Spatax Meeting Poster 2019

Near the end of September I went to the Spatax meeting in Nice, France. As per 2016 I submitted an abstract for a poster, which was accepted, so I was able to get a poster with a summary of the last three years survey results up for those to see.

You are welcome to see the poster here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QgvmCblZcWaOOFuEt6Mul0j2YSHGngLR

The abstract I submitted is:

Three on-line surveys were undertaken in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for people with HSP. 700 responses are reported in full on my HSP blog http://hspjourney.blogspot.co.uk/.

Respondents answered wellbeing questions to explore links between HSP factors and wellbeing.

In 2017 potentially significant wellbeing differentiators were identified:

•       People without pain from HSP have a better wellbeing than those who get pain from HSP.

•       People content with their employment/occupation have a better wellbeing than those not content.

•       People whose employers are not supportive of HSP situations tend to have a lower wellbeing.

•       Those who can walk as far as they want and those unable to walk have a better wellbeing.

In 2018 three symptoms showed significant negative wellbeing effects; depression, stress, and HSP affecting learning/memory. Three further symptoms showed potentially significant negative effects; poor co-ordination, regular falls, and back/hip pain.

Several factors have large wellbeing effects, but many are not direct HSP symptoms. Help or treatment in these may result in improved wellbeing. Potential areas include;

•       Decreasing: Depression, stress, anxiety, worries

•       Lifestyle or other changes to improve sleep

•       Reductions in pain

•       Strength/balance training to reduce falls

•       Activity/exercise to maintain mobility as long as possible

Additional findings:

•       90% with HSP have moderate or severe fatigue.

•       80% with HSP typically get 'discomforting' or 'distressing' pain from HSP.

•       Walking is most affected with; steps/stairs, tiredness/fatigue, uneven ground, carrying.

•       Symptoms with greatest effect; fatigue, difficulty walking, loss of balance, muscles feeling stiff, bladder problems, back/hip pain.

•       Longitudinally, not all symptoms persist from year to year.