The Hole Shebang

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  103: Menopause Joint Pain: Why Everything Aches and What Helps with Michelle Lyons 10.09.2026 43мин

  Menopause joint pain is more common than hot flushes, yet most women have never been told the two are connected. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, pelvic health physiotherapist Kristen Parise talks with Michelle Lyons, the Irish chartered physiotherapist behind Celebrate Muliebrity, about the musculoskeletal side of the menopause transition: why joints, tendons and muscles ache when estrogen falls, which perimenopause symptoms start before periods stop, what protects brain health and bone density, and how vaginal estrogen plus pelvic floor physiotherapy changes bladder symptoms, comfort and confidence. Michelle has spent 30 years in women's health, teaches clinicians worldwide and hosts the Celebrate Muliebrity podcast, which passed 100 episodes this year. This episode is brought to you by kGoal. Shop kGoal smart pelvic floor trainers at blueberrytherapyshop.ca. and use kGoal15 to save 15%. In This Episode [02:43] The symptoms nobody connects to menopause: hip pain, rotator cuff trouble and back pain, and why they beat hot flushes for prevalence [06:30] Osteoarthritis is inflammation, not wear and tear, and why that changes treatment [08:24] The realistic starting plan: sleep hygiene, morning light and what to do about wine [11:17] Hormone therapy, heavy perimenopause periods and the iron deficiency almost nobody checks [16:21] Brain fog: hydration, iron and the honest state of the estrogen and dementia evidence [18:24] What is proven for brain health: leg strength, aerobic exercise and a Mediterranean style diet [24:40] Bone health: four prunes a day, tahini for calcium, impact and balance training [27:28] Pelvic health concerns keep one in two women from exercising [29:34] Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: dryness, leakage and the bladder that fills faster [31:54] Vaginal estrogen plus 12 weeks of pelvic floor physio, the combination that works [37:04] Celebrate Muliebrity at 100+ episodes and Michelle's theme song What Listeners Will Learn Listeners will come away knowing how to spot perimenopause early, what blood work to ask for, which lifestyle levers have real evidence behind them and why treating pelvic health is the gateway to staying strong, active and confident through midlife. About Michelle Lyons Michelle Lyons, PT, MISCP, is a chartered physiotherapist from Ireland with 30 years of experience in women's health, licensed in Ireland and the US. She is the founder of Celebrate Muliebrity, where her online courses include The Menopausal Toolbox, and she hosts the Celebrate Muliebrity podcast. She co founded the Women's Health Physiotherapy community and founded Global Pelvic Physio. Theme Song: You Gotta Be by Des'ree Key Topics Covered Menopause joint pain and the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause Perimenopause symptoms, heavy periods and iron deficiency Brain fog and what protects brain health Bone density, osteoporosis prevention and impact training Genitourinary syndrome of menopause, vaginal estrogen and pelvic floor physiotherapy Resources and References Mentioned Michelle's courses and podcast: celebratemuliebrity.com Global Pelvic Physio group for clinicians, moderated by Michelle Canadian research on vaginal estrogen with pelvic floor muscle training by Joanie Mercier Pelvic health physiotherapy at Blueberry Therapy: blueberrytherapy.ca More Episodes Like This Find them all at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca: Menopause and Muscle: It Is Not Too Late to Get Strong with Dr. Stuart Phillips Your Vagina Is Shrinking and Nobody Told You: The Hormone Conversation We NEED with Dr. Carrie Jones Sleep, Sex and Menopause with Dr. Woganee Filate Perimenopause and Hormone Replacement with Dr. Alison Shea Sex After Menopause: The Truth Your Doctor Won't Say with Shirley Weir Connect with Michelle Website: celebratemuliebrity.com Instagram: @michellelyons_muliebrity Our Sponsor: kGoal kGoal makes smart pelvic floor trainers that show you what your pelvic floor is actually doing. Doing Kegels in the dark is the most common reason they do not work, and real time biofeedback replaces the guessing with something you can see. Blueberry Therapy carries the full kGoal range. The Classic is the insertable trainer most people start with. The Boost is a sit-on-top trainer you use fully clothed, which makes it the one Kristen recommends for pelvic pain, early postpartum and anyone who finds insertion uncomfortable. Both train the pelvic floor to release as well as contract. Use the code kGoal15 for 15% off. Shop kGoal at Blueberry Shop.  Not sure which trainer fits, call the clinic at 289-238-8383 and a member of the pelvic health team will help you choose. Enjoyed This Episode? Subscribe and leave a review, it helps other women find the show. Book a pelvic health assessment at blueberrytherapy.ca or call 289 238 8383. Perimenopause and menopause pelvic health support is one of the things our multidisciplinary team does best. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth
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  102: Birth Prep: The Movement Work Nobody Taught You with Gina Conley Mamastefit 03.09.2026 54мин

  Birth prep is not the same thing as birth education, and most pregnant people are only ever handed the second one. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen Parise sits down with Gina Conley, founder of MamasteFit and author of Training for Two, to talk about the physical preparation that actually makes space for a baby: pelvic floor function, pelvic mechanics and the movement patterns that carry you from labour into postpartum recovery. If you have searched for birth prep exercises, wondered how to prepare your body for birth or been scared by a prolapse diagnosis, this conversation is for you. This episode is brought to you by kGoal. Shop kGoal smart pelvic floor trainers at blueberrytherapyshop.ca. and use kGoal15 to save 15%. Gina brings an unusual path to this work. She spent seven years in the army, including a combat tour in Afghanistan, before a difficult first birth sent her back to school for a master's in exercise science. She is now a birth doula who has supported close to 200 births, a mom of four and, at the time of recording, training for her first 100 mile race. In This Episode [01:00] From the army to the birthing room: how Gina's path led to perinatal fitness [06:46] Birth prep versus birth education, and why the difference matters [07:19] Why wide leg stretches are only one quarter of real birth preparation [11:30] Body asymmetry, the pelvic floor and the four movement patterns to train [16:44] How a baby moves through the inlet, mid pelvis and outlet, and how to make space [20:45] The pushing position debate, and why pressure gradients matter more than gravity [29:28] The bounce back lie and adjusting postpartum expectations [29:51] Prolapse debunked: why symptomless does not mean broken [44:54] What is next for Gina, from Beyond Postpartum to teaching the professionals What You Will Learn You will come away understanding why a functional pelvic floor is about movement rather than Kegels, how to think about creating space at each level of the pelvis and why the same prep that helps in labour supports postpartum recovery, including after a cesarean birth. Gina also reframes prolapse and diastasis so a diagnosis feels like a starting point rather than a life sentence. About Gina Conley Gina Conley holds a master's in exercise science and is the founder and CEO of MamasteFit in Aberdeen, North Carolina. She is a birth doula, a seven year army veteran, a mom of four and the author of Training for Two (2024). She runs MamasteFit and the MamasteFit Podcast with her sister Roxanne Albert, a labour and delivery nurse and nurse midwife. Theme Song: an Avicii track (to be confirmed) Key Topics Covered Birth preparation and pelvic mechanics Pelvic floor function beyond Kegels Labour positions and pushing Postpartum recovery and the bounce back myth Pelvic organ prolapse and diastasis recti Resources and References Mentioned Training for Two by Gina Conley (2024): mamastefit.com MamasteFit Pelvic Mechanics course and Beyond Postpartum program: mamastefit.com The MamasteFit Podcast with Gina Conley and Roxanne Albert Listen to More Episodes Like This Empowering Exercise During Pregnancy with Dr. Christina Prevett The New Postpartum Exercise Guidelines That Ditch the Six Week Rule with Dr. Margie Davenport The Bounce Back Lie and What Postpartum Recovery Actually Looks Like with Michelle Gauvreau Our Sponsor: kGoal kGoal makes smart pelvic floor trainers that show you what your pelvic floor is actually doing. Doing Kegels in the dark is the most common reason they do not work, and real time biofeedback replaces the guessing with something you can see. Blueberry Therapy carries the full kGoal range. The Classic is the insertable trainer most people start with. The Boost is a sit-on-top trainer you use fully clothed, which makes it the one Kristen recommends for pelvic pain, early postpartum and anyone who finds insertion uncomfortable. Both train the pelvic floor to release as well as contract. Shop kGoal at Blueberry Shop.  Not sure which trainer fits, call the clinic at 289-238-8383 and a member of the pelvic health team will help you choose. Connect with Gina Conley Website mamastefit.com. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube at @mamastefit. Connect with The Hole Shebang Subscribe and listen at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca. Learn more about pelvic health physiotherapy at Blueberry Therapy in Hamilton, Ontario at blueberrytherapy.ca. Leave a review and tell us what you want to hear next. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth.
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  101: Chronic Pelvic Pain: Real Even When Your Tests Are Normal with Carolyn Vandyken 27.08.2026 46мин

