Hello & Welcome To The Podcast!

Today, I'm joined by Eleanor & Jess from PelvicRelief where we'll be discussing all things microbiome and pelvic health, in conditions like fertility, UTIs, and menopausal health. We also explored the role of diet, probiotics, and specific Lactobacillus strains in maintaining vaginal health, and the challenges of prescribing beneficial supplements, emphasizing the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment.

We discussed the challenges and distressing nature of recurrent UTIs and other vulvovaginal infections, emphasizing the need for effective & multi-modal solutions to manage these conditions

We talked about the vaginal microbiome, emphasizing the importance of Lactobacillus dominance for maintaining an acidic environment, and explored common imbalances like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections, and their potential impact on fertility and overall health.

The conversation highlights the role of estrogen in maintaining vaginal health, particularly during peri-menopause and post-menopause. Jess and Eleanor stressed the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment, cautioning against overuse of over-the-counter medications. The discussion also touches on the relationship between the bladder and vaginal microbiomes, and the impact of cancer treatments on vaginal health, and much more!

For more info: make sure to visit pelvicrelief.co.uk and they are also on Instagram @pelvicrelief. I have much excitement about these products' potential to provide a more specific and bespoke approach to pelvic relief - looking forward to hearing more as the science continues to evolve!

If you'd like to learn more about women's health, from back pain to bowel health, menstrual to menopausal health, pelvic pain and femalecentric oncology rehab - all of my online courses are available at https://celebratemuliebrity.com/

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

Hello & Welcome to today's episode where we take a deep dive into sports medicine specific pelvic health. I'm delighted to chat with two friends and colleagues in New Zealand, Niamh Clerkin & Rebecca Dodson.

In this chat, we chat about how we can better meet the pelvic health needs of young female athletes and how we can spread the word more effectively

Niamh & Becs talk about their experience in getting involved with NZ netball, rugby & gymnastics - they have been working to improve pelvic health knowledge at both community and high performance levels. They shared what's worked well for them in terms of communication with both athletes and coaches and how to relate pelvic health to performance, relating pelvic health to sports injuries - not that different from managing calf strains!

They discussed enhancing communication skills for coaches, and always keeping the athlete's needs at the centre of their conversation

You can find the resource they developed at https://netballsmart.co.nz/component/nnzlibrary/download/080ae7a3e1f5000e11ba055c28a3a27e.html

You can also find information about the fabulous products Niamh & her colleagues have developed at https://nunatural.co/

Want to learn more about the young female athlete? About optimising menstrual health? Stay tuned for my NEW COURSE 'The Menstrual Detective' coming soon (and you'll get the 'Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete' FOR FREE. There will be special pre-launch pricing announcements soon...make sure you're following me on instagram for all the info (you can me on instagram as @michellelyons_muliebrity -

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx

Visit celebratemuliebrity.com for online course information

Hello & Welcome to this episode - it's just me this week, taking a look at what's new in the understanding, assessment & effective treatment of vulvodynia

All this week, I’ve been recording and uploading lectures and handouts and resources to the brand new vulvodynia module of my online Female Pelvic Pain Rehab course - and I wanted to share some of the highlights here in the podcast

The past 12 months have produced not only interest but clinically relevant research - it’s a great time to be working in pelvic pain rehab and one of my favourite things to do is to nerd out in the literature and see what’s clinically relevant

There’s been a nice mix, from case reports to systematic reviews with meta analyses - and I love to see a growing awareness of the importance of a multimodal (and always non-nociceptive!) approach, whether considering trauma informed assessment interviewing skills to what we need to add to the pelvic rehab treatment toolbox to a library of handouts we can give to our patients

Vulvodynia can be a scary diagnosis for both clinician and patient, so I want to take the fear factor away and create a paradigm or flowchart for clinical reasoning, from ruling out differential diagnoses to looking at what the evidence supports for treatment options (spoiler: it’s more than just using/ progression through a dilator set!)

