Hello & Welcome to the latest episode of the podcast where I'm delighted to welcome back Grainne Donnelly, this time to chat about her new book, Sports Medicine & The Pelvic Floor, Science to Practice, which will be available April 1st.

In this episode, we talked about why we need a book about female athletes and their pelvic health - if you're working in this space you'll have seen the surge in research in the female athlete, especially in the realm of the menstrual cycle, but of course, there's so much more to pelvic health - cue Grainne's great new book!

Gráinne is a pelvic health physiotherapist and doctoral researcher, and she has edited this comprehensive 24-chapter book featuring contributions from leading experts including Dr Jenny LaCrosse, Dr John Delancey, Dr Sula Windgassen, Dr Sinead Dufour, Fiona Rogers, SJ McDonnell, Julie Wiebe and the legendary Kari Bo and many (many!) more

The book covers topics ranging from evolutionary aspects to clinical assessment and treatment approaches, from bladder, bowel, prolapse, with a focus on making research knowledge more accessible to sports medicine clinicians as well as the lived experience of the clinicians that serve them.

In this chat, Gráinne explained that the book was designed to be a practical addition to not only clinicians' libraries, but also for coaches and the athletes themselves, particularly for sports medicine teams who may not initially consider pelvic health as part of their remit. She also highlighted the inclusion of chapters on differential diagnoses by Dr. Helen McKeever and practical tools like videos and QR codes for patient outcome measures.

If you haven't ordered the book yet, you can sign up to Grainne's website, sportsmedicineand the pelvic floor. com (and there may even be a discount code available there too! ;) - it is also available from all good booksellers and free shipping if you order it directly from the publishers Elsevier

I can't wait to get my copy and I'm sure it will spark many conversations and challenge and support how we work to serve the pelvic health needs of the female athlete

And if you'd like to take a deep dive into the pelvic health needs of female athletes, you might also like my online course, The Menstrual Detective, which include the course Pelvic Rehab for the Young Female Athlete which covers it all in depth! As with all of my online women's health courses, the details can be found at my website CelebrateMuliebrity.com

As always, thanks for being here - make sure you're following the podcast so you don't miss an episode! (and reviews are always appreciated too!)

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello and welcome to this episode of the podcast, where I'm having a conversation with my friend and colleague, Megan Jackson, all about how to have the pain neuroscience conversation - and how to do it well!

Megan has created an amazing resource, The Pain Deck, which is a book and educational deck of cards, and we're taking a deep dive today into how clinicians can hone their skills when it comes to pain education

In our conversation today, we talked about:

• ​pain science education and patient engagement
• ​validating the personal pain experience: language and tools to use
• ​the evolution of pain management in physiotherapy
• ​ clinician approaches for nociplastic pain management

and much, much more! You can find Megan on instagram @the_pain_deck along with how to purchase the book/cards

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And if you’d like to take a deep dive into the biopsychosocial management of persistent pelvic pain, my online course, Female Pelvic Pain Rehab, is available at CelebrateMuliebrity.com along with all of my other online courses

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Until next time! Onwards & Upwards, Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello and Welcome! In today's episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Sula Windgassen, health psychologist, psychotherapist and author of one of my favourite new books, 'It's All In Your Body', which explores the conversation between mind, body and environment and how that can influence and sustain pain and poor health

In today's conversation, we discussed lots of different threads, including the intersection of psychology and physiology in health care, particularly for pelvic pain and bladder/bowel conditions.

We explored the Power Threat Meaning Framework, stress management, and goal-setting approaches, emphasising the importance of process goals rather than solely focusing on pain elimination.

Sula shared her personal health journey and explained how health psychology differs from clinical psychology, and we both highlighted the need for integrated care between psychologists and physiotherapists.

We discussed the complexities of stress, particularly how it relates to endometriosis and the challenges faced by those with persistent pelvic pain, and explored how stress can be a stressor, an automatic response, and an action, emphasising the need to differentiate between these concepts to avoid self-blame and stigma.