  Chronic pelvic pain is one of the most dismissed conditions in women's health. Years of symptoms, multiple clinicians, clean imaging, and eventually the quiet suggestion that it might be in your head. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen Parise sits down with Carolyn Vandyken, registered physiotherapist, co-founder of Reframe Rehab and recipient of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association's Medal of Distinction, to explain what is happening when pelvic pain persists without a tissue cause. They cover nociplastic pain and central sensitization in plain language, why diagnostic labels like vulvodynia can act as nocebos, how overlapping pain conditions like migraines, IBS and low back pain cluster around the pelvis, and the biopsychosocial approach that treats the whole nervous system instead of hunting for one tight muscle. Carolyn also shares the lifestyle changes that calm a dysregulated system, including her 150 minutes of walking a week. This episode is brought to you by SRC Health. Shop SRC garments at blueberrytherapyshop.ca and use the code SRC15 for 15% off. In This Episode [00:40] Working with her daughter: co-owning a clinic and co-founding Reframe Rehab with Brittany Vandyken [03:53] What biopsychosocial care means, and why clinicians stay stuck in the biomechanical model [09:09] For the woman with years of pelvic pain and clean imaging: your pain is real [10:30] The Age of Diagnosis: when labels like vulvodynia become nocebos [13:29] Overlapping pain conditions, and new research putting pelvic pain at the centre [16:12] STAND UP: stress, trauma, anxiety, neglecting rest and distress [20:07] What CBT training changes about a physiotherapy session [22:06] Invitation over prescription: why patients skip exercises they never chose [25:32] Trauma informed care and the pelvic floor as protector, dysregulated rather than dysfunctional [27:59] Central sensitization and nociplastic pain, explained for the listener at home [31:41] The inconvenient truth: sleep, food, stress practices and 150 minutes of walking a week [33:58] The sandwich years: why perimenopause looks like a dysregulated nervous system [35:29] The teaching ripple: Sinead Dufour, Kim Vopni and Jill Mueller [41:04] Where to find Carolyn: Embodia and the Year of Mentoring [45:07] Theme song: Walk Beside Me What Listeners Will Learn Listeners will leave knowing that persistent pain with normal tests is real, common and treatable. Carolyn explains how an overprotective nervous system produces pain, bladder urgency, gut symptoms and muscle guarding at once, why the pelvic floor braces to protect you, and why releasing muscles without regulating the nervous system keeps patients stuck. She walks through the questions worth asking a prospective provider, the risk factors that load the system, and the evidence-backed lifestyle changes that start recovery at home. About Carolyn Vandyken Carolyn Vandyken is a registered physiotherapist with more than three decades in practice, co-owner of Physio Works Muskoka in Huntsville, Ontario and co-founder of Reframe Rehab, the teaching company she built with her daughter Brittany to break down the silos between musculoskeletal pain, pelvic pain, pain neuroscience education and psychology. She co-wrote Why Pelvic Pain Hurts with Adriaan Louw and Sandra Hilton, co-authored the definitive reviews on the overactive pelvic floor and sexual dysfunction, and her 2018 study with Dr. Sinead Dufour found that 95 percent of women with lumbopelvic pain had signs of pelvic floor dysfunction. Her honours include the YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2004), the Ontario Physiotherapy Association's Distinguished Education Award (2015) and the Canadian Physiotherapy Association's Medal of Distinction (2021). Her Year of Mentoring on Embodia draws faculty from five countries. Theme Song: Walk Beside Me by Celtic Woman Key Topics Covered Chronic pelvic pain with normal test results The biopsychosocial model in pelvic health physiotherapy Nociplastic pain and central sensitization Diagnostic labels, nocebos and the power of words Overlapping pain conditions (migraines, IBS, TMJ, low back pain) Trauma informed care and co-creation CBT tools in physiotherapy and graded exposure Lifestyle medicine: sleep, nutrition, stress practices and walking Resources and References Mentioned Reframe Rehab Carolyn's Year of Mentoring on Embodia Physio Works Muskoka Why Pelvic Pain Hurts by Adriaan Louw, Sandra Hilton and Carolyn Vandyken The Age of Diagnosis by Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan Lifestyle and Chronic Pain across the Lifespan: An Inconvenient Truth? (Jo Nijs and colleagues) Corina Avni's research on pelvic pain and chronic overlapping pain conditions Canada's food guide Listen to More Episodes Like This All episodes at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca Episode 91: Pelvic Pain Is a Symptom, Not a Diagnosis with Dr. Alopi Patel Episode 47: Rewiring Pain: From Velociraptors to Victory with Dr. Laura Katz Episode 30: The Missing Link in Endometriosis Care with Physiotherapist Jill Mueller Episode 82: Prolapse and Pessaries: Losing the Shame with the Vagina Coach Kim Vopni Our Sponsor: SRC Health SRC makes medical grade compression garments for pregnancy, bladder leaks and mild pelvic organ prolapse. The Restore short is the one Kristen reaches for most in clinic. It supports your pelvic organs while you and your pelvic floor physiotherapist do the strengthening work. Blueberry Therapy has carried SRC garments for years. Shop the full range at blueberrytherapyshop.ca, same price as buying direct and shipped from the clinic in Canada. Use the code SRC15 for 15% off. Many extended health plans cover compression garments with a prescription, so check your benefits before you assume you are paying out of pocket. Connect with Carolyn Reframe Rehab: reframerehab.com Instagram: @reframerehab Clinic: physioworksmuskoka.com Courses and mentoring: find Carolyn Vandyken on Embodia Work with the Blueberry Therapy Team Persistent pelvic pain deserves whole person care. Our physiotherapists, psychotherapists and naturopath work together under one roof, which is exactly the interdisciplinary model Carolyn describes in this episode. Book a free discovery call at blueberrytherapy.ca Subscribe to The Hole Shebang at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca and leave a review if this episode helped you. The only awkward conversation is the one we're not having. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram: @blueberrytherapypelvichealth
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  100: Low Libido After Baby or Menopause: The Pleasure Playground with Dr. Nan Wise 20.08.2026 48мин

  Low libido after a baby or through menopause is one of the most common and least honestly discussed changes in a woman's life. In the 100th episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen Parise welcomes back the guest who started it all, Dr. Nan Wise, cognitive neuroscientist and certified sex therapist, for the deep conversation they only grazed the first time. Together they look at why the postpartum months and the menopause years look so alike in the brain, what spontaneous and receptive desire really are, and why rebuilding pleasure outside the bedroom matters more than any pressure to have sex. If your desire has gone quiet and you have been told to just live with it, this episode explains what is actually happening and what you can do about it. This episode is brought to you by SRC Health. Shop SRC garments at blueberrytherapyshop.ca and use the code SRC15 for 15% off. In This Episode [00:21] Why Nan is the perfect Episode 100 guest, and why the first conversation is still the show's most downloaded [01:08] Postpartum and menopause as the two most vulnerable thresholds, and how the chemistry of caretaking quiets desire [05:25] Spontaneous desire versus receptive desire, and why arousal can come before wanting [08:05] Kindling a fire: making desire intentional instead of waiting to feel horny [10:30] The seeking system and the pleasure playground, moving sex beyond genitals and friction [11:52] Pleasure outside the bedroom: savouring, gratitude, mindfulness, imagery, and self compassion [20:49] Why some older adults have better sex, and why connection beats performance [24:12] Donating orgasms to science: what Nan's fMRI research found about the aroused brain [30:54] Entrainment and the get in touch plan for couples, including erectile changes [42:14] What chronically broken sleep does to dopamine and pleasure, and how to rest anyway What You Will Learn Listeners will come away understanding that a drop in desire after a baby or in menopause is normal, common, and workable, not a personal failing. They will learn the difference between spontaneous and receptive desire and why that distinction changes everything about how to approach intimacy. They will get concrete, gentle practices for rebuilding the capacity for pleasure, from savouring and gratitude to Nan's step by step get in touch plan for couples. And they will hear the neuroscience that makes the case that pleasure and orgasm are good for the aging brain and body, not a luxury to feel guilty about. About Dr. Nan Wise Dr. Nan Wise is a cognitive neuroscientist, a certified sex therapist, a board certified clinical hypnotherapist, and a certified relationship specialist. She holds a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from Rutgers University in Newark, where she is an associate research professor, and her dissertation research used fMRI to map what happens in the brain during arousal and orgasm. She is the author of Why Good Sex Matters, and her current work focuses on anhedonia, the loss of the ability to feel pleasure, and what she calls healthy hedonism. This is her second appearance on The Hole Shebang, following the show's most downloaded episode. Theme Song: Kashmir by Led Zeppelin Our Sponsor: SRC Health SRC makes medical grade compression garments for pregnancy, bladder leaks and mild pelvic organ prolapse. The Restore short is the one Kristen reaches for most in clinic. It supports your pelvic organs while you and your pelvic floor physiotherapist do the strengthening work. Blueberry Therapy has carried SRC garments for years. Shop the full range at Blueberry Shop, same price as buying direct and shipped from the clinic in Canada. Use the code SRC15 for 15% off. Many extended health plans cover compression garments with a prescription, so check your benefits before you assume you are paying out of pocket. Key Topics Covered Low libido after a baby and in menopause Spontaneous desire versus receptive desire Pleasure outside the bedroom and healthy hedonism The neuroscience of arousal, orgasm, and the aging brain Slowing down, connection, and the get in touch plan for couples Resources and References Mentioned Why Good Sex Matters by Dr. Nan Wise: https://askdoctornan.com/book/ Dr. Nan Wise's website, where a book receipt earns a free session with a Core Motion analysis test: https://askdoctornan.com Insight Timer, the free meditation app, home of the 40 day mindfulness course, deep rest meditations, and progressive muscle relaxation: https://insighttimer.com The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort, the classic Nan suggests browsing like a menu of ideas Beverly Whipple, Nan's mentor and the researcher who named the G spot, and her concept of pleasure mapping Dr. Kelly Casperson, urologist and author, mentioned as a great voice on desire Science Vs, the podcast whose orgasm episode featured Nan's research Listen to More Episodes Like This Why Good Sex Matters: The Neuroscience of Pleasure with Dr. Nan Wise (Episode 1, Nan's first appearance): https://podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca Mindfulness to Improve Sexual Desire with Dr. Lori Brotto: https://podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca Perimenopause as Your Sexual Debut: Rewriting the Narrative with Taylor McConnachie: https://podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca Super Traits and the Real Reason Your Sex Drive Disappeared with Dr. Jordin Wiggins: https://podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca Connect with Dr. Nan Wise Website: https://askdoctornan.com Instagram: @askdoctornan Book: Why Good Sex Matters Keep Going with Blueberry Therapy If a drop in desire or pain with sex is part of your story, pelvic health physiotherapy can help. Learn more or book a discovery call at https://blueberrytherapy.ca. Nan gave the keynote at our 2025 event, so keep an eye on The Pleasure Principle for what is next. Subscribe to The Hole Shebang at https://podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca, and if this episode made you feel less alone, leave a review and tell us what you want to hear next. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth
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  99: Eating Disorders in Kids: The Warning Signs Parents Miss with Kim Doyle 13.08.2026 55мин