If you’re already enrolled in the online Female Pelvic Pain course, you don’t need to do anything - everything is uploaded in the portal….and if you haven’t signed up yet…come and join us! Apart from vulvodynia, you can take a deep dive into endometriosis, IC/Bladder Pain Syndrome, Pelvic Neuralgias, Female Sexual Pain and more! All through a biopsychosocial, pelvic rehab meets lifestyle, evidence based approach!

All the details at CelebrateMuliebrity.com 🥳💗

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx

#celebratemuliebrity

From good communication to gait analysis - Matt Phillips is a friend and colleague who is one of the most thoughtful and curious therapists that I've had the pleasure of connecting with over the past few years. If you're in the UK, you'll be familiar with Matt via the Sports Therapy Association or TherapyExpo or perhaps you've been a fan of his podcast/youtube broadcasts. His passion is as a conduit of information and driving the therapy professions forward.

In today's chat, we discussed:

• the importance (and skill) of good communication
• running analysis (is pronation the devil?) and how this can enhance the therapeutic alliance
• why the rate of running related injuries isn't decreasing
• communicating with runners about behaviour change
• why we can't tell runners to 'just stop running' (because they won't)
• updating our frames of reference when new information becomes available - integrating lifestyle & cross training into running rehab
• are there differences between female and male runners?

and much much more! Matt really brings an evidence based and biopsychosocial approach to working with human beings who want to run but are in pain - make sure you're following him on instagram @runchatlive and you can find details of his courses and events - including the upcoming Hands on Hub STA conference happening in September in Exmouth (spoiler: I'll be there too, talking about Menstrual Health & Female Athletes). Hope to see lots of you there!

Want to learn more? My online courses on menstrual to menopausal health and everything in between, from pelvic and back pain, to breast/gynae cancer rehab, hysterectomy to bowel health - all through a femalecentric, biopsychosocial and evidence based lens -with immediately useful information. All the details can be found in my instagram bio (@michellelyons_muliebrity) or at my website, CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx

What can I say about today's guest? If you're working with postnatal women or female athletes, then Grainne Donnelly will be a familiar name to you. One of the busiest and most productive people in women's health - Grainne is a clinician, PhD researcher, educator, writer, editor of the POGP journal, business owner and mother of four!

In today's chat, we discussed lots of different topics under the postnatal umbrella, from diastasis to sport & exercise to compression garments and the importance of functional and clinically relevant research, with a nod to evolutionary development of the pelvic floor!

At Pelvicon last year, we got a glimpse into her PhD research looking at compression garments and the pelvic floor, so we get into the weeds with this today: compression garments - do they work? What should we consider when it comes to recommending them? Are they good for everyone?

Grainne, along with Emma Brockwell & Tom Goom, completely changed the conversation with the Return to Running Guidelines in 2019; the 6R Framework on Returning to Sport Postnatally (BJSM 2021), her chapter on pelvic health in sports medicine, her 2025 paper on rugby & pelvic health - you can find all of her recent publications here

I'm a huge GD fan - it really is hard to think of someone who has done more to advance the evidence base for postnatal recovery from a physio perspective, so if you get the chance to learn from her - grab it!

Grainne's online courses are available at absolute.physio and they are on sale for the summer - you can find her on instagram as @absolute.physio and she will be teaching a precon at Pelvicon about real time ultrasound in pelvic rehab and of course, the book she's editing on Pelvic Health in Sports Medicine will be out in April 2026

Want to take a deeper dive into women's health, from the comfort of home, and at your own pace? All of my online courses, from Female Hormonal Health to Hysterectomy Rehab, Breast/Gynae & Bladder/Bowel Oncology Rehab to Female Pelvic Pain, Bowel Health to Back Pain - all of the info is at CelebrateMuliebrity.com or follow along on Instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity

Until next time, Mx (and don't forget to celebrate muliebrity!)

Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the podcast, which is not suitablefor younger ears!

