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

What a treat this conversation was for me! I had the pleasure of listening to the fabulous Prof Angie Doshani at the POGP conference in Edinburgh in September - she absolutely rocked the stage and gave an intensely thought provoking presentation on the importance of personalising pelvic health, taking into account cultural, ethnic, religious and language considerations.

In this conversation, we talked about:

• Culturally Sensitive Pelvic Health Support
• Clinical Communication Strategies for Pelvic Pain
• Patient Self-Assessment for Diverse Care
• Supporting Women in Culturally Appropriate Pelvic Health Spaces
• Enhancing Medical Communication with Technology
• and much more!

As well as being a consultant obstetrican/gynaecologist, Angie is a researcher, professor and a driver of change, as well as the developer of the Janam app, which is leading the way in developing a digital knowledge base to support women's perinatal pelvic health, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way (currently available in English & 6 other languages).

I don't say this lightly but this may have been one of my favourite conversations on the podcast - thought provoking, challenging and inspirational. Let me know what you think!

(and just a reminder...if you're listening to this podcast in December...you can use the code PF75 on any (all!) of my online courses, from female pelvic pain, to oncology, from menstrual to menopausal health, bowel health to back pain...but only until Dec31st! All of the course info is on my website CelebrateMuliebrity.com or follow along for my continuing adventures in women's health on instagram (@michellelyons_muliebrity) or...my online group for women's health clinicians on Facebook, Global Pelvic Physio

Thanks for listening, let me know what YOU think and until next time...Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Welcome to today's episode where I had the pleasure of chatting with Anna Maria Mazzieri about the intersection of manual therapy in the treatment of pain, a biopsychosocial approach and working through a trauma informed lens

👉We talked about the role of touch in helping people reclaim their body schema, moving from disembodiment to embodiment, how trauma, especially Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs), can cause and perpetuate persistent pain

👉Why manual therapy shouldn't be a nociceptive input but rather a strategy for helping people reframe their relationship with their bodies, particularly when they have widespread chronic pain

👉What happens when we touch people in a therapeutic environment

👉We also talked about the 'how' of why manual therapy works and how we can explain it to the people we are working with, with compassion AND with evidence based, trauma informed viewpoint (no more hurting people!)

👉’Touch is sensory evidence of you being YOU’

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Anna Maria teaches at the ST School in the UK (@theist school on instagram) - she offers both in person and online classes - highly recommended!

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And a reminder that my Winter Sale is now on - use the code PF75 at checkout to save €75 at checkout on ALL of the online course at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time, Onwards and Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello and welcome to today's episode where I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Erin Locati, where we talk about all things peripartum, especially in the context of high risk pregnancies

Erin is an acute care physical therapist in Texas, specialising in pelvic care for high-risk pregnancy patients.

In this conversation, we discussed the criteria and complications associated with high-risk pregnancies. We also explored exercise recommendations for high-risk pregnant patients, the challenges of managing stress in obstetrics, and the importance of person-centered care and documentation in peripartum care.

Topics included:

High-Risk Pregnancy Care Planning

High-Risk Pregnancy Myths Debunked

Guidelines for Safe Pregnancy Exercise

Evidence-Based Obstetrics Communication Strategies

Medical Deviation and Legal Implications

Postpartum Care and Social Support

Peripartum Care and Patient Connection

And more!!

You can find Erin on instagram as @erinlocati_pt (and I’m there too @michellelyons_muliebrity)

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Want to learn more about Perinatal Pelvic Rehab? And save €100? Today (Sunday) is the last day of the opening weekend of my Winter Sale - use the code thanks100 at checkout 🥳🥳🥳

All the course info is at CelebrateMuliebrity.com or send me a DM on instagram

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hello and welcome to today's conversation with Andrew McCauley, a clinical specialist physiotherapist in lower limb/strength & conditioning, from Ireland and now based in the UK

In today's conversation, we talk about Andrew's journey as a physio, a coach and an educator, teaching therapists how to communicate effectively, especially around integrating strength and conditioning principles into rehab (and why I think he's a covert pelvic physio...)

We talked about the importance of being a good communicator, especially when working with people in pain, building trust and creating a safe space, for discussing sensitive topics such as pelvic health.