  Eating disorders in kids and teens surged during the pandemic, and the earliest warning signs are the ones most parents miss. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, registered dietitian Kim Doyle explains how disordered eating starts, what intuitive eating actually asks of you and why a missing period is a signal to act on. Kim watched pediatric eating disorder referrals explode in 2020 while waitlists stretched 12 to 18 months, so she founded Brant Nutrition in Brantford, Ontario to catch the families the system was leaving behind. She also shares her own recovery from disordered eating as a competitive wrestler, including the pelvic floor assessment that changed everything. This episode is brought to you by SRC Health. Shop SRC garments at blueberrytherapyshop.ca and use the code SRC15 for 15% off. In This Episode [00:00] How Kim became a dietitian, starting with a weight based sport [06:35] Summer 2020: the referral surge and 12 to 18 month waitlists [11:45] What disordered eating actually means [14:45] Kim's own story: cutting weight, restriction and the injury cycle [21:50] The labral tear that led her to a pelvic floor physio [25:25] Intuitive eating explained (so much more than eat whatever you want) [29:00] The pulse practice: a three minute interoception exercise [33:45] RED-S and why a missing period should never be ignored [38:10] Warning signs of disordered eating in children [44:00] Resources for families [47:35] What recovery looks like and how long it takes [53:00] Where to find Kim and Brant Nutrition [56:10] Kim's theme song What You Will Learn Listeners will come away knowing the difference between changing your diet for a real physical reason and changing it to quiet a fear, the specific pattern of illogical food rules that flags trouble in kids as young as 8, and how the language adults use about their own bodies is absorbed by the children listening. Kim also teaches the pulse practice step by step and explains what actually happens inside the body during RED-S, including why bone density pays the price. About Kim Doyle, RD Kim Doyle is a Registered Dietitian and the owner of Brant Nutrition in Brantford, Ontario. A member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario since 2010 and the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, she spent seven years in pediatric home care before founding her clinic in March 2021. Brant Nutrition is a weight inclusive, non diet practice covering pediatric feeding, eating disorder recovery, gut health, mental health and sports nutrition, virtual across Ontario. Theme Song: Born This Way by Lady Gaga Our Sponsor: SRC Health SRC makes medical grade compression garments for pregnancy, bladder leaks and mild pelvic organ prolapse. The Restore short is the one Kristen reaches for most in clinic. It supports your pelvic organs while you and your pelvic floor physiotherapist do the strengthening work. Blueberry Therapy has carried SRC garments for years. Shop the full range at Blueberry Shop, same price as buying direct and shipped from the clinic in Canada. Use the code SRC15 for 15% off. Many extended health plans cover compression garments with a prescription, so check your benefits before you assume you are paying out of pocket. Key Topics Covered Pediatric eating disorders and the pandemic surge Intuitive eating and interoception Disordered eating warning signs in kids RED-S, amenorrhea and bone health Weight inclusive, non diet nutrition care Family based treatment (the Maudsley method) The pelvic floor and body connection Resources and References Mentioned NEDIC, the National Eating Disorder Information Centre: Canada's national helpline, provider directory and starting point for families Kelty Eating Disorders (Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre): meal support videos and family resources that model how to support a child through meals The New Maudsley Approach: carer skills and tools behind the family based treatment Kim uses Family based treatment for eating disorders (research review): the evidence behind the leading approach for pediatric eating disorders The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens: a hands on workbook for building a healthy relationship with food When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder by Lauren Muhlheim: the family based treatment guide Kim recommends Listen to More Episodes Like This Find them all at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca: From Your Plate to Your Pleasure: Food, Body Image, and Intimacy with Emily Arthur, RD (Kim's teammate at Brant Nutrition) Body Brilliance: Connecting the Dots Between Emotional Eating, Hormones and Pelvic Health with Amber Romaniuk Pediatric Pelvic Health: Kids Don't Grow Out of It with Keri Martin Vrbanac Our pediatric team at Blueberry Therapy treats constipation, bedwetting and pelvic floor concerns in kids, and our multidisciplinary team supports the gut and bowel side of everything discussed here. Connect with Kim Website: brantnutrition.com Instagram: @brantnutrition and @brantnutrition_pediatrics Email: [email protected] Keep the Conversation Going Subscribe to The Hole Shebang at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca, leave a review if this episode helped you and book a free fifteen minute discovery call at blueberrytherapy.ca. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth.
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  98: Shockwave Therapy for Painful Sex: The Blood Flow Fix with Stacey Roberts 06.08.2026 45мин

  Shockwave therapy for painful sex is one of the most promising and least understood tools in pelvic health, and this episode of The Hole Shebang breaks it down without the hype. Kristen Parise sits down with Stacey Roberts, a physical therapist and registered nurse who is co principal investigator on a study using shockwave for painful sex, to explain what the technology actually does, why blood flow changes everything for a guarded pelvic floor, and how the same science reaches erectile dysfunction and incontinence. If sex hurts and you have been told to just relax, this conversation offers a real explanation and real hope. This episode is brought to you by SRC Health. Shop SRC garments at blueberrytherapyshop.ca and use the code SRC15 for 15% off. What you will learn Stacey explains the difference between true shockwave and the many devices that borrow the name, how flooding tissue with blood flow lets an upregulated pelvic floor soften and let go, and why she pairs shockwave with pelvic floor physiotherapy in her research and her clinic. You will also hear why the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause makes so much ache at once, why the marketed pelvic floor chair is often the wrong tool, and the plain truth about painful sex that no glass of wine will ever fix. In this episode [00:00] Sports medicine to a women's health clinic on Australia's Gold Coast [03:40] Why a physiotherapist went back to school to become a nurse [04:45] The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and hormones as anti inflammatories [06:50] The Pain Free Formula and reducing pain without surgery or drugs [12:00] The one belief about pain she wants to blow up [14:00] Shockwave explained, and the wild west of devices that borrow the name [15:30] Shockwave for painful sex and the upregulated pelvic floor [16:30] The research: pelvic floor physio plus sham versus plus active shockwave [20:50] Shockwave for erectile dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction and nitric oxide [23:20] Leaking after prostate surgery and blood flow as nourishment [25:00] Why the chair is often the wrong tool for a tight pelvic floor [34:30] Painful sex and the one thing she would say to someone told to grin and bear it About Stacey Roberts Stacey Roberts, PT RN MSN, is a physical therapist and registered nurse with more than thirty years of clinical experience. She owns New You Health and Wellness in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, teaches shockwave therapy to clinicians across North America, hosts The Pain Free Formula podcast, and wrote The Pain Free Formula. She is co principal investigator on a study using shockwave for painful sex. Theme Song: I'll Be There for You by The Rembrandts Key topics covered: shockwave therapy, painful sex, dyspareunia, the upregulated pelvic floor, erectile dysfunction, post prostatectomy incontinence, musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, hormones, gut health. Our Sponsor: SRC Health SRC makes medical grade compression garments for pregnancy, bladder leaks and mild pelvic organ prolapse. The Restore short is the one Kristen reaches for most in clinic. It supports your pelvic organs while you and your pelvic floor physiotherapist do the strengthening work. Blueberry Therapy has carried SRC garments for years. Shop the full range at Blueberry Shop, same price as buying direct and shipped from the clinic in Canada. Use the code SRC15 for 15% off. Many extended health plans cover compression garments with a prescription, so check your benefits before you assume you are paying out of pocket. Resources and references mentioned The Pain Free Formula by Stacey Roberts: Amazon Find a SoftWave provider in Canada and the United States: SoftWave TRT provider finder New You Health and Wellness: newyouhealthandwellness.com Listen to more episodes like this (all at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca) Painful Sex: When Your Body is Not the Problem with Dr. Jordin Wiggins Vaginismus Isn't in Your Head and Here's Why with Dr. Janelle Frederick Erections and Heart Health: The Vital Sign Men Ignore with Dr. Elliot Justin Pelvic Pain Is a Symptom, Not a Diagnosis with Dr. Alopi Patel The Intersection of Menopause and Sexual Health with Dr. Maureen Slattery Connect with Stacey Website newyouhealthandwellness.com, her podcast The Pain Free Formula, and TikTok @the_pain_free_formula. Work with us Wondering whether your pelvic floor is behind your pain or painful sex? Book a pelvic health assessment at blueberrytherapy.ca, and we offer virtual visits across Ontario. Subscribe to The Hole Shebang at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca, and if this episode helped you, leave a review and tell us what you want to hear next. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth.
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  97: Pediatric Pelvic Health: Kids Don't Grow Out of It with Keri Martin Vrbanac 30.07.2026 44мин

  Pediatric pelvic health is the part of physiotherapy almost nobody talks about, and it might be exactly what your child needs. Bedwetting, daytime leaks, poop accidents, and recurring UTIs are not things every kid simply outgrows, and they are very often driven by something most parents never suspect: constipation. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen Parise talks with pediatric pelvic health physiotherapist Keri Martin Vrbanac about how bladder and bowel problems show up in children, what a child friendly pelvic assessment really involves, and the honest answer to the question every tired parent asks about waiting it out. What You Will Learn How constipation quietly drives bladder leaks, bedwetting, and recurring UTIs in kids. Why daily pooping does not mean your child is in the clear. What a pelvic assessment with a child looks like, and why it never involves internal work. When to stop waiting for a child to grow out of bedwetting. Why early potty training can set a child up for problems. How stress, school bathrooms, and family change all land on a little pelvic floor. In This Episode [01:02] Keri's path into pediatric pelvic health, and the personal reason behind it [03:31] Constipation as an epidemic, and the real estate analogy every parent should hear [06:05] Busting the myth that bedwetting and accidents are laziness or behaviour [08:36] Why Keri talks about poop loudly, and the "Keri with poop" headshot [09:33] What a pelvic assessment with a child actually looks like [14:31] What constipation really is, beyond pooping less than three times a week [19:38] First steps in treatment: biofeedback, breathing, and toilet posture [23:50] The school button story, and why kids will not use the bathroom at school [26:58] At what point a parent should stop waiting for a child to grow out of it [27:50] Potty training readiness, and why eighteen months is too early [30:15] Fluids before bed, and the hormone behind nighttime dryness [31:45] Constipation treatment options, from RestoraLAX to the Modified O'Regan Protocol [35:53] The book It's No Accident, and the long term cost of leaving it untreated [40:33] How family stress and big changes affect a child's pelvic floor About Keri Martin Vrbanac Keri Martin Vrbanac is a Registered Physiotherapist and pelvic health physiotherapist who has practised for decades and owns A Body In Motion Rehabilitation in the Kitchener Waterloo area. She works with all ages and all genders, with a deep focus on pediatric pelvic health, pregnancy and postpartum, pelvic pain, incontinence, and prolapse. She is trauma informed, an educator who teaches the pediatric pelvic floor course for Pelvic Health Solutions, a clinic owner, and a mom of two young women. Theme Song: Masterpiece by Jessie J Resources and References Mentioned It's No Accident by Dr. Steve Hodges, pediatric urologist The Modified O'Regan Protocol (MOP), originally developed by Dr. O'Regan and currently maintained by Dr. Steve Hodges RestoraLAX, an osmotic stool softener Desmopressin, a medication that mimics the natural overnight hormone that reduces urine production Listen to More Episodes Like This The Scoop on Kids Poop: The Secret World of Pediatric Pelvic Health with Clare Bourne Floored by the Truth: Demystifying Pelvic Health from Teens to Menopause with Dr. Sara Reardon From Physiotherapist to Lactation Consulting with Laura Doyle Connect with Keri Website: abodyinmotion.ca Instagram: @kerivpelvicpt and @abodyinmotionrehab Facebook: Keri V Pelvic PT, and A Body In Motion Rehabilitation Keep Listening and Connect New episodes of The Hole Shebang every week. Subscribe wherever you listen, and leave a review to help more families find this conversation. Learn more about pelvic health for every age at blueberrytherapy.ca. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth. The only awkward conversation is the one we're not having.
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  96: Pelvic Floor For Athletes: Your Hidden Force Absorber with Dr. Rachel Selman 23.07.2026 53мин