Sula explained that stressors can be external or internal, and automatic stress responses can be psychological or physiological, highlighting the importance of understanding these distinctions to better support individuals experiencing stress-related issues.

Sula's book explores the intersection of biology and psychology in pain management, particularly relevant to women's health issues, such as bladder dysfunction, IBS and persistent pelvic pain. For anyone who has ever worried that their pain neuroscience education has floundered, and the people that we are working with are left with the feeling 'they think this is all in my head' - this book will give you the tools to counteract that fear!

We also discussed the upcoming release of Grainne Donnelly's new book, Sports Medicine & the Pelvic Floor, to which we've both contributed - a great time for book loving pelvic health nerds, for sure!

If you'd like to learn more about Female Pelvic Pain Rehab, my online course is available, alongside all of my other online courses, at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx #celebratemuliebrity

I'm so pleased to share this conversation with high performance rehab specialist, SJ McDonnell, who is leading the charge to integrate pelvic health into sports medicine at Sport Ireland.

Our paths crossed many (many) years ago but we reconnected when SJ and I started having conversations about how to bring pelvic health into high performance sports - how to bring expertise into this field in a thoughtful way.

We discussed lots of different ways to empower and educate athletes, coaches & medical staff about assessing and managing pelvic health conditions, including:

the importance of the MC in sports & the challenges of bringing a nuanced approach to menstrual health

the level of information about pelvic health that is available to athletes

the difficulty with the diagnosis and management of LEA or dysmenorrhea in athletes who have limited access to medical appointments

that athletes may not seek help for a variety of reasons

and how a one size fits all approach to menstrual health is not a good strategy & how more training & understanding are required to improve the skills practitioners need to better support female athletes

Ultimately, there is a definite need to do a better job at integrating pelvic health into sport at every level, with the inclusion of psychological health into this domain as well, as there is a complex interplay between physical performance and mental wellbeing. SJ is leading a great team at Sport Ireland and is driving the conversation about creating a safe space for athletes to discuss menstrual & pelvic health. She shared how this approach has worked well for other issues such as sleep management for elite athlete and the lessons that could be applied in educating and involving athletes, coaches and medical support staff to develop an evidence based and fit for purpose approach to athletic pelvic health.

Can't wait to see how this all evolves under SJ's leadership at Sport Ireland and beyond!

and if YOU would like to learn more about menstrual health and the pelvic health needs of the younger female athlete, then The Menstrual Detective course could be exactly what you need - it comes with free (evergreen!) access to the mini course 'Pelvic Health for the Younger Female Athlete' and you can find all the details, along with all my other online courses, at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello & Welcome to Today's Episode about all things Female Athlete with my friend and colleague, Ros Cooke. I had the pleasure of seeing Ros present on this topic at the POGP conference in Edinburgh last October.

In today's episode, we discussed

• pelvic health in sports
• the 6Rs framework for postpartum athletes and its application to broader pelvic health considerations. (Donnelly et al 2022 Reframing return-to-sport postpartum: the 6 Rs framework)
• we also explored how pelvic floor dysfunction can contribute to groin pain in athletes and emphasized the importance of integrating pelvic health into mainstream sports medicine practice.
• The conversation also covered ACL injury prevention in female athletes, with Ros highlighting that while hormonal factors may play a role, they are just one aspect among many including biomechanics, training environment, and overall athlete resilience.
• We both agreed that successful injury prevention programs need to be purposeful, meaningful, and integrated across all aspects of an athlete's training and lifestyle, with pelvic health being an essential component of this holistic approach.




I love needing out with clever people at this intersection of hormonal, pelvic & musculoskeletal health - and I think Ros is doing amazing things in this space to improve education, awareness and outcomes - you can find her on instagram @rosralph - you can find my continuing adventures in women's health there too @michellelyons_muliebrity

And...if you'd like to learn more about menstrual health AND pelvic health for young female athletes - you might enjoy my latest online course, 'The Menstrual Detective' and you'll get the mini course 'Pelvic Health for the Younger Female Athlete' FOR FREE!!! all the details can be found at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx

Hello & Welcome to today's episode, where I'm chatting with Dr Melissa Davidson about prolapse, avulsions and pessaries!