I am delighted to chat with Talli Rosenbaum, a pioneer in both pelvic rehab and latterly in psychosexual health. I have had the pleasure of knowing Talli for many years; I took one of my first psychosexual trainings with her in Cambridge a decade ago. Talli initially worked as a PT in the US before changing directions and becoming a leader in psychosexual therapy, both clinically and from a research perspective.

In this conversation we talked about the similarities, overlaps and also the differences in the two professions, and how setting boundaries for ourselves clinically and professionally can benefit not only the people we work with, but also our own professional stress levels.

We also talked about various topics related to sexual health, pelvic rehabilitation, and trauma-informed care, emphasizing the importance of a more psychologically informed approach in these fields.

We also explored the complexities of working with patients, particularly those experiencing pelvic floor issues, and the need for additional psychological support. The conversation also included discussions on the importance of sexual health and intimacy for cancer patients, as well as the changes in intimacy and libido after childbirth

Talli talked about how pelvic health physiotherapists often have stronger interpersonal skills and empathy, which can lead to boundary challenges - and while we must be psychologically informed, we don’t have to do it all by ourselves - multidisciplinary care is gold!

Talli has lots of great resources on her website, tallirosenbaum.com and you can find her on instagram as well - I’m there too as @michellelyons_muliebrity

Want to learn more about female sexual health, managing dyspareunia, contraception & fertility? I’ve got a course for that! All of my online courses, from female pelvic pain to menstrual through menopausal health, oncology rehab to bowel health & femalecentric approaches to back pain, can be found at my website, CelebrateMuliebrity.com. If you’re a pelvic health clinician, make sure you’re part of the conversation in my facebook group, Global Pelvic Physio - we have rich clinical conversations with pelvic health nerds from all over the world - over 11k of us!

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

In today’s conversation , I have the pleasure of chatting with the phenomenal Dr Margie Davenport about her research, and driving the conversation forward to support female athletes in their pregnancy and postpartum journey.

• ​We talked about Margie's journey as an athlete herself, to pursuing research particularly in the realm of postpartum physical activity
• ​We also discussed the importance of creating a safe space for women to engage in physical activity postpartum, emphasizing the mental health benefits and the need to normalize exercise rather than pathologize postnatal recovery.
• ​Margie highlighted the evolution of guidelines and recommendations, with the consensus statement providing a more comprehensive approach to physical activity postpartum. Margie clarified that there are no absolute contraindications to exercise postpartum, only relative contraindications that require consultation with a healthcare provider.
• ​we also discussed the benefits of physical activity for pelvic floor health and mental health, and the importance of empowering women to take control of their health, as well as
• ​Exercise & Pain Management in Pregnancy
• ​Sleep, Physical Activity & Mental Health
• ​Postpartum Recovery & Exercise Timing

And much, much more! Here’s the link to the BJSM issue Margie edited in April 2025: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/8

You can follow Margie on instagram at @exerciseandpregnancy and I’m there too @michellelyons_muliebrity

Want to learn more about supporting female athletes in the journey from menstrual through maternal and into menopause? My online Female Hormonal Health Masterclass is loaded with evidence based strategies to help you help women live well - you can find all of my online courses at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

See you next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx

He's Back! I had the pleasure of interviewing Bill Taylor a little while ago - ostensibly to talk about pudendal neuralgia...except we got sidetracked into an extensive discussion about male pelvic health. However, we did promise to re-convene and discuss Pudendal Neuralgia and here we are!

In this conversation we talked about all the angles and our joint consensus is that most of the problems that are attributed to pudendal neuralgia are actually...not that

In this conversation:

• ​we talked about the potential for misdiagnosis (and gaslighting)
• ​how the other nerves in the pelvis are often overlooked
• ​the importance of considering the whole person, including an assessment of their movement, their sciatic mobility, nutrition and sleep; we also explored the importance of a nuanced pelvic floor approach, taking things like constipation, breathing and inflammation into account
• ​we paid respects to the complexity of persistent pelvic pain, and how systems are dynamic and interconnected - and the importance of listening to what’s really important to the person in front of us, and giving them knowledge, agency and support

This is NOT a short conversation - but no apologies as we really wanted to give a comprehensive overview of assessment and treatment strategies for this often intimidating diagnosis - hopefully you’ll think we did a good job!