  Pelvic floor training for athletes is the missing piece in most performance programs, and this episode of The Hole Shebang makes the case for putting it back. Kristen Parise sits down with Dr. Rachel Selman, a pelvic floor physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach and sport scientist, to explain why athletes experience more pelvic floor dysfunction than non athletes, how the pelvic floor acts as a force absorber for the whole body, and why leaking during sport is common but never normal. If you run, lift, jump or coach anyone who does, this conversation reframes pelvic health as performance. What you will learn Rachel breaks down why the location of the pelvic floor at the base of the core makes it vulnerable to the pressure of sport, how symptoms like urinary leakage, urgency and even chronic hamstring and groin strains connect back to pressure the pelvic floor is not managing, and the four part program she brings to teams. You will also hear why prolapse does not mean the end of running or lifting, and how pessaries and external supports fit into a return to sport plan. In this episode [00:00] From soccer player to pelvic floor PT: Rachel's own postpartum wake up call [05:10] What to actually tell someone who is pregnant or soon to be about movement [09:45] Her book Floor It and who it is written for [13:28] Why athletes carry more pelvic floor dysfunction, and the symptoms to watch [20:20] The four part team program: education, screen, questionnaire, one biased workout a month [29:49] The trampoline: pelvic floor as force absorber [33:59] Connective tissue, creep and the grocery bag analogy for endurance athletes [38:26] Overcoming isometrics and the sled push [43:05] Prolapse, pessaries and getting back to what you love About Dr. Rachel Selman Dr. Rachel Selman, PT DPT CSCS CPSS, is a physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach and sport scientist who treats and trains athletes at Synthesis Physical Therapy in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her first book, Floor It: Using the Pelvic Floor to Power Athletic Performance, releases October 6 2026. Theme Song: Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift Key topics covered: pelvic floor and athletic performance, leaking when running, force absorption, prolapse and return to sport, pessaries, overcoming isometrics, postpartum return to exercise. Resources and references mentioned Floor It by Dr. Rachel Selman (pre-order): Simon and Schuster Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor: Science to Practice by Gráinne M. Donnelly: Elsevier Overcoming isometrics demos on Rachel's Instagram Listen to more episodes like this (all at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca) The New Postpartum Exercise Guidelines That Ditch the Six Week Rule with Dr. Margie Davenport Pelvic Floor Basics: Why Kegels Are Only Half the Story with Lauren Ohayon Prolapse and Pessaries: Losing the Shame with the Vagina Coach Kim Vopni Empowering Exercise During Pregnancy with Dr. Christina Prevett Simple Strength: What Really Works for Women's Fitness with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple Connect with Rachel Instagram and YouTube @Dr.RachelSelman, and www.SynthesisPerform.com. Work with us Wondering whether your pelvic floor is keeping up with your training? Book a pelvic health assessment at blueberrytherapy.ca, and we offer virtual visits across Ontario. Subscribe to The Hole Shebang at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca, and if this episode helped you, leave a review and tell us what you want to hear next. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth.
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  95: Erections and Heart Health: The Vital Sign Men Ignore 16.07.2026 37мин

  Your erections are a vital sign, and almost nobody is reading them. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, pelvic health physiotherapist Kristen Parise talks with Dr. Elliot Justin, an emergency medicine physician who spent 40 years and roughly 180,000 patient encounters in trauma and cardiac care before founding FirmTech and inventing the TechRing, the first wearable that measures erectile fitness during sleep and during sex. They unpack why nocturnal erections are a canary in the coal mine for cardiovascular disease, why most men who think they have erectile dysfunction actually do not, how erection rings and tracking are changing penile rehabilitation after prostate surgery, and what testosterone, HRT and the new Clitique clitoral health device mean for women. This is sexual health as preventative medicine, with zero shame and a lot of data. In This Episode [00:00] From 40 years in emergency medicine to the penis as the most under measured vital sign [02:00] The horse accident, spinal research and Project O [05:00] Why nocturnal erections matter and reinventing the erection ring with a bra hook [08:45] How many erections a healthy man should have at night [09:30] Erections as a cardiac early warning, and the data that changed marriages [10:30] Does the same hold for women and clitoral blood flow [13:00] One size fits all medicine, dosing, testosterone and HRT [17:00] Why most men who think they have ED do not, and "Viagra is Vicodin" [21:30] Why erection rings work, and who figured it out first [24:30] Prostate surgery, penile rehabilitation and real recovery stories [30:00] The June Orgasm a Day Challenge and why orgasms are healthcare [33:00] HRT and testosterone for women [36:00] The Clitique, the first clitoral health monitor [39:30] Theme song and where to find Elliot What You Will Learn You will learn what a healthy night of erections actually looks like and why three to five of them are keeping the tissue alive. You will learn why a drop in that number can predict a cardiac event years before the heart shows symptoms, why a pill is sometimes a band aid on a serious problem, and why erection rings, long dismissed as novelties, are now part of real penile rehabilitation after prostate surgery. You will also hear why the same vascular logic applies to women and the clitoris, and why testosterone and HRT belong in the conversation for both sexes. About Dr. Elliot Justin Dr. Elliot Justin, MD, FACEP, is the CEO, inventor and founder of FirmTech. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Hennepin in Minneapolis, earned his MD at Boston University School of Medicine and holds a BA cum laude in Slavic Languages and Literature from Harvard. Over four decades in emergency medicine he logged roughly 180,000 patient encounters with a perfect malpractice record, founded SwiftMD, the second oldest telemedicine provider in the United States, and built Pegasus Emergency Group into the fastest growing company in its sector before selling it. He has presented sexual health research at ISSM, ESSM, SSMNA and SHA, appeared on more than 200 podcasts, funds anti slavery rescue work through the Pegasus Liberty Foundation and wrote the historical novel The Chastity of Honor. Theme Song: I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty Key Topics Covered Nocturnal erections as a vital sign, erectile dysfunction versus normal aging, cardiovascular early warning signs, erection rings and how they work, penile rehabilitation after prostatectomy, testosterone optimization, hormone replacement therapy for women, clitoral health and the Clitique, the health benefits of orgasms. Resources and References Mentioned FirmTech and the TechRing, and the FirmTech science and research page The TechRing product page, and the MaxPR constriction ring for penile rehabilitation Dr. Mohit Khera, Baylor College of Medicine, the andrologist who said "Viagra is Vicodin" Melissa Hadley Barrett, Prostate Cancer Penile Rehabilitation Program, Restorative Health Clinic, Perth Dr. Rachel Rubin, urologist and primary investigator for the Clitique research The Chastity of Honor by Elliot Justin on Kindle Listen to More Episodes Like This Sex, Pelvic Health and Breaking Taboos with Dr. Rachel Gelman Clitoral Vibration as Healthcare Not Just Pleasure with Natalia Banton Sex After Prostate Cancer: Hope and Rehab with Victoria Cullen Perimenopause and Hormone Replacement with Dr. Alison Shea Connect Find Dr. Elliot Justin and FirmTech at myfirmtech.com and on Instagram at @doctorelliotjustin and @myfirmtech. Book a free fifteen minute discovery call at blueberrytherapy.ca. We offer virtual pelvic health consultations across Ontario. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth. The only awkward conversation is the one we are not having.
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  94: Don't Be an Athena: The Stories Women Don't Tell with Kayla Branstetter 09.07.2026 43мин

