Dr. Kristin Herman, MD

Ask for a different MD if you find that Kristin Curtis Herman is your doctor! Avoid her at all costs. She is rude, dismissive, and argumentative, and she holds some bizarre and false beliefs about hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I left both my virtual and in-person appointments in tears. She made me feel like I had to defend and prove my personal experience. She argued with me and interrupted me when I tried to answer her questions. She also provided no instruction or explanation during the physical examination and bent my fingers, hands, and arms back without warning. During our appointments, she stated that (and I quote)'Hypermobility or hyperextension does NOT cause pain.' She also stated, 'People with hEDS do not have flare-ups. You stated you have flare-ups, and that is not consistent with the symptomology of hEDS.' Obviously, this is wildly incorrect. Avoid Dr. Herman! She is biased and rude!

My appointment was also awful. I was there to finally see a doctor that could determine what type of EDS I had. I was previously diagnosed by meeting the hEDS 2017 criteria and a Beighton score of 7 out of 9. She discounted positive signs like thumbs to forearms and then said that I was only borderline hypermobile. Then she discounted the 12 criteria one by one... for example, my skin on the back of my hand stretching to at least 2 cm somehow doesn't count, she felt my arm with gloves on and said it wasn't soft. I have very velvety soft skin, and doughy. One by one she discounted the criteria until she said I did not qualify for an hEDS diagnosis. She did not look at my scars. She did not ask about skin fragility. Never examined my spine.She told me that before someone even walks in to her office, she decides they don't have EDS. That is negative bias. Both unprofessional and unscientific. She then accused me of stretching everyday to appear hypermobile. Seriously.

I've never had a doctor experience so weird. I went to her for an hEDS genetic testing. From the go, Dr.Herman was a bit rude. No problem, it happens. Then she started asking me repeatedly and aggressively if I had joint pain. I kept saying YES. Then at the end of our app, she says she doesn't think I have hEDS, because I DON'T have joint pain?!? More importantly, joint pain is NOT in the diagnosis criteria whatsoever- she didn't refer to accepted criteria at all. After that, she told me that "getting a diagnosis doesn't help." WHAT! I started crying but she only doubled down. So weird and a terrible, soul-crushing experience.