A COUNCILLOR who suffers from a rare disease which leaves her at risk of dislocating joints whenever she moves has spoken out to raise awareness of the condition. It took years for Katie Pragnell, 27, to find out she suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She cannot remember the last time she wasn’t in pain.
Chronic fatigue and skin splitting are among the symptoms. While many people would have to rush to a hospital following dislocations, Katie – who now has to endure up to 10 dislocations every day – has learned how to often fix the issues herself by pushing them back in. The Labour councillor for Clarkston, Netherlee, and Williamwood wants to raise awareness of the condition as May marks Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (EDS/HSD) Awareness month.
Katie said: “It is about managing symptoms on a daily basis. There are some days when my joints are bad and I use a wheelchair or walking stick. I don’t know the last time when I wasn’t in pain.
All my life I have been in pain.” The NHS describes “Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) as a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue". General everyday movements can cause a dislocation due to hypermobility.
There is little support available on the NHS according to Katie, who pays for a private chiropractor, which has helped get the number of daily dislocations down from 25 to 10. Pointing out her wrist is currently dislocated, she said: “It could be a finger, toe or my full hip.
