A to Zebra Health
Diagnose, Stabilize, and Thrive:
An Integrative Approach to
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)
and Complex Illness
Please don't try this at home
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*Hypermobile party tricks* discouraged
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Please don't try this at home 〰️ *Hypermobile party tricks* discouraged 〰️
“Show me your credentials!”
I have been a nurse practitioner for almost twelve years, but I have lived in a body with faulty connective tissue for my whole life! I think my diagnoses add to my credibility and make me a better practitioner. True, I am an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with a board certification (BC) as an Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist (ACNS), but I am also a person who knows what it feels like to struggle with a chronic illness (or two!). Finally, at 42 years old, I was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and soon after, neurogenic Thoracic Outlet syndrome. Like many of you, I had decades of injuries and chronic pain, and often felt dismissed by doctors. My goal is to build a clinical resource and networking hub for EDS and Hypermobility care in Austin, TX.
Katie Volkers, APRN, ACNS-BC, hEDS, nTOS
Do you suffer with:
Tight muscles but loose joints
Clumsy with frequent injuries
Dizziness, palpitations, and fatigue
Migraines, headaches, and nerve pain
TMJ, cavities, and never getting numb
at the dentist
Bloating, nausea, and constipation
Increased pain when trying yoga, physical therapy,
or a new workout trendMystery hives, itchy rashes, and multiple food intolerances
If these sound familiar, I want to hear your story and carefully start putting the clues together. I chose to be out of network with insurance companies because it’s just not possible to be a medical detective in a 15-minute appointment. Let’s take back control of our healthcare and finally get the time you need with a provider to find the root cause.
Invest in your well-being, and let’s get back to
how medicine is supposed to be!
Hypermobile Integrative Care
Mast Cell Dysfunction
(MCAS)
New EDS Diagnosis
Migraine and Headaches
Dysautonomia and POTS
About Me
Katie has over a decade of experience as a neurosurgery advanced practice provider at our local Level 1 Trauma Center. Despite her long-held passion for neuroscience, she decided in 2020 to step back from conventional medicine to pursue a more holistic and integrative approach to neurosurgical problems and pain.
Ten+ years as an Advanced Practice Provider in Neurosurgery
Four years working in integrative and regenerative medicine
Lives in Austin, TX with her husband and two incredible kids (and puppy + 3 cats!)
Katie is a knowledgeable and compassionate provider. She quickly retrieves PubMed articles or scrolls through her Notion Infoverse to support her point and educate patients. When lecturing about neuroscience, she routinely got compared with Amy Farrah Fowler (AFF) so much that her boss gave her an AFF bobblehead figure. She is also relatable, witty, and empathetic, allowing her to hold space for our patients to feel truly cared for.
Outside of work, Katie enjoys spending time with her family (two children, husband, Aussie Doxie puppy, and three cats), volunteering with Cub Scouts, walking in nature, and pursuing her current creative hyper-fixation: watercolor painting and drawing with ink.
Why Zebras?
"When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras."
Healthcare providers are taught to expect the common conditions and ignore “rare” problems. In reality, hypermobility and EDS is NOT as rare as initially thought!
(Theodore E. Woodward, MD,
University of Maryland, 1950)
Sourced from the incredible
Ehlers-Danlos Society:
Why the Zebra?