My guest today is a specialist physiotherapist in pelvic health, and we discussed her career journey, including her specialization in pelvic health in New Zealand, where she is the only registered specialist. She highlighted her expertise in advanced clinical practice, research, and leadership within the profession. Melissa also shared her experience conducting research in bioengineering at Auckland University, which revealed that physiotherapists' assessments of muscle tone and stiffness lack objective measurement methods, challenging traditional practices in the field...

We discussed the importance of evidence-based practice in pelvic health physiotherapy, particularly regarding prolapse and pain management. Melissa shared her experience conducting a PhD in bioengineering, which challenged many accepted beliefs in physiotherapy and highlighted the need to think outside traditional silos.

Melissa shared her experience developing and using a 3D model named Lily for patient education, discovering its effectiveness in helping patients understand complex medical concepts. She discussed her collaboration with bioengineers, noting that while the engineers were initially skeptical about her approach, they eventually recognized the value of her clinical perspective

We explored the diagnosis of levator avulsion and emphasized that a definitive diagnosis should not be made before 6-12 months postpartum, and we highlighted the importance of careful wording when communicating with patients about this condition, as the diagnosis can be devastating and there is currently no surgical fix.

Melissa discussed her approach to pessary management and training for physiotherapists, emphasizing the importance of medical clearance and speculum exams for assessing mucosal integrity. She explained the assessment process for avulsion injuries, including the use of a training model and peer-to-peer learning. Melissa also highlighted the need for informed decision-making during pregnancy regarding delivery options, advocating for patient autonomy and open discussions about birth plans.

We definitely agreed on the importance of using validated research and scientific terminology, rather than relying on subjective assessments or unproven treatments.

This was definitely a deep and rich conversation, that I really enjoyed...and I hope you will too!

Want to learn more about prolapse and other perinatal pelvic health issues, from a whole woman, evidence based, clinical reasoning from assessment to management perspective? And do it all online, with evergreen access to the course AND a private fb support group? Look no further! My new online course, Perinatal Pelvic Rehab, has you covered, from preconception through pregnancy to postpartum (including what we need to be aware of when someone is postnatal AND perimenopausal! - if you work with perinatal women aged 35+, you need to know this!). Visit CelebrateMuliebrity.com for all the course info!

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx

Hello & Welcome to the Podcast!

Today's episode is brought to you by my online course 'The Menstrual Detective' which also includes 'Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete'

This could be my favourite episode of 2026 (and yes, I know it's very early in the year to call it - but this chat is THAT GOOD!)

Today I'm delighted to chat with Dr Jenny LaCross and Dr Laurel Proulx about their super paper that appeared in the Autumn issue of the POGP, called 'Exploring the connection between the hip and pelvic floor in women with exercise-induced urinary incontinence: integrating clinical hypotheses with current evidence'

In this episode, we explore:

• the relationship between the hip and the pelvic floor (what is actually happening - this may surprise you...)
• exercise induced incontinence, especially in nulliparous athletes
• the other variables we have to consider, including REDs and Hypermobility
• the Pudendal nerve and its role in SUI




and much much more!! These researchers are creating conversations that are literally changing how we think about pelvic health - I can't wait to see where they go to next!

You can find Jenny on instagram as @jenn.lacross and Laurel is there too as @dr.laurelproulx - and of course you can follow my continuing adventures in women's health there too @michellelyons_muliebrity

If you'd like to learn more about how menstrual health and hormonal health and incontinence all intertwine, particularly for our younger female clients...then check out my online course, The Menstrual Detective, which includes the course Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete - all of the details for all of the courses can be found at CelebrateMuliebrity.com.

Until next time,

Onwards & Upwards! Mx

(and don't forget to #celebratemuliebrity!)