Bill is an absolute superstar and one of my favourite colleagues and friends - I love the way he thinks and his openness to lateral thinking and exploration - Bill is doing a post-con at Pelvicon and you can find all his info at billtaylor.com

💗💗💗

Want to learn more about helping people manage pelvic pain diagnoses like pudendal neuralgia, vulvodynia, IC/bladder pain syndrome, menstrual pain and endometriosis? AND save some money? You have until the end of June to use the code RESEARCH75 at checkout on ANY of my online courses, from menopause to breast/ pelvic oncology, back pain to bowel health, hysterectomy to sexual health - all through a femalecentric lens! All of the course info and registration can be found at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time: Onwards and Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity 🥳

Hello & Welcome to this episode - all about scar therapy after c-sections!

My guest today is Hannah Poulton, women's health physio who is embarking on the fun and easy road to a PhD, all about postnatal scars. It should be noted that C-sections, the most common surgery worldwide, often require additional care due to the responsibility of caring for a newborn, after major abdominal surgery!

In our conversation, we discussed the available evidence to support scar therapy after a C section

Our conversation also covered various aspects of scar management, including manual therapy, movement, nutrition, sleep, and hydration, emphasising that scar treatment is part of a broader recovery process (lots of clinical pearls here!)

We explored how scar tissue can affect pelvic health and bladder function, with Hannah noting that even old scars can benefit from treatment.

Hannah is developing a questionnaire to standardise scar mobilisation techniques and shared that while research evidence is limited, there is documentation supporting the use of mobilisation and desensitisation for scar tissue.

Hannah emphasises the importance of scar therapy in holistic treatment protocols, discussing various aspects of scar management and its impact on physical and emotional well-being

Hannah discussed her upcoming Scar Symposium on November 15th at the Birmingham NEC, which will include research collaboration and teamwork focused on benefits for patients. You can find Hannah on instagram as @hlptherapy and her website HLP-therapy.co.uk) and she has requested as many questionnaire responses by the end of June as possible please!

Want to learn more about women's health AND save money? All of my online courses, from Menstrual, Maternal & Menopausal Health to Oncology Rehab, Bowel Health or Back Pain through a femalecentric lens are on sale this month - just remember use the code RESEARCH75 at checkout to save €75! Visit celebratemuliebrity.com for all the deets!

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards, Mx #celebratemuliebrity

Hi everyone and welcome to this episode, where I had the pleasure of chatting with physiotherapist, Rachael Kuik ,who has published the amazing 'Dancing Beyond' perinatal guidelines for female dancers and the healthcare professionals who serve them - an exciting development at the intersection of pelvic health and dance medicine

In this episode we discuss the intersection of pelvic health and the athletic needs of the perinatal dancer, the challenges and solutions in addressing the pelvic health needs within the dance community, including the need for multidisciplinary care, especially when considering prevalent issues including hypermobility and REDs, which will impact pelvic health.

Rachael emphasises the importance of desensitising dancers to open discussions about these issues and provide them with educational resources, as well as discussing the importance of understanding the potential issues dancers may face, from pregnancy, through labour & delivery and the timing of postnatal return to exercise and dance.

Lots of clinical pearls here with immediately applicable strategies, that we could actually apply to all female athletes!

The guidelines & infographic that have been produced will be great resources for dancers, and can be accessed at Rachel's website, rachaelkuik.com/dancingbeyond

Want to learn more about helping postnatal women return to exercise? There's a whole module on maternal health in my online course, Female Hormonal Health Masterclass, which also covers Menstrual and Menopausal Health - AND if you use the code RESEARCH75 at checkout, you can save €75 AND get evergreen access!! All of the course info is at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Thanks for being here and as always, subscribing to follow the podcast and leaving a review is much appreciated! Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity