07/21/2026
Lipodema, Lymphedema, scoliosis, all present and are common in connective tissue disorders!!
In fact connective tissue disorders have a connection to being overweight and under weight. Overweight in that it affects the sensation of fullness to not be as strong due to the elasticity of the tissues, and underweight in the inability to absorb calories due to the increased stretch in the tissues causing faster evacuation and less absorption of nutrients. Speaking of evacuating, it can even slow this down due to loss of motility due to loss of nervous system conversations in the bowels. It’s not always about how you eat. Lymph can be pinched and clogged causing severe swelling…it gets super complicated fast.
There’s also a strong link with autism, which affects your body’s sensations, either hypersensitivity to body sensations or hyposensitivity to bodily sensations due to the elasticity of the amygdala (yes! The brain has connective tissues!!!!) ADHD is also linked to this. The medical field is finally catching up to the prevalence of clusters of issues causing all of these things to present together…due to genetics.
So if you have one of these things or your kid has one of these things or your grandpa or cousin or Aunt Matilda…ANYONE in your family…best be perking up your ears.
Some of this stuff is life and death, when you’re in the ER with a ruptured bowel or another organ that has twisted randomly or your heart is going whackadoo rhythmically or your passing out because your nervous system has gone offline. It’s in your weak connective tissues!! Yes you can help with strengthening and stretching and drinking lots of water to keep the fascia happy, but when you go to pull or lift a heavy object you are more prone to herniations and dislocations in your spine and other areas. It’s a super fine balance.
We won’t even get into the allergies and MCAS or depression or anxiety or gait disturbances and flat feet and joint dislocations…connective tissues make up well over 50% of your body’s structure. Tendons ligaments and the scaffolding for your body’s structure but then there’s the specialized connective tissue like the ones in your organs, smooth tissue, cartilage, blood, lymph and adipose tissue. It’s everywhere!!
Also, Before you call someone fat make sure you understand how that same connective tissue disease that’s making you be unable to absorb nutrients and making you super scrawny and lanky isn’t presenting as another issue in someone else.
Lessons in empathy. Some need more than others. And some have Alexithymia…iykyk. Always be kind. Life’s hard even for normal bodies, much more, Loosey Goosy ones. Either way, you gotta keep rockin’ and massage helps.
It’s all just a symptom of being human.