  Medical gaslighting is what happens when a woman names her pain and is told it is probably nothing. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, pelvic health physiotherapist Kristen Parise sits down with writer and TEDx speaker Kayla Branstetter, whose new book Don't Be an Athena: Women's Stories of Surviving Medical Misogyny collects true stories of abortion, birth and infertility, three of the most policed and silenced experiences a body can have. Kayla is finishing a doctorate in healthcare focused on narrative medicine, the idea that a patient's story is clinical data and not background noise. Together they unpack medical misogyny, self advocacy and the small, doable shifts that help women feel heard in the exam room. What you will learn You will learn why women are trained to be Athenas, the good patient who endures in silence and asks for nothing, and what that posture costs. You will hear the gentle practices that change an appointment, from journals in waiting rooms to the one question a provider can ask before looking at the screen. And you will learn the rights every patient has and rarely uses, including the right to a second opinion and to your own medical records. In this episode [00:46] The first conversations that became the book, and why women carry secrets for decades [03:46] The Athena and Medusa myth, and how women are made into monsters [08:38] Why feeling unheard is universal, across red states and blue states [11:08] Tony's story, generational trauma and human resilience [18:17] Medical gaslighting, narrative medicine and journals in waiting rooms [24:07] The dentist who ended the shame, and why the feel of a clinic matters [31:40] What to do today if you walked out feeling dismissed [37:26] Feeling visible, sex education and the case for telling the stories About Kayla Branstetter Kayla Branstetter holds a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Denver and is a doctoral candidate in healthcare education focused on narrative medicine. She is a TEDx speaker, an award winning artist and a professor of English at Crowder College, and her writing has appeared in more than forty journals. Her book Don't Be an Athena releases July 20 2026. Theme Song: I Can Do It With a Broken Heart by Taylor Swift Key topics covered: medical gaslighting, medical misogyny, narrative medicine, self advocacy, reproductive health stories, ending the shame. Resources and references mentioned Don't Be an Athena: Women's Stories of Surviving Medical Misogyny by Kayla Branstetter, out July 20 2026. Available on Amazon in hardcover and ebook, Barnes and Noble, Walmart and Ozark Hollow Press. The publisher option is usually the lowest price. Don't Be an Athena, Kayla's TEDxMSSU talk Dr. Rita Charon and narrative medicine, the practice of asking what do you want me to know before looking at the screen The American Girl Body Book, an age appropriate body and period education book Kayla reads with her daughter Listen to more episodes like this From PMDD Hell to Heaven on Earth with Heather Hendrie, on three decades of being told to suck it up Super Traits and the Real Reason Your Sex Drive Disappeared with Dr. Jordin Wiggins, on being gaslit by providers and learning to advocate The Fatigue Your Family Doctor Is Missing with Dr. Margot Lattanzi, on what your bloodwork is normal really misses Working through pain, dismissal or symptoms you have been told to ignore? Learn more about pelvic health physiotherapy at blueberrytherapy.ca. Connect with Kayla Website: kaylabranstetter.com Instagram: @kbranstetter87 LinkedIn: Kayla Branstetter Subscribe to The Hole Shebang, leave a review and tell us what you want to hear next. Listen at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca and connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth.
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  93: Trauma Stored in the Body: Why Talk Therapy Isn't Enough with Ramona Kossowan 02.07.2026 38мин

  You have done the work. The books, the affirmations, the years of talking it through. So why does the same pattern keep running. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen Parise sits down with Ramona Kossowan, Canada's first certified Gentle Trauma Release practitioner, to explain why so much healing stays stuck in the head and never reaches the body. They get into what trauma actually is, why the nervous system keeps you bracing long after the threat is gone, how food noise and people pleasing are nervous system signals rather than willpower failures, and the vagus nerve thread that connects all of it to pelvic floor health. If you have ever wondered why insight alone has not changed your life, this conversation reframes the whole thing. What you will learn That trauma is frequently a slow drip rather than one shocking event, that the body holds what the mind cannot reason away, and that clearing has to happen below the level of thought before any amount of doing will stick. Ramona walks through what a session looks like, why it is gentle by design, and the two protocols she gives clients to use on their own. In this episode [00:38] From a decade in fitness to trauma work, and the moment the workout stopped being the whole answer [03:03] What Gentle Trauma Release actually is: distress without resolve, the unfinished loop in the body [05:08] A real client story: divorce, the residue, and the whole organic process from clearing to a trauma free identity [09:00] What clearing means, and the science underneath it (polyvagal theory, the body keeps the score, EMDR style eye movements) [13:17] Big T and little T trauma, and the slow drip of not worthy, not lovable [16:41] Ramona's own story: motherhood, patriarchal religion, the sister wound, learning to be seen [19:15] The vagus nerve, the pelvic floor and why the body locks down [22:50] The protocols you can run yourself: the basic recipe and the emotional release recipe [34:42] Food noise, scarcity and why diets backfire until the body feels safe [38:13] Where to find Ramona, and the theme song About the guest Ramona Kossowan is a women's empowerment coach, Gentle Trauma Release practitioner and fitness trainer based in Crossfield, Alberta. In 2021 she became the first certified Gentle Trauma Release practitioner in Canada. She works with women across Canada, the United States and the UK, helping them clear what is anchoring trauma in the body so the rest of their lives can soften and open. Theme Song: Simply The Best by Tina Turner Key topics covered Trauma stored in the body, nervous system regulation, the vagus nerve and pelvic floor, polyvagal theory, food noise, people pleasing and overfunctioning, body image, somatic healing, women's empowerment after divorce. Resources and references mentioned Gentle Trauma Release Institute, the international training school Ramona certified through The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, referenced as a foundation of the embodied trauma model Polyvagal theory (Dr. Stephen Porges), the nervous system framework underpinning the work Dr. Gabor Mate's work on trauma, referenced by Kristen Ramona's signature program, Energized and Empowered Woman Moderation 365, the nutrition method Ramona is certified in Listen to more episodes like this Ep67 How Breathwork Heals Chronic Illness and Nervous System Dysregulation with Jenn Mansell Ep43 Body Brilliance: Connecting the Dots Between Emotional Eating, Hormones and Pelvic Health with Amber Romaniuk Ep47 Rewiring Pain: From Velociraptors to Victory with Dr. Laura Katz Learn more about trauma informed pelvic health care at blueberrytherapy.ca Connect with Ramona Website: ramonakcoaching.com Gentle Trauma Release: gentletraumacoach.com Instagram: @ramonakcoaching LinkedIn: Ramona Kossowan Listen, subscribe and review New episodes of The Hole Shebang drop every week. Listen and subscribe at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth. The only awkward conversation is the one we are not having.
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  92: Menopause and Muscle: It is NOT Too Late to Get Strong with Dr. Stuart Phillips 25.06.2026 49мин

  Building muscle in menopause is not only possible, it might be the single most important thing a woman can do for the next 30 years of her life. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen Parise sits down again with muscle scientist Stuart Phillips, PhD to unpack what really happens to a woman's muscle through perimenopause and menopause, how much protein women actually need and why lifting weights matters far more than any supplement. They also get into the part that lands closest to home for pelvic health: why continence is the number one self reported disabling condition of aging, and what that means for the pelvic floor as skeletal muscle. In This Episode [02:05] Why the ACSM resistance training guidelines were finally refreshed after 17 years [05:54] Lifting bakes the cake, protein is the sprinkles: getting the order right [07:18] How Stuart publicly changed his mind on animal versus plant protein [10:06] Busting the 30 minute anabolic window myth [15:23] What actually happens to a woman's muscle through perimenopause and menopause [17:13] Why women build muscle as well as men before menopause [20:22] The zone of chaos: why perimenopause is not a light switch [29:00] You do not have to lift heavy, you just have to lift [31:00] Why bone loves impact and 20 stomps a day does the job [34:11] How much protein a woman really needs, in real food [38:37] The McCall MacBain gift and why healthspan beats longevity [46:03] The continence reveal: the number one disabling condition of aging What You Will Learn You will walk away knowing why resistance training is the real driver of strength in midlife, why getting started matters more than getting it perfect and how much protein to aim for without obsessing over timing or supplements. You will understand what menopause does to muscle, why it is never too late to begin and how all of this connects to bladder, bowel and pelvic floor health. About Stuart Phillips Stuart M. Phillips, PhD is a Distinguished University Professor and the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health at McMaster University in Hamilton, where he also chairs the Department of Kinesiology and directs the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence. He has published more than 400 papers, chaired the 2026 ACSM resistance training position stand and co-hosts the Real Exercise Science podcast. Theme Song: We Are the Champions by Queen Key Topics Covered Menopause and muscle, perimenopause muscle loss, resistance training for women, protein needs for women, the anabolic window myth, bone health and impact, healthspan versus longevity, incontinence and aging, pelvic floor as muscle. Resources and References Mentioned 2026 ACSM resistance training guidelines (Stuart was the chair) The McCall MacBain Kinesiology and Healthspan Institute at McMaster Nutrient Timing by John Ivy, the book behind the anabolic window idea Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Real Exercise Science podcast, Stuart's show with Martin Gibala Listen to More Episodes Like This Find every episode of The Hole Shebang at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca. Protein in Perimenopause: How much you really need with Dr. Stuart Phillips Sleep, Sex and Menopause with Dr. Woganee Filate (Episode 89) Inflammation, Hormones and the Foods That Heal with Julie Daniluk (Episode 90) Blueberry Therapy pelvic floor physiotherapy services Blueberry Therapy perimenopause and menopause support Connect with Stuart Phillips Instagram: @mackinprof LinkedIn: stuartphillipsmcmaster Link hub: linktr.ee/mackinprof Keep Listening New episodes of The Hole Shebang drop every week. Subscribe wherever you listen, leave a review and visit blueberrytherapy.ca to learn more about pelvic health physiotherapy in Hamilton, Ontario. Connect with The Hole Shebang on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth
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  91: Pelvic Pain Is a Symptom, Not a Diagnosis, with Dr. Alopi Patel 18.06.2026 37мин

