Welcome to the Hypermobility Clinic
Introduction:
The Hypermobility Clinic was primarily established to provide effective and advanced holistic treatment for patients with hypermobility and rare conditions. The most common of which are known as Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder.
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These conditions often can masquerade as other conditions and can be difficult to accurately diagnose. The catchphrase, "If you can't connect the issues, think connective tissue" very much applies to these syndromes.
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At The Hypermobility Clinic, time is taken to listen to your unique story and challenges and formulate a tailored treatment plan from a supportive and holistic point of view.
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The Hypermobility Clinic is registered as an ACC Provider.
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About the Clinic Director:
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Anita Crawshaw established The Hypermobility Clinic in the early part of 2021, motivated by her own developing interest and passion of treating these conditions and the growing number of hypermobile clients coming to see her.
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Anita has been a very well regarded physiotherapist for close to 20 years, with a special interest in dance related physiotherapy and hypermobile or complex conditions. Additionally, Anita also possesses the uncanny ability to help clients that have been unable to make meaningful improvement in persisting injuries or conditions.
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Anita has had a particularly rare and unique intersection of life events that have allowed her to become a highly effective practitioner in the treatment of hypermobile conditions, of which we encourage you to explore further on the "my story" tab.
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Qualifications
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BPhty - University of Otago
PGCertOccHealth - University of Otago
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Credentials
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EDS ECHO AHP Australia Course
Credentialed McKenzie Physiotherapist (McKenzie Institute International)
Mulligan Certificate (NZMPA)
Dry Needling Foundation Certificate
Anxiety in Children (MHERC)
Services
Hypermobility Treatment
(ie: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome)
Dancer & Gymnast Rehab
Lifecoaching / General Wellbeing
Advanced Physiotherapy
How do I know if I have hypermobility or EDS ?
Hypermobility (EDS, HSD) further info.
Professional Networks
and Affiliations
The following simple 5 point questionnaire is a good starting point, but by no means exhaustive:
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Can you now (or could you ever) place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees?
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Can you now (or could you ever) bend your thumb to touch your forearm?
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As a child, did you amuse your friends by contorting your body into strange shapes or could you do the splits?
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As a child or teenager, did your shoulder or kneecap dislocate on more than one occasion?
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Do you consider yourself “double-jointed”?
​An answer of yes to two or more questions suggests a strong likelihood of joint hypermobility with a 80–85% predictive value.
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External links and further reading for EDS & HSD.
The Hypermobility Clinic is part of the hypermobility clinicians network in Christchurch. This is a group of wide ranging health professionals such as geneticists, musculoskeletal specialists, respiratory physicians, pelvic floor physiotherapists, podiatrists, osteopaths, and dieticians. All with a special interest area in hypermobility syndromes. Referrals can be made to anyone within this network.
Alongside the local network, Anita contributes nationally and internationally to:
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The International Ehlers-Danlos Society
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EDS Core Network of Excellence Aotearoa Network
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Clinical Advisory Panel for EDS New Zealand
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Dysautonomia NZ Foundation
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Facilitator for the Australasian EDS ECHO group.
In 2025, Anita also had the honour of presenting as an invited speaker at the Global Learning Conference for EDS held in Brisbane, Australia.