Most people don’t think twice when they stand up after lying down. It’s just part of a normal day.

But for those living with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or POTS, that seemingly simple transition can cause alarming symptoms such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.

"POTS is not uncommon, it's just unfortunately commonly missed, and individuals live with debilitating, unexplained symptoms for years (more than 4 years on average),” said Emily Rich, Ph.D., OTR/L, Occupational Therapist at TMC Outpatient Therapy. “It affects women of childbearing age most commonly and often they appear relatively healthy, due to the invisible, fluctuating nature of symptoms. The lack of an FDA approved treatment coupled with the lack of recognition, means that these young women are often isolated and live without answers.”

While POTS is incurable, there are lifestyle changes, support groups and treatments to help manage its symptoms.

For Joy Stockwell, attending the POTS group held by TMC Outpatient Therapy was a game changer. She attended the group for its full duration in 2023. It helped her connect with other POTS patients and get a big-picture idea of what living with POTS could look like.

 “The disease is so infrequently diagnosed, I hadn’t met any other patients before,” she said. “The class really helped me picture a future. That can be hard after a devastating diagnosis, especially for a stigmatized disease like POTS.”

She made sure to attend every session of the 8-week class to get the most out of it.

“The main medical benefit I took away from it was getting a big-picture idea of what my life could look like with accommodations in it,” she said. “A single session might teach me a few accommodations, but the full class really helped me figure out how to make my life overall work for me,” she said.

While many people living with POTS experience the condition differently, being able to bounce ideas off each other was helpful for Aimee Katz.

“Emily and Geneva put so much time and energy into the is class whether it be providing resources and answering questions to providing Pilates and making sure every single participant’s needs are met,” she said. “I would recommend this class to others who have POTS. It doesn’t matter if you are newly diagnosed or have been living with it for many years, there is always something new to learn.”

TMC Outpatient Therapy’s POTS research-backed program was built to foster connection, build community and provide options.

“I often compare the class to diabetes or arthritis education and self-management programs,” Rich said. “Multimodal POTS Group doesn't offer a cure, but it's a necessary step in supporting this community and improving quality of life. Even top experts and centers of excellence around the country have little to no resources for POTS. Every community deserves access to programming like this... I am just so grateful for the donors in the TMC Foundation and supportive TMC administrators that continue to push our community forward." 

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