Sia Reveals She Has a Neurological Disease and ‘Chronic Pain’

Singer-songwriter Sia revealed she is suffering from a neurological disease and ehlers danlos, which has left her fighting chronic pain. She used the moment to raise awareness for the condition, letting her fans know they are not alone if they are going through pain as well. Sia later offered more information on her condition Sunday.

“Hey, I’m suffering with chronic pain, a neurological disease, ehlers danlos and I just wanted to say to those of you suffering from pain, whether physical or emotional, I love you, keep going. Life is f– har,” the “Chandelier” singer wrote on Oct. 4. “Pain is demoralizing, and you’re not alone.”

After hearing from fans over the weekend, Sia returned to Twitter to clarify some details of her condition. She first apologized for any confusion, since ehlers danlos is not a neurological disease.

“If you’d like more information it’s neuralgia caused by a routine surgery three years ago,” Sia, 43, explained. “My TSH is also 29, it’s supposed to be below 4, so I’m severely hypothyroid. I’m also taking time off to do intensive therapy on Complex PTSD. Turns out my bipolar 2 diagnosis was wrong.”

She continued, “Oh yeah, herniated c6-7 c4-5 and cubitle tunnel syndrome. No STDs, which frankly, is miraculous given my twenties. so… Plenty of people suffering more than me. At least I have resources. I really feel for those struggling w/the healthcare system. KEEP GOING!”

In a final tweet, Sia thanked her fans for “being so lovely.”

According to The Ehlers-Danlos Society, the ehlers danlos syndromes (EDS) are “a group of connective tissue disorders that can be inherited and are varied both in how they affect the body and in their genetic causes. They are generally characterized by joint hypermobility (joints that stretch further than normal), skin hyperextensibility (skin that can be stretched further than normal), and tissue fragility.”

Most of the common symptoms of the syndromes are rlated to joints and the skin. This includes joint hympermobility; loose and unstable joints that could frequently lead to dislocations; soft, velvety skin; skin hyper-extensibility; fragile skin that bruises or tears easily; scarring; and slow wound healing. There are some less common symptoms, includng musculoskeletal pain, scoliosis at birth or scleral fragility.

Sia’s initial tweet earned more than 4,000 comments, from fans who offered their own stories of dealing with pain.

“Hi! I’ve had CRPS2 (complex regional pain synthrome) for 21 years in my right leg because of unprofessional surgeon,” one fan wrote. “For 5 years I have had neurostimulator but it works only now and then… Music is one of my most effective painkiller.”

“Thank you so much for speaking out about this. Awareness around #EDS is pretty poor and the more we get the information out there the better the supports and services will be! From a fellow #Zebra thank you for the positive message!” another added.

“I have EDS as well as Fibromyalgia so I’m sorry you have to go through that. Hopefully more people will hear about it from you spreading the word,” another fan wrote.

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