Sofa2Stroll+

15/09/2026

15/09/2026

💙 Conditions Associated With Dysautonomia: The Connections Can Be Complex

Dysautonomia affects the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate automatic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sweating, and temperature. Because this system interacts with so many parts of the body, dysautonomia can occur alongside a wide range of medical conditions.

The image highlights several conditions that may be associated with or coexist alongside dysautonomia, including:

🔹 Ehlers-Danlos syndromes & hypermobility spectrum disorders
🔹 Mast cell–related disorders
🔹 Small-fiber neuropathy
🔹 Diabetes
🔹 Gastroparesis
🔹 Autoimmune diseases
🔹 ME/CFS
🔹 Mitochondrial disorders
🔹 Chiari malformation
🔹 Inflammatory bowel disease

But there’s an important distinction:

💙 An association does not mean one condition automatically causes the other.

Some conditions may contribute to autonomic dysfunction, while others may simply coexist in the same person. The strength of these relationships also varies, and research is still developing for some of them.

For example, autonomic dysfunction is recognized in some people with diabetes, while POTS and other forms of orthostatic intolerance are frequently discussed in connection with EDS/hypermobility.

🧠 That’s why dysautonomia can be so difficult to understand.

Two people may both have autonomic dysfunction but have completely different symptoms, underlying conditions, and treatment needs.

And having one of the conditions shown in this infographic does not automatically mean a person has dysautonomia.

💙 The body is interconnected. The symptoms can be complex. And every person’s medical story is different.

Awareness starts with understanding the connections—without assuming that every connection applies to everyone.

14/09/2026

14/09/2026

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow and/or Thursday 😀☕🍁

Hello, we are Nikki & Michelle and we would like you to join us on our 'Sofa2Stroll+' walks in nature organised through the Walk Derbyshire Initiative. We have found that being out in nature is our happy place and has in recent years been fundamental in helping us to adapt to living with our long t....

11/09/2026

🍂💚 Autumn is here, and so are our September Sofa2Stroll+ walks!

If you’ve been thinking about getting outside but need something gentle, accessible and pressure-free, come and join us. 🌿

Two FREE strolls this month at Straws Bridge and Elvaston Castle - with nature, friendly faces and plenty of time to go at your own pace.

Come for the walk, stay for the connection. 💚

Details and booking below 👇

Hello, we are Nikki & Michelle and we would like you to join us on our 'Sofa2Stroll+' walks in nature organised through the Walk Derbyshire Initiative. We have found that being out in nature is our happy place and has in recent years been fundamental in helping us to adapt to living with our long t....

06/09/2026

When You Look Fine but Your Body Is Struggling: The Hidden Impact of Dysautonomia

06/09/2026

September is World Pain Month, an awareness month dedicated to highlighting the challenges faced by those living with chronic pain and the importance of better support and management. It also provides a platform for individuals living with chronic pain to share their stories and connect with others who face similar challenges.

Chronic pain in EDS and HSD is very common and may be severe. It may be widespread or it may be limited to one area of the body such as a limb. Headaches and gastrointestinal discomfort can occur as well as joint, muscle and nerve pain. Management strategies include physiotherapy, medication, and sensible use of medical equipment such as splints and braces.

In an article by Dr. Johanna Theron, Community Chronic Pain Service, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, she explains: "People who live with hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) or Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), usually have a very high symptom load from the various affected systems in the body and the associated disorders.
Pain is often very prominent, not just created by the underlying problems themselves but also by their consequences.

To help manage this pain, a whole-person approach is necessary. It is often very difficult to accept that there is no single treatment that could totally alleviate or cure the pain but if we address it from multiple different angles, we can often achieve a noticeable reduction.

To start to have more control over your pain, it is helpful to understand a bit more about the types of pain and what you are experiencing."
Dr. Theron also joined us for a webinar on pain management options for EDS and HSD, which can be viewed on our Youtube channel https://youtu.be/OSo3z_m0af4

Throughout the month we will be sharing different resources to help with pain management.

If you would like to share your story for pain month and what has helped you to manage aspects of your pain, please email [email protected] around 500-800 words with photographs we may use on social media.

04/09/2026

🍂✨ FREE Accessible Nature Walks This Autumn ✨🍂

Meteorological autumn is here! 🍁 And what a beautiful time of year it is to slow down, step outside and notice nature beginning to change around us.

The greens are gradually giving way to gorgeous shades of gold, orange and red, the sunlight sits a little lower and warmer in the sky, and beneath our feet the fascinating world of fungi is beginning to appear. 🍄‍🟫🍄🍂

I wonder what little treasures of autumn we’ll discover on our strolls this month? ✨

Perhaps some colourful leaves, an unusual mushroom, birds preparing for the changing season… or simply a peaceful moment that makes us stop, breathe and smile. 🌿

Living with a long-term health condition shouldn’t mean missing out on the joy of gentle movement, nature, friendship and connection. 💚

So come and join us for one or both of our FREE Sofa2Stroll+ September strolls;

🌿 Tuesday 15th September
Start: 10:30am–12:30pm
Place: Straws Bridge Nature Reserve (Main car park)

and/or

🌳 Thursday 17th September
Start: 10:30am–12:30pm
Place: Elvaston Castle Country Park (Main car park)

🍁Gentle Steps • Real Support • True Connection 💚

📌 Booking is recommended:
Book your FREE Sofa2Stroll+ place on Eventbrite⁠: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/103715373891?aff=ebdsshios

💚 Technology not your thing? Please don’t let that stop you! Just turn up and we’ll happily book you in on the day.

Hello, we are Nikki & Michelle and we would like you to join us on our 'Sofa2Stroll+' walks in nature organised through the Walk Derbyshire Initiative. We have found that being out in nature is our happy place and has in recent years been fundamental in helping us to adapt to living with our long t....

24/08/2026

🌿 Fix Nature. Fix Health

If you have a couple of minutes, you might want to support The Wildlife Trusts’ Fix Nature. Fix Health campaign.

They’re gathering people’s stories to help influence decision-makers and highlight the important role nature can play in health, wellbeing and prevention, as well as why access to nature needs to be part of the conversation about health.

It feels particularly relevant to what we’ve experienced together through Sofa2Stroll+, and the connection, movement and sense of possibility that can grow when people living with long term health conditions come together in nature.

Whether it’s through a walking group, a local initiative, a practitioner, a particular place or simply time spent in nature, there are so many different ways it can become part of living well with health conditions.

🌿 Let’s share those experiences and help show decision-makers what nature can mean for our health and wellbeing. 💚

Nature improves everyone's physical health and mental well-being. When we fix nature, we can fix health. How does nature help you? Share your story.