Ehlers-Danlos syndromes

The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of connective tissue disorders that mainly affect the joints and skin. Different genes have been tied to the production of faulty collagen. The type of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome one gets depends on where the defective collagen/connective tissue is in their body. Connective tissue is located throughout the body, in the bones, ligaments, between organs and tissues, joints, etc. therefore presentation of this syndrome may vary. One key feature of this condition is that people typically experience hypermobility of joints. Migraine and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome both occur more frequently in women and share comorbid conditions such as fibromyalgia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and irritable bowel syndrome.

A study concluded that people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and migraine experience more frequent migraine days, more accompanying symptoms and a higher rate of disability.¹  Migraine tends to start earlier in those who also have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.