We also explored the principles of strength and conditioning, focusing on the importance of understanding concepts like stability and progressive overload. Andrew talked about how easy it can be for us to overlook the basics, but how we can effectively conduct strength training exercises without equipment, highlighting the need for effort and proper rest (we also discussed how we can intersect the worlds of pelvic health and strength training)

We discussed exercise prescription strategies, how to adapt exercises based on patient characteristics and goals and how to get really good at asking better questions...as well as Therapist Anxiety Syndrome (you'll have to listen to find out more!)

Andrew is all about empowering patients through clear goal setting and enhancing physio education and practice - I'm excited to be a student on Andrew's upcoming course, integrating coaching principles with strength and conditioning principles. His course in Ireland will be in beautiful Sligo but he teaches all over the UK as well - all the details on his instagram @procaresports

Here’s the link to the paper Andrew mentioned: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37414459/

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Want to learn more about helping women at every age and stage? My online courses, from The Menstrual Detective to Perinatal Pelvic Health to The Menopausal Toolbox, Breast Cancer to Pelvic Oncology, Back Pain to Bowel Function are all available at CelebrateMuliebrity.com and you can follow my continuing adventure in women's health on instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx

What happens when we combine MSK and Pelvic physio perspectives? You end up with a great conversation about female hip health - covering puberty, postpartum and perimenopause! In today's episode, I'm joined by hip specialist, Benoy Mathew, to chat about female hip health at every age and stage! Benoy is a physiotherapist based in London, and we discussed the unique challenges and presentations of hip and groin issues in female patients, highlighting the significant gender disparities in diagnosis and treatment

We explored strategies for managing running-related injuries in female athletes, emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition, load management, and collaboration between different healthcare professionals. The discussion also covered postnatal running challenges, gluteal tendinopathy, and hip tendinopathy, highlighting the need for comprehensive care that considers both physical and pelvic health aspects.

We also talked about:

• • why we need to continue raising awareness about early identification of hip pathologies in women
  • why we need to incorporate pelvic health screening in hip and groin assessments
  • the promotion of education on the importance of cross-screening between MSK and pelvic health specialists 
  • asking the 5th question about menstrual cycle regularity when assessing female athletes for potential bone stress injuries
  • Benoy's five key questions for female runners with hip and groin pain
  • education about the importance of multidirectional sports before age 20 for bone health in females
  • and much more!

You can find and follow Benoy on social media @function2fitness and his courses are available at Clinical Edge and PhysioTutors

And if you'd like more info about optimising female health at every age and stage, whether you're interested in the young female athlete (check out The Menstrual Detective), supporting women in their perinatal year (visit Perinatal Pelvic Rehab) or if helping women live well before, during & after menopause is your passion, the Flourish! The Menopausal Toolbox might be a good fit for you! All of the course info is at CelebrateMuliebrity.com or find me on instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity

To celebrate the launch of the new Perinatal Pelvic Rehab course, I'm excited to share this exciting & empowering conversation with Dr Jessica Gingerich about working with women in pregnancy & postpartum from an evidence based perspective

We discussed the new guidelines, how you CAN lift more than 20 lbs, you CAN run, when do you really need to pull back...and more?

We emphasised the need for healthcare providers to be updated on current research guidelines and the benefits of aerobic & resistance training (moving beyond yellow theraband!) during pregnancy, and the recent paper that she was a co-author on:Resistance training in pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis of pregnancy, delivery, fetal and pelvic floor outcomes and call to action (Prevett et al 2025)

We also discussed the prevalence of pelvic health issues among young female athletes, highlighting the need for increased awareness and screening, and emphasized the importance of educating athletes about their bodies and the implications of energy deficiency in sports, particularly for menstrual health.

We talked about the importance of appropriate pelvic floor muscle training, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that includes both strength and flexibility. We also explored the societal conditioning around discussing and training the pelvic floor, noting how cultural norms and sexual education influence perceptions, as well as the importance of applying common sense and individualized approaches when training pregnant individuals, advocating for appropriate dosing and modifications based on the person's condition rather than following a rigid program.

We highlighted the need for coaches to be attuned to clients' symptoms and to adjust training intensity and progression accordingly, especially during pregnancy when hormonal and physical changes can impact performance and recovery. Make sure you're following Jess @jessicagingerichdpt on instagram too!Are you fired up about working with perinatal clients yet?! Join me in the new Perinatal Pelvic Rehab course, available now, for evidence based strategies to help women live well before, during & after pre-conception to pregnancy to postpartum...and beyond! All of the details are on CelebrateMuliebrity.com and you can find out more about all of my adventures in women's health on instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity

Thanks for being here & see you next time!

