Doc Ashton

I’m a passionate Osteopath here to help you! I specialise in Hypermobility disorders and teaching

24/03/2026

Last year after getting COVID I wasn’t able to run without my heart rate racing out of control.

I would feel dizzy, nauseous, faint… I wouldn’t sweat at all and I would be smashed by fatigue following higher intensity activities. These are just some of the symptoms of dysautonomia, that for me was triggered by a viral infection.

Last year I decided I was going to have to re-train my body and my systems how to run again. I registered for the Hobbiton Half Marathon in New Zealand and started the process.

I focused on monitoring my heart rate while training, during both running and strength, focusing on rest periods to keep my heart rate stable. I adapted routine modifications including compression garments to reduce swelling in my hypermobile tissues, electrolytes before running to increase blood volume and a visor to reduce over heating.

This week, I fly to New Zealand and get to run the race that helped me fall in love with running again.

We’re not crazy for wanting to do the things our hearts desire, we just have to learn how to do it in a body that works differently ❤️

I recognise everyone is unique, the spectrum of the 14 EDS subtypes, and particularly hEDS and HSD can look very different, I recognise levels of ability can vary.

Finding ways to work with your unique body is so important, and surrounding yourself with a healthcare team who truly understand this is just as important ❤️

I wanted to share my story, because it’s one I’m personally very proud of. I’ve worked hard to get to this point and I can’t wait to run 21km through the hills of Middle Earth in an elf costume on the weekend 💪🏽

19/03/2026

From ultra marathon, to barely being able to walk

After 18 months of dealing with heel pain and plantar fasciitis, having multiple scans, specialists, injections, orthotics and peptides, this hypermobile client has found their way to me. Our goal in the next month is to walk further than 200m.

Hypermobility can mean more movement through the midfoot, less passive stability, and higher load on the plantar fascia and heel over time.

That’s where foot strength becomes essential.

Not just stretching. Not just orthotics.

But building the capacity of the small muscles in the foot to actually support and control load.

Because your feet aren’t just along for the ride, they’re your foundation.

Stronger feet = better load distribution, less strain, and more resilient movement over time

Comment STRONG and I’ll send you the link to the foundational foot exercises I did with this client

*this is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice

17/03/2026

Who put that there? 😅

If you’re hypermobile and constantly bumping into walls, doorframes, furniture… you’re not just “clumsy”

Proprioception (your body’s awareness of where it is in space) can be a little off when your connective tissue is more stretchy than it should be, which means judging distance, timing and positioning isn’t always spot on.

The good news? You can train proprioception with specific stability and balance exercises designed for hypermobile people, and it can improve.

Need help with your bendy body? You can now book with me in person and online! Head to the link in my bio to find a spot for you!

*this is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

13/03/2026

On Wednesday I hosted an International Women’s Day event, Stride & Thrive : an opportunity to run, walk, eat and talk about the very real challenges women experience when seeking healthcare. The experience of knowing something isn’t right in their body, but not being believed.

I spoke to the room about the current statistics and research we know about women’s health, some of the findings are shocking, but sadly not surprising.

61% of Women in Australia are living with one chronic health condition, nearly 40% live with two, yet research shows women feel unheard when they seek medical care.

Research also shows that diagnostic delay leads to worse health outcomes, including disease progression, chronic pain and higher incidence of anxiety and depression.

We know that the average time for diagnosis for hEDS is 21 years, for HSD is 17 years, conditions that predominantly affect women. That’s a long time to live without answers.

I’m determined to be part of the change we need for women’s health, we need to have these conversations. We need to remove the silence and the stigma and talk about hormones, periods, prolapse, incontinence, mental health, pelvic pain… all of it.

A huge thank you to Renee from for always being so generous with your time, to for your support with some awesome prizes, to for presenting about the great supp range, to for the pizza delivery 🤤 the best post run refuel, to for the pics and to the team from for coming out in force to support 💪🏽

It was a great event, with women and men coming together to share stories, have some laughs and listen to each other, but more importantly, we all want to see change, and that was really evident. What a beautiful community we have here in the west, and this is just the beginning! Keep posted for other women’s health projects I’m working on 👀

11/03/2026

This was from a cool case I’ve been working on regarding Ischiofemoral Impingement Syndrome since last week and I feel it was worthy of some discussion.

Nothing surprises me any more in the hEDS/HSD space, I am constantly amazed by conditions that are considered “rare” or uncommon, are oftentimes presenting in our hypermobile population. So is it rare, or is it rarely understood?

As a practitioner, what I love about working with hypermobile people is the constant challenges I’m presented with, the puzzles I get to help to piece together. Be curious to learn, you’ll be surprised what you find!

If you’d like to see the full video on my YouTube channel, comment STRONG below and I’ll send you the link

08/03/2026

This International Women’s Day, I want to acknowledge the women whose strength often goes unseen.

The women who have spent years searching for answers.

The women who were gaslit to believe their concerns were “in their head”

The ones who were told your “too young” to have chronic pain

The ones who were told their widespread symptoms was “anxiety”

The ones who kept advocating for themselves when their symptoms were dismissed by our healthcare industry.

The future of healthcare must include

✅ listening to women
✅ believing their stories
✅ investigating concerns
✅ empowering women with the most up to date, evidence based advice.

We need to support women to build strength, stability, and confidence in their bodies, to fully thrive in their lives.

Let’s be part of the change 🫶🏽

02/03/2026

If you have hEDS or HSD and struggle with dizziness, rapid heart rate, or feeling awful when you stand, there’s a reason.

There’s a strong overlap between hypermobility and dysautonomia, the most common of these being Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

In hEDS/HSD, connective tissue is more elastic, including in your blood vessels. That means the vessels may not constrict as effectively when you stand, leading to blood pooling and reduced blood return to the heart.

Your body compensates by increasing heart rate. This can lead to symptoms like dizziness, light headedness, fainting, fatigue, headaches and “coat hanger pain”. This increasing heart rate can make things like tolerance to exercise also particularly challenging (for my runners out there)

For many people living with POTS, increasing daily electrolytes (in particular sodium) may help improve your symptoms by retaining more fluid circulating in the bloodstream.

More circulating blood volume = better blood return to the heart = less dramatic heart rate spikes when you stand.

Electrolytes aren’t a cure, and they’re not right for everyone, but for some, they can be a game changer in symptom management.

*this is for information purposes only and is not medical advice. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms speak to your healthcare team to be properly assessed. You can find EDS aware practitioners on the EDS society website practitioner directory.

01/03/2026

I love teaching this course ❤️

Clinical Foundations of Hypermobility Level 1 in Melbourne, the first for 2026 and it was magic 🪄

This cohort included Osteo, Physio, Myo, Exercise Physiologist and Strength Coach’s with clinical experience ranging from 8 months to 20 years in practice!

The learning intentions were diverse, from learning how to identify joint hypermobility to understanding how to start coaching movement and exercise. Everyone engaged, asked questions, shared stories and participated in the practical learning experience that is this course.

A huge thanks you to .dish.osteo for helping with the practical! Keep your eyes peeled for the NEW course we are launching on Lipoedema and Hypermobility, coming SOON! 👀

The teaching calendar has just kicked off, education is the future, follow to stay up to date with upcoming course dates ❤️

Address

109 Blackshaws Road, Newport
Melbourne, VIC
3015

Website

http://Www.alphasportsmed.com.au/

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