  You have been told there is nothing else to try for your pelvic pain. Dr. Alopi Patel is the reason that sentence is wrong. She is a dual board certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician based in New York, a Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, certified in lifestyle medicine, co-author of the Pelvic Pain Journal, and one half of The Female Pain Docs with her partner Dr. Meera Kirpekar. She walked into a fellowship where only 18% of attending pain physicians were women, decided that "we can offer medications and that is about it" was not going to be her answer, and built the next room. This is the conversation every pelvic pain patient and clinician needs. What You Will Learn Alopi's five part approach to pelvic pain in order: lifestyle, physical therapy, medications, injections, surgical considerations, and why physical therapy is the foundation, not the last resort What an interventional pain physician actually offers: trigger point injections, peripheral nerve blocks like pudendal and ilioinguinal, and sympathetic blocks like ganglion impar and superior hypogastric for endometriosis How she approaches trans pelvic health, the suppositories almost no one is talking about openly, and the research she is building because the evidence base is missing In This Episode [00:01] Welcome to The Hole Shebang [00:57] From anesthesiology to pain medicine: why she missed the continuity of care [02:30] The 18% statistic and the moment she felt the disconnect in the room [03:14] "We can offer medications and that is about it" and the decision to learn everything [04:49] A real day in clinic: pelvic congestion syndrome, post-op pelvic floor dysfunction, postpartum pelvic pain [06:50] Pelvic pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis: her favourite part of the job [07:24] Abdominal pelvic pain matters too: trigger points above and below the belly button [08:00] The peripheral nerves she can block in office: pudendal, ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, genitofemoral, lateral femoral cutaneous, plus the fluoroscopic blocks in the OR [08:48] Patient education on a blank piece of paper: muscles, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, sympathetic chain [10:16] Endometriosis pain: ganglion impar for rectal pain, superior hypogastric plexus for uterine pain [11:01] Are nerve blocks one and done? The bajillion dollar question [12:16] The three legged stool: injections plus lifestyle plus physical therapy [13:25] The Pelvic Pain Journal with Dr. Meera Kirpekar, and why a journal was the right tool [15:38] The Hurt podcast and the topics drawing the biggest listener response: perimenopause, menopause, sex after menopause [17:40] The psychology degree and biopsychosocial care: connecting fast, being a coach and collaborator [20:29] Pride Month and trans pelvic health: the five part approach for transfeminine and transmasculine surgical patients [24:41] Suppositories explained: baclofen and diazepam for muscle relaxation, mixed evidence, strong patient reports [26:32] Direct message to the woman listening with pelvic pain: ask questions and advocate for yourself [27:36] Research with medical students: trigger point injection outcomes, pudendal nerve block duration, botulinum toxin in the pelvic floor [29:33] Where The Female Pain Docs is going next: international reach, and men have pelvic pain too [31:37] Upcoming: American Society of Anesthesiologists in October, women's health in the workplace in December [34:00] The new clitoral mapping from Amsterdam, 30 years after the penis was mapped [35:53] Where to find Alopi, plus her theme song About Dr. Alopi Patel Dr. Alopi Patel, M.D., FASA, is a dual board certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician, certified in lifestyle medicine. She graduated from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, completed anesthesiology residency at Mount Sinai West and Morningside, and her pain medicine fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. She practices in NYC, holds an academic appointment with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson, treats chronic pelvic pain, women's pain conditions, transgender health, and a wide range of musculoskeletal pain, and is a women's health advocate and LGBTQ ally. She speaks English, Gujarati, and Hindi fluently and Spanish conversationally. Connect with Dr. Alopi Patel Website: thefemalepaindocs.com Instagram: @alopipatelmd and @thefemalepaindocs Podcast: The Hurt by The Female Pain Docs (with Dr. Meera Kirpekar) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify. NotesBook: Pelvic Pain Journal (co-authored with Dr. Meera Kirpekar, Wellness Warrior Press) A Note from Blueberry Therapy, If pelvic pain, bladder urgency, bowel trouble, painful intercourse, or post-surgical pelvic floor symptoms are part of your picture, the physical therapy leg of Dr. Patel's three legged stool is what we do every day.  Blueberry Therapy's pelvic health physiotherapists work alongside pain physicians, gynecologists, and surgeons to build the multidisciplinary plan she described. Book at blueberrytherapy.ca.  Connect with The Hole Shebang Visit blueberrytherapy.ca  Subscribe to The Hole Shebang Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen   Follow on Instagram: @blueberrytherapypelvichealth  
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  90: Inflammation, Hormones and the Foods That Heal with Julie Daniluk 11.06.2026 38мин

  Pain is not always mechanical. Sometimes it starts on your plate. Julie Daniluk, RHN, NNCP, the anti-inflammatory nutritionist, four-time bestselling author, and longtime resident nutritionist on The Marilyn Denis Show, joins Kristen to connect blood sugar, hormones, and inflammation to the bladder, bowel, and pelvic symptoms women are so often told to live with. After a contaminated meal in Thailand at 30 left her with infectious colitis that cascaded into arthritis and bursitis, Julie rebuilt her health through food and is now in full remission. This is a practical, hopeful conversation about eating to lower pain at the root. What You Will Learn The fibre, fat, protein eating order Julie uses to flatten a blood sugar spike by up to 37%, and why visceral fat drives pain How high insulin feeds estrogen dominance, heavy periods, and endometriosis flares, and where Julie starts with a food diary and direct food swaps Why willpower is the wrong target after 50, what the sandwich generation and poor sleep do to your weight, and how to use a glucose monitor to find your own triggers In This Episode [01:20] Thailand, the bad pad thai, and the ABC of inflammation: arthritis, bursitis, colitis [02:44] Where Julie and Kristen's patient stories overlap [04:02] From healing herself to two TV shows: Healthy Gourmet and 13 years with Marilyn Denis [05:20] The Dr. Oz story: how "just solve their problem" got Julie on the show [07:27] First food changes that move the needle: fibre, fat, protein, then carbs last [10:46] The three causes of pain: chemical, mechanical, and emotional [12:29] Endometriosis, estrogen dominance, hidden food allergies, and the food diary [15:37] The anti-inflammatory plate: olive oil, fennel, cruciferous vegetables, and monk fruit [17:34] Menopause, the 93% who are metabolically imbalanced, and the case for a glucose monitor [21:30] Real-world strategy: soup instead of dessert, the keto mojito, and being bold at restaurants [25:34] Why willpower runs out, emotional eating, and an introduction to LumaBody [30:16] Success stories: 38 pounds in 12 weeks, and Marg who lost 110 pounds and ran a half marathon [33:37] The seaplane accident that reset everything [35:54] Where to find Julie, plus her theme song About Julie Daniluk Julie Daniluk, RHN, NNCP, is an award-winning anti-inflammatory nutritionist and bestselling author with more than 26 years of clinical experience. She was the resident nutritionist on The Marilyn Denis Show for 13 years, hosted Healthy Gourmet in 42 countries, and has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, CBC, The Globe and Mail, and Oprah Winfrey Network. Her current work, LumaBody and the Personalized 100-Day Transformation Program, helps women in the second half of life calm inflammation and feel strong again. Connect with Julie Daniluk Website: juliedaniluk.com (also thrivewithjulie.com) Instagram: @juliedaniluk Books: Meals That Heal Inflammation, Slimming Meals That Heal, Hot Detox, Becoming Sugar-Free A Note from Blueberry Therapy If bladder urgency, bowel trouble, endometriosis pain, or pelvic pain are part of your picture, the chemical inflammation Julie talks about and the mechanical side go hand in hand. Blueberry Therapy's pelvic health physiotherapy can help with the mechanical piece. Book at blueberrytherapy.ca. Listen to More Episodes Like This Endometriosis and pelvic pain: what you were never told Perimenopause, pelvic health, and the changes nobody warns you about Hormones, weight, and what midlife is really doing to your body Connect with The Hole Shebang Visit blueberrytherapy.ca Subscribe to The Hole Shebang Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen Follow on Instagram: @blueberrytherapypelvichealth Join us at The Pleasure Principle Conference for even more women's health education
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  89: Sleep, Sex and Menopause with Dr. Woganee Filate 04.06.2026 39мин

  Why does sleep fall apart in midlife, and why does nobody seem able to explain it? Dr. Woganee Filate, respirologist, sleep medicine physician, and co-founder of Lume Women + Health, joins Kristen to break down the four reasons women stop sleeping during perimenopause and menopause, the sleep disorders that go undiagnosed, and what actually works to fix it. What You Will Learn The four buckets behind midlife sleep disruption and how they stack Why sleep apnea is as common in postmenopausal women as in men, and why it gets missed How hormone therapy and new non-hormonal medications affect sleep Why CBT-I beats sleeping pills for chronic insomnia The two-way connection between sleep and libido in midlife A healthier way to handle separate bedrooms as a couple In This Episode [00:35] How Woganee ended up in sleep medicine, from chief medical resident to a fellowship rotation that changed everything [03:05] The women her colleagues kept referring with unexplained insomnia, and the perimenopause realization that flipped her career [05:18] The research was there all along. Why her training skipped it, and why she refused to keep gatekeeping the information [06:54] Her book Sleep Well, a consumer guide to sleep in perimenopause and beyond, coming December 2026 [07:05] The four buckets: changing physiology, menopause symptoms, new sleep disorders, and life stress [09:34] How genitourinary symptoms and avoidance behaviours quietly wreck sleep [13:16] Sleep apnea in women: same risk as men after menopause, with very different symptoms [13:46] Why progesterone's effect on airway muscle tone matters [14:17] Hormone therapy and sleep, plus the two non-hormonal medications available in 2026 [16:44] CBT-I explained: sleep restriction, sleep hygiene, and the cognitive restructuring that quiets 3 a.m. racing thoughts [19:33] The sleep and sex chapter: how libido and genitourinary changes are connected to sleep [22:25] Inside the Lume model: in-person care, 60-minute appointments, and eight pillars of women's health [25:16] Why she wants you to retire the phrase "sleep divorce" for a shared sleep action plan [28:51] The stakes: how chronic poor sleep raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and metabolic disease [32:15] Building menopause-inclusive workplaces, and the $3.5 billion Canada loses to unmanaged symptoms [35:39] What is next for Woganee and Lume, including expansion to Western Canada [37:27] Theme Song: Unstoppable by Sia About Dr. Woganee Filate Dr. Woganee Filate, MD, FRCPC, MSCP, is a respirologist and sleep medicine physician and a co-founder of Lume Women + Health in Toronto. University of Toronto trained, she holds a Master of Health Science in Community Health and Epidemiology, has published more than 20 peer-reviewed papers, and is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. In 2025 she was named an RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Ones to Watch recipient. Her book, Sleep Well, arrives December 2026. Connect with Dr. Woganee Filate Instagram: @wfilatemd Clinic: Lume Women + Health and @lumewomenshealth Book: Sleep Well (pre-order wherever you buy books, out December 2026) Listen to More Episodes Like This Menopause hormone therapy and what you need to know Perimenopause, pelvic health, and the changes nobody warns you about The genitourinary syndrome of menopause, explained Connect with The Hole Shebang Visit blueberrytherapy.ca Subscribe to The Hole Shebang Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen Follow on Instagram: @blueberrytherapypelvichealth Join us at The Pleasure Principle Conference for even more women's health education
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  88: Painful Sex: When Your Body is Not the Problem with Dr. Jordin Wiggins 28.05.2026 45мин