Hello & Welcome to today's conversation where I'm continuing the GLP1 conversation - this time I'm exploring the role of these meds in managing inflammation, MCAS, POTS, ME/CFS and the intersection of all of this with menopause and ageing.

I first got interested in this topic when I was creating my new online menopause course (Flourish! The Menopausal Toolbox) and I took a deep dive into inflammaging and menopause and nutrition, movement, stress management & lifestyle approaches (as well as pelvic rehab, obvs!)

I did a post on social media and Jessica responded and...here we are! Jessica has been in this space for a long time and brings a really interesting perspective and of course the evidence to support it too!

You can find her on social media as @jessrdrummond and of course at The Integrative Women's Health Institute

Want to learn more about this? There's a whole module on inflammaging in my online menopause course, including the research on GLP1 meds at menopause - along with other modules on musculoskeletal, metabolic and of course on pelvic health too!

All of the details (of ALL my online women's health courses) are at CelebrateMuliebrity.com or follow my continuing adventures in women's health on instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity

Until next time,

Onwards & Upwards! Mx

and don't forget to #celebratemuliebrity

Hello & Welcome to 2026 and the 100th episode of the podcast!! I'm excited and grateful to have reached this milestone and for all of the great conversations I've had with brilliant and clever clinicians and researchers - and I have some very exciting episodes coming up, with topics including prolapse, periods, female athletes, urinary incontinence, lumbopelvic pain and more!

Today, its all about GLP1 meds & what we need to consider when it comes to women's health from weight loss, inflammation, musculoskeletal and pelvic health and the particular implications for menopause as well

It is an exciting time to be working in women's health - how we can play a role in women's health & wellness & longevity, incorporating pelvic health as a strong foundation we can build on (and if you're NOT excited about working in women's health...you might be doing it wrong - but I've got a course for that - problem solved, just visit CelebrateMuliebrity.com )

I hope you'll consider joining me, either for the full Flourish! Menopausal Toolbox, where we deeply discuss the intersection of menopause, ageing & inflammation or with Pelvic Floor University for my class with them this Friday - you can join me live (and ask questions!) or access the recording afterwards

do let me know if YOU have a specific women's health topic you'd like me to cover on the podcast - you know me, any excuse to nerd out!! (bonus points if it includes constipation ;)

I hope you have a happy and healthy 2026 - I'm excited to continue the women's health evidence based conversation, both in all of my online courses, at upcoming live events and of course here on the podcast

See you next time

Onwards & Upwards! Mx

(and don't forget to celebrate muliebrity!)

Welcome to today's episode, with my friend & colleague, Dr Carina Siracusa

In today's  conversation, we focused on discussing dysautonomia and its implications for pelvic health, as well as the role of the autonomic system, the overlap of issues including POTS, MCAS & hEDS…and of course we talked about bowel health (shocker!) and the chapter we wrote on GI dysfunction in female athletes for Grainne Donnelly’s new book ‘Sports Medicine & the Pelvic Floor’ which is coming out in early 2026 (available for pre-order now!)

In this conversation:

• ​we explored how dysautonomia manifests in pelvic floor dysfunction, bladder and bowel issues, and its connection to conditions like POTS and EDS.
• ​The conversation covered diagnostic approaches, medical management strategies, and the importance of considering the autonomic nervous system in pelvic health treatment.
• ​We also discussed the broader role of physiotherapy in addressing both physical and mental health aspects, emphasising the need for therapists to recognise when to refer patients to other specialists while maintaining their scope of practice.
• ​The discussion highlighted the evolving nature of physical therapy practice and the profession's growing recognition of the importance of mental health and lifestyle factors in patient care…and much more!

You can find Carina on Instagram as @carinadpt and of course you can find me there too as @michellelyons_physio

If you’re listening to this before the end of December, a reminder that my winter sale is still on for a few more days - you can use the code PF75 for a €75 discount on any of my online courses - all the details are at CelebrateMuliebrity.com 🥳🥳🥳

Wishing you all the happiest of festive seasons! Mx and of course, Onwards and Upwards for 2026!! #celebratemuliebrity