Onwards & Upwards, Mx #celebratemuliebrity

The Podcast Has Returned! After a brief hiatus, we're back with a great conversation on musculoskeletal health at menopause - does MHT make a difference to tendon health?

In this episode, we discussed:

• Rachael's paper & research on tendons and menopause, comparing exercise, education and MHT for GTPS aka gluteal tendinopathy
• the role of oestrogen & inflammation in musculoskeletal care
• how current research has a focus on oestrogen, but how the roles of testosterone & progesterone are being increasingly investigated




Rachael is doing great work as both a clinician and researcher and is really highlighting how menopausal tendons are different, the roles of hormones but also of inflammation and the impact of overweight/obesity. She makes complex science understandable and applicable and I can't wait to see where her research takes us in the future! You can follow her progress in this area on ResearchGate.

Want to learn more about the intersection of hormonal health and musculoskeletal health at menopause? My brand new Menopause course is available NOW! (and when you sign up you'll get the Hysterectomy Rehab to Rehab course FOR FREE!) All of the details to sign up are at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Lots of great episodes coming up over the next few weeks, on hip health, REDs, exercise in pregnancy and more - make sure you're subscribed (a rating & review is always appreciated!) and follow me on instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity for all the latest on my adventures in women's health

Until next time,

Onwards & Upwards,

Mx

#celebratemuliebrity

Hello and Welcome to this week's episode with the inimitable Julie Wiebe!

Julie has been in this space for a long time and has done so much to advance the importance of looking at pelvic health from a systems approach.

In this conversation:

Julie shared her journey from sports medicine to pelvic floor therapy, emphasizing her mission to integrate pelvic health into broader fitness and athletic contexts.

She highlighted the importance of breath strategies and coordination in movement, and discussed her academic work to improve clinical understanding and research quality in pelvic health.

Julie recently attended the Female Athlete Conference in Boston, where she noted an explosion of interest and research in the field, particularly in perinatal care and female athlete health.

She also discussed the need for better screening methods for conditions like RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), as traditional menstrual cycle screening may not be reliable.We also talked about the importance of early detection and prevention of pelvic health issues in athletes, emphasizing the need to move beyond the current screening and referral paradigm. We agreed on the necessity of educating coaches, athletes, and medical teams at various levels to normalize conversations around pelvic health at every age and stage, as well as the need for a more nuanced, multidisciplinary approach to treating pelvic health issues, incorporating factors like biomechanics, hormones, and individualized treatment plans... and much much more!

Julie is on instagram as @juliewiebept and you can find all of her course info at juliewiebept.com.

Want to take a deeper dive and become a Menstrual Detective? My latest course is live now, and does a deep dive into the MC and what can go wrong...and what we're going to do about it! And...when you sign up now...you'll get access to the new course 'Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete' FOR FREE when it goes live in December! You can find all of the course info on my instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity or at me website CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time,

Onwards & Upwards, Mx!

Hello & Welcome! In today's episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Suzanne Carney, who is a brilliant pelvic physio, with a special interest in breast health. I had the pleasure of meeting Suzanne about 10 years ago wgen I was teaching in Perth, Australia, and now we have the pleasure of having Suzanne living, working & teaching in Ireland.

We covered a LOT of ground in this chat, including:

• Genitourinary Syndrome of Lactation
• Return to exercise postnatally - when you're breastfeeding
• Breast health - what's our role?
• Spotting the signs of blockage/infection in breastfeeding women
• The rehab toolbox for breast health - manual therapy, modalities, lymphatic taping and more
• breastfeeding and fertility
• pelvic health for children, teenagers...and teachers!

Suzanne has a fantastic combination of clinical experience and evidence based practice to support whole person health, and she has some great courses coming up, on breast health, prolapse management and paediatric continence - you can find her on instagram as @anatomy_physiotherapy

If you're listening to this on the day it drops, you may have heard that The Menstrual Detective is now live and is available with pre-launch pricing...but the price goes up September 1st! (and don't forget you'll get access to the course 'Pelvic Health for The Young Female Athlete this December !) All of the details are on my instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity or visit CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx! #celebratemuliebrity