  Sexual coercion is the missing piece in almost every conversation about painful sex, low desire and sexual dysfunction, and in Part Two of this conversation Dr. Jordin Wiggins names it without flinching. Jordin is a Naturopathic Doctor, author of The Pink Canary and host of the globally ranked Pleasure Principles podcast, and she has spent more than 12 years helping women reclaim pleasure, health and power in their relationships. This episode bridges directly into pelvic health, because so many women arrive with painful sex and a completely normal exam. Jordin explains what is actually happening underneath, and why the body was often never the problem at all. What You Will Learn Kristen and Jordin unpack why sexual dysfunction works like the canary in the coal mine for a woman's whole health, how super traits such as over empathy, over tolerance and relentless hard work set women up for extractive relationships, and what the pleasure void looks like in the body. You will learn why the orgasm gap persists, how to recognise everyday coercion, and why Jordin believes every clinician treating sexual pain should start by screening for it. You will also get a handful of simple pleasure practices you can begin today. Timestamps [01:52] The Pink Canary, and why sexual dysfunction signals deeper health issues [06:25] The systemic devaluation of women's pleasure, from Viagra to The Pink Pill documentary [13:44] Super traits explained, and how your strengths quietly drain your desire [18:37] The pleasure void and anhedonia, and what shows up on an MRI [21:51] Where to start, the small daily pleasure practices that turn pleasure back on [27:10] Pleasure centred sex, checkbox sex and the orgasm gap [30:54] Why screening for sexual coercion belongs at the start of every assessment [40:00] Why more men are reaching out, and what accountability really requires Theme Song Little Girl Gone by Chinchilla and Devotion by Justin Bieber Topics Covered Sexual coercion and how to recognise it Painful sex with a normal pelvic exam Super traits and how strengths drain desire Anhedonia and the pleasure void The orgasm gap and pleasure centred sex Daily pleasure practices for reconnection Relationship and sexual equity in clinical care Resources Mentioned The Pink Canary by Dr. Jordin Wiggins Free Super Traits Quiz 50 Pleasure Practices Guide, available through The Pleasure Collective Women Who Love Psychopaths, the Sandra Brown research behind super traits The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs and Who Has Control, the Cindy Eckert documentary on Paramount Plus Related Episodes Ep 72: Super Traits and the Real Reason Your Sex Drive Disappeared with Dr. Jordin Wiggins (Part One) Ep 2: Mindfulness to Improve Sexual Desire with Dr. Lori Brotto Ep 37: Sex, Pelvic Health and Breaking Taboos with Dr. Rachel Gelman Connect with Dr. Jordin Wiggins Website: thepleasurecollective.com Instagram: @drjordinwiggins Podcast: The Pleasure Principles Substack: The Pleasure Path, available through The Pleasure Collective Clinic: Health Over All in Fonthill, Ontario Connect with The Hole Shebang Subscribe to The Hole Shebang Podcast, leave a review and visit blueberrytherapy.ca. If painful sex or low desire is part of your story, our team offers pelvic health physiotherapy and virtual consultations across Ontario. We would love to see you at The Pleasure Principle conference on May 14, 2027. Follow on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth
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  87: Clitoris Anatomy: What We Still Got Wrong Until 2026 with Anita Brown-Major 21.05.2026 54мин

  The clitoris was mapped from cadaver sections in 1998, imaged on MRI in 2005, its nerve fibres counted in 2023 and its full nerve network mapped in 3D for the first time in March 2026. In this episode, occupational therapist and Cliterate model creator Anita Brown-Major joins Kristen to talk about what all of that actually means for your body, your pleasure and your clinical care. Anita has spent 30 years integrating sexuality into rehabilitation practice and founded Thrive Rehab in Melbourne, Australia. Together they break down the sexual response cycle, the difference between psychogenic and reflexogenic arousal and why understanding your own anatomy is the foundation of both pleasure and consent. In This Episode [00:00] Welcome and introductions. Anita shares her background as a neuro rehab OT and how she came to specialize in sexuality and disability. [03:00] The Cliterate model origin story. How a fluffy vulva puppet failed a client who was blind and led to the creation of the world's first pull-apart anatomical vulva model. [12:00] The history of the clitoris and why it keeps disappearing. From the 1300s to 1998 to 2026: political erasure, Professor Helen O'Connell's mapping and Dr. Ju Young Lee's 3D nerve research. [16:00] Expansion packs and the pelvic floor insert. Labia diversity, the glow-in-the-dark clitoris and the upcoming pelvic floor muscle insert. [25:00] The sexual response cycle explained: psychogenic vs reflexogenic arousal. [29:00] Why this matters for sexual assault survivors. The reflexogenic response is not consent. [33:00] Orgasms, muscle tone and the tennis analogy. How orgasms reduce tone for up to 24 hours and why less than 20% of vulva owners orgasm from penetration alone. [40:00] Pleasure as a health prescription. Why if orgasm were a pill, we'd prescribe it. [44:00] OT assessments for sexuality. Dr. Beth Ann Walker's OPISI tool. [47:00] Sensory menus, neurodivergence and adaptive equipment for intimacy. What You Will Learn This episode will change how you think about your own anatomy, how your body responds to touch regardless of what your brain wants and why pleasure deserves to be a clinical goal across every health discipline. You will learn the two pathways to clitoral engorgement, why arousal during sexual assault is physiology and not consent, how orgasms can reduce muscle tone for people with neurological conditions and why designing for disability creates solutions that work for everyone. About Anita Brown-Major Anita Brown-Major (she/her) is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience in neurological rehabilitation based in Melbourne, Australia. She splits her clinical time between inpatient rehab at Royal Melbourne Hospital and her own practice at Thrive Rehab, which she founded in 2016. She is the founder and CEO of Cliterate, a sex-education social enterprise built around the world's first pull-apart anatomical model of the vulva and clitoris. Cliterate was launched in 2023 in collaboration with RMIT University and has been recognized in the 2024 Good Design Awards and the Victorian Premier's Design Awards. Anita is a member of the International Cliterati and has given evidence to the Australian Senate advocating for a sexuality framework inside the NDIS. Her core thesis: sex is an Activity of Daily Living. Key Topics Covered Clitoral anatomy and 3D nerve mapping The sexual response cycle: psychogenic and reflexogenic arousal Sexuality, disability and occupational therapy Orgasm and muscle tone management Sensory profiles and neurodivergence in intimacy Vulva diversity and the politics of anatomy Consent, physiology and sexual assault Adaptive sexual aids and equipment Resources Mentioned Cliterate model and education resources Thrive Rehab courses for health professionals Professor Helen O'Connell's original clitoral mapping research Dr. Ju Young Lee's 3D nerve mapping research (March 2026) Professor Jenny Hayes and the Grey's Anatomy textbook update on vulva diversity Dr. Beth Ann Walker's OPISI (Occupational Performance Inventory of Sexuality and Intimacy) Good Design Award 2024, Product and Lifestyle and Sporting categories Victorian Premier's Design Awards Related Episodes Episode 1: Why Good Sex Matters: The Neuroscience of Pleasure with Dr. Nan Wise Episode 37: Sex, Pelvic Health and Breaking Taboos with Dr. Rachel Gelman Episode 60: Perimenopause as Your Sexual Debut with Taylor McConnachie Episode 68: Why Your Vulvar Pain Might Not Be What You Think with Dee Hartmann Episode 73: Clitoral Vibration as Healthcare Not Just Pleasure with Natalia Banton Theme Song: "We're All in This Together" from High School Musical Connect with Anita Brown-Major Cliterate: cliterate.com.au Thrive Rehab: thriverehab.com.au Instagram: @cliteratemodel Connect with The Hole Shebang Subscribe to The Hole Shebang Podcast wherever you listen and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Visit blueberrytherapy.ca to learn more about pelvic health services in Hamilton, Ontario. Follow on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth
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  86: Sex After Menopause: The Truth Your Doctor Won't Say with Shirley Weir 14.05.2026 39мин

  Sex after menopause is not a joke and vaginal dryness is not just an inconvenience you have to live with. In this episode of The Hole Shebang Podcast, Kristen Parise sits down with Shirley Weir, founder of Menopause Chicks, Amazon bestselling author of Mokita: How to Navigate Perimenopause With Confidence and Ease, and one of Canada's most recognized voices in midlife women's health. Shirley shares the framework she has built over 13 years of advocacy: a health bus model that puts you in the driver's seat of your own care team, a Speak Menopause script that gets you real answers in a 12 minute appointment, and the unapologetic clinical truth about vaginal dryness, hormone therapy access in Canada, and why "normal is a setting on your dryer." Episode Breakdown [02:14] When perimenopause hit in her 40s and the system had no answers [04:11] Why she named her book Mokita, the word for "the truth we all know but agree not to talk about" [06:52] The Joy of Menopause, her forthcoming book this fall [08:36] What it means to own your health decisions [10:03] The health bus framework, who belongs on it, and why your dentist made the cut [13:08] The Speak Menopause script for your next appointment [19:18] The vaginal dryness statistic that started a movement [21:46] The origin of "yes there's sex after menopause sometimes even with a partner" [25:46] The biggest menopause lie women are still being told in 2026 [27:16] Normal is a setting on your dryer [30:24] The lawyer analogy that will change how you book every appointment [32:55] Why your dentist belongs on your health bus [35:45] Speak Menopause launching this spring, plus BC and Manitoba menopause hormone therapy coverage [39:23] Shirley's theme song What You'll Learn How to walk into a medical appointment informed and confident. Why "normal" and "common" are not the same word. How to build a health team that actually serves you in midlife. Why less than 4 percent of women with vaginal dryness have a solution and what to do about it. The current state of menopause hormone therapy access in Canada. Topics Covered Menopause and perimenopause Vaginal dryness and genitourinary syndrome of menopause Sex after menopause Menopause hormone therapy access in Canada Patient advocacy in 12 minute medical appointments Building a multidisciplinary midlife health team Women's health research and education in Canada Resources and References Mentioned Menopause Chicks website Mokita: How to Navigate Perimenopause With Confidence and Ease by Shirley Weir Feel Amazing Vulva and Vaginal Moisturizer at Intimate Wellbeing Menopause Chicks private community The Choice by Dr. Edith Eger Speak Menopause platform, launching spring 2026 at menopausechicks.com Guest's Theme Song Brave by Sara Bareilles Related Episodes from The Hole Shebang Episode 12: Perimenopause and Hormone Replacement with Dr. Alison Shea Episode 60: Perimenopause as Your Sexual Debut: Rewriting the Narrative with Taylor McConnachie Episode 77: Why Vaginal Dryness Isn't Something You Have to Figure Out Alone with Dr. Dolores Fernandez Episode 48: Hydrate, Lubricate, and Vibrate: Empowering Midlife Women's Sexual Health Episode 3: The Intersection of Menopause and Sexual Health with Dr. Maureen Slattery Connect with Shirley Weir Website: menopausechicks.com Instagram: @menopausechicks Community: menopausechickscommunity.com Podcast: Menopause Chicks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Connect with The Hole Shebang Subscribe to The Hole Shebang Podcast wherever you listen. Visit blueberrytherapy.ca to book a consult or learn more about pelvic health physiotherapy in Hamilton Ontario. Follow on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth. Join us at The Pleasure Principle 2027 on May 14, 2027.
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  85: Always Tired: The Hormones Your Doctor Isn't Testing with Dr. Margot Lattanzi 07.05.2026 44мин

