and clinical expertise at Medical University of South Carolina. Some patients are taking the initiative to research

05/10/2023

Happy EDS Awareness Month! ✨🦓✨

We are here to support our dazzle of zebras far and wide, and to help spread awareness so that more zebras around the world can get the help that they need!

A group of zebra are called a DAZZLE!

This May Awareness Month we celebrate our own zebra dazzle: the incredible community living with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) around the world.

Thank you to Graphic Designer and Illustrator Poppy McCabe who lives with hEDS for this awesome illustration! https://www.instagram.com/popdot.studio/