  Fatigue that persists despite adequate sleep is one of the most common and most dismissed complaints in women's healthcare. In this episode, pelvic health physiotherapist Kristen Parise sits down with Dr. Margot Lattanzi, a board certified naturopathic doctor in Toronto and creator of the Hormone Cornerstone Method, to explore why standard bloodwork often misses the hormones driving chronic fatigue and what a naturopathic approach can uncover. From thyroid antibodies and insulin to cortisol rhythm and gut inflammation, Margot walks through what a fuller hormone picture actually reveals. We also dig into postpartum depletion, why perimenopause involves far more than estrogen and progesterone, and the simple nervous system resets you can start today. If you have been told your labs are fine but your body disagrees, this conversation is your starting point. Timestamps [00:00] Welcome and introduction to Dr. Margot Lattanzi [01:00] Margot's origin story: from chronic health struggles to naturopathic medicine [03:15] The Hormone Cornerstone Method: six systems that drive hormonal health [05:00] Why testing and tracking are always step one [07:00] "Your labs are fine" and what that actually means [09:05] The thyroid deep dive: TSH, T3, T4, antibodies and the HPT axis [11:25] Gut health, inflammation and nutrient absorption [15:15] Meeting patients where they are: the easy, medium, hard approach [16:50] Postpartum depletion: what real recovery looks like [20:25] Sleep quality versus quantity [22:05] Sleep is a 24 hour event: calming the nervous system during the day [24:00] Vagus nerve exercises: deep breathing, gargling, singing [26:40] Postpartum meets perimenopause: the double whammy [30:45] Omegas, brain fog and why even fish eaters benefit from supplementation [32:00] Cortisol: what it actually does and why social media gets it wrong [35:15] Continuous glucose monitors: helpful or information overload? [39:10] The Why Am I Always Tired Hormone Quiz [43:05] Theme song: Man! I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain What You Will Learn This episode walks through the hormone testing your family doctor may not be running, including thyroid antibodies, insulin and a full iron panel. Margot explains what postpartum depletion actually looks like from a naturopathic lens, why perimenopause involves far more than estrogen and progesterone, how cortisol follows a 24 hour rhythm that most of us are sabotaging, and the simple nervous system resets you can do throughout your day to keep your stress response in check. Key Topics Covered Hormone Cornerstone Method and the six cornerstones of health Thyroid testing beyond TSH: T3, T4 and thyroid antibodies Cortisol rhythm, the cortisol awakening response and "wired and tired" Postpartum depletion and nutrient recovery Perimenopause as more than estrogen and progesterone Gut health, inflammation and leaky gut Nervous system regulation and vagus nerve exercises Omegas, brain fog and healthy fats for hormone production Sleep quality versus quantity PCOS, insulin resistance and irregular cycles Supplement strategy: magnesium, L-theanine, ashwagandha, vitamin D Resources Mentioned Why Am I Always Tired? Hormone Quiz (free download from Dr. Margot) The Fatigue Fix Guide (6 week self-paced online course) Related Episodes from The Hole Shebang Episode 7: Healing the Gut for Hormone Balance with Stephanie Singh Episode 12: Perimenopause and Hormone Replacement with Dr. Alison Shea Episode 45: Exhausted to Energized: Real Nutrition Talk for Real Moms with Laura Lima Episode 59: Your Vagina Is Shrinking and Nobody Told You with Dr. Carrie Jones Episode 76: The Four Pillars of Hormone Balance for Women Over 40 with Daphne Kostova Guest Bio Dr. Margot Lattanzi is a board certified naturopathic doctor and acupuncture provider practicing at Body Co Toronto in The Junction and virtually across Ontario. She is the creator of the Hormone Cornerstone Method and The Fatigue Fix Guide. She holds additional training in hormone therapy, fertility, prenatal and postnatal care, paediatric care and women's health. Theme Song: Man! I Feel Like a Woman! by Shania Twain Connect with Dr. Margot Lattanzi Website: doctormargotnd.com Instagram: @doctormargotnd Email: [email protected] Booking: doctormargotnd.janeapp.com Connect with The Hole Shebang Visit blueberrytherapy.ca and subscribe to The Hole Shebang Podcast. Follow on Instagram @blueberrytherapypelvichealth Listen and subscribe: blueberrytherapy.ca/podcast Join us at The Pleasure Principle Conference on May 8, 2026 in Hamilton, Ontario. Visit blueberrytherapy.ca for details.
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  84: From PMDD Hell to Heaven on Earth: Heather Hendrie on Periods, Wilderness Therapy, and Awfully Hilarious Healing 30.04.2026 37мин

  PMDD: 30 Years of Misdiagnosis and How to Break the Cycle One in 20 menstruating people lives with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and the average time to diagnosis is still 20 years. For Heather Hendrie, it was 30. Heather is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, wilderness therapist and creator of the Awfully Hilarious anthology series, a collection of books using humour to break stigma around periods, sex and the stories we are most often told to keep quiet. In this episode, Kristen and Heather explore what PMDD actually looks like to live with, why the medical system keeps missing it and how storytelling can do what a clinical handout never could. The conversation also covers the science of walk-and-talk nature therapy and what bilateral movement on trail does to the nervous system. What You Will Learn This episode covers what PMDD is in plain language and why it is consistently misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, depression or identity issues. Heather shares what those 30 undiagnosed years actually looked like month to month and what finally connected the dots. You will also hear about the origin of the Awfully Hilarious anthology series, what the editorial team discovered about desire, identity and courage through the Pillow Talk submissions and why Heather believes humour is one of the most underused tools in health advocacy. The episode closes with the science of what the research shows about nature and nervous system regulation. Episode Breakdown [00:57] PMDD: what 30 undiagnosed years actually looked and felt like [03:31] Premenstrual dysphoric disorder explained in plain language and why diagnosis takes so long [04:21] The perimenopause times a thousand analogy and why PMDD is getting more attention now [07:52] How a terrible date and a phone call became the Awfully Hilarious book series [10:35] Pillow Talk: 18 writers on sex, desire and intimacy from across five countries [13:00] Why some stories required anonymity and how the editorial team protected writers [21:00] Walk-and-talk wilderness therapy in Whistler BC and why the trail changes what is possible [22:46] The science: bilateral movement, birdsong, attention restoration theory and fractal patterns in nature [31:38] What Heather is reading at The Pleasure Principle conference on May 8, 2026 About Heather Hendrie Heather Hendrie is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and wilderness therapist based in Whistler, British Columbia. She holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Calgary and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counselling with a concentration in Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy from Naropa University. She is the founder of True Nature Wilderness Therapy and the creator of the Awfully Hilarious anthology series. Her forthcoming memoir, Where the Eff Is My Red Tent (Caitlin Press), releases September 2026. 🎶 Theme Song: Heaven Is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle Key Topics Covered Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): symptoms, diagnosis and the 20-year average delay Why menstruating bodies were systematically understudied by medicine The Awfully Hilarious anthology series: origin, mission and all four books Pillow Talk: stories about sex, desire and intimacy from writers across five countries Walk-and-talk wilderness therapy in the Sea to Sky Corridor, BC Bilateral movement and brain hemisphere activation on trail Birdsong, fractals and attention restoration theory The Pleasure Principle conference May 8, 2026 in Hamilton, Ontario Resources and References Mentioned Awfully Hilarious book series - all four books available here including Pillow Talk, Period Pieces and Stories We Never Tell Where the Eff Is My Red Tent by Heather Hendrie - forthcoming memoir from Caitlin Press, pre-sale available now, September 2026 The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD by Shalene Gupta - the book Heather references on PMDD history and the fight for DSM inclusion McMaster Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) - the validated 19-question screening tool developed at McMaster University to identify PMS and PMDD. This is the tool Heather references in the episode. Available in hardcopy and electronic format. International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) - free PMDD symptom tracker and diagnosis support resources PaRx (Park Prescriptions Canada) - the Canadian program encouraging healthcare providers to prescribe time in nature True Nature Wilderness Therapy - Heather's walk-and-talk therapy practice, accepting clients in BC and western provinces Related Episodes Episode 49: Unlocking the Secrets of Your Hormonal Cycle with Laura Federico - PMDD, cycle tracking and menstrual health Episode 7: Healing the Gut for Hormone Balance with Stephanie Singh - menstrual cycle and hormonal health Episode 16: Move the Body, Heal the Mind with Dr. Jennifer Heisz - the science of movement and mental health Episode 29: Moving from Surviving to Thriving in the Perinatal Period with Dr. Arielle Buch-Frohlich - perinatal mental health advocacy Episode 12: Perimenopause and Hormone Replacement with Dr. Alison Shea - hormones and mental health through midlife Connect with Heather Hendrie Website: heatherhendrie.com Awfully Hilarious books: awfullyhilarious.com True Nature Wilderness Therapy: truenaturewildernesstherapy.com Instagram (books): @awfullyhilarious Instagram (therapy): @truenaturewildernesstherapy Instagram (personal): @heather.hendrie Connect with The Hole Shebang Visit blueberrytherapy.ca to book a pelvic health appointment, browse our team and subscribe to the podcast. Follow us on Instagram: @blueberrytherapypelvichealth The Pleasure Principle conference is May 8, 2026 in Hamilton, Ontario. Tickets at blueberrytherapy.ca.