The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
151: Male Pelvic Health & Yoga with Dr. Susie Gronski
Description:
Pelvic health is a recurring topic on this podcast, but most of the time, it is about pelvic health in general or particular to female-bodied people. However, pelvic health is something important to male-bodied people too, so on this episode Dr. Susie Gronski sheds some light on male pelvic health and the issues surrounding that.
Dr. Susie Gronski describes herself as “the physiotherapist for your privates”. She is a licensed doctor of physical therapy, board certified pelvic rehabilitation practitioner, and a certified health coach. On her podcast In Your Pants, Dr. Susie approaches the topic of pain, pelvic health, and sexuality with open and transparent conversations. Apart from providing 1:1 hands-on consultations with her patients to teach them how to be the expert in treating their pelvic pain, Dr. Susie is also a Registered Yoga Teacher, and brings that aspect into her work.
What are some of the concerns that male-bodied people have regarding their pelvic health, and how can yoga or PT help? In this interview, Dr. Susie addresses a variety of topics - from pelvic pain, to urinary issues, from how pelvic health relates to sexual function, to myths around pelvic health.
If you know someone who is male-bodied, or are a male-bodied person yourself - this episode has great information that will be beneficial in understanding more about male pelvic health.
Key Takeaways:
[6:55] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Dr. Susie Gronski.
[7:53] What is the work that Dr. Susie does and who does she do it for?
[8:38] What has the challenge been as a female-bodied person addressing male body part issues?
[12:58] Be aware of the language and terms you use around the topic of pelvic health!
[14:27] What are some of the main issues that male-bodied people face with regard to pelvic health?
[19:10] Dr. Susie shares an anecdote of a patient she is working with.
[22:15] Pain is a very personal experience that varies greatly from person to person, and particularly with men, there is a lot of stigma around how they should act or seek help.
[23:50] Lower back pain can also be related to pelvic health. Dr. Susie explains how.
[26:29] How does the male pelvic floor function differently from the female pelvic floor?
[30:50] What is the relationship between between pelvic pain and stressful images or experiences?
[35:47] What are the benefits of going to see your pelvic health PT or going to yoga class for some of these issues?
[40:33] It is important to not always be focused on engaging the pelvic floor muscles but to maintain some balance to optimize function.
[45:52] How can we encourage men to attend a pelvic health class or a yoga class?
[47:50] When should men see a pelvic health PT for any issues they're experiencing?
[53:53] Dr. Susie recommends that people should see a PT who specializes in male pelvic health, and she explains why.
[56:19] What are some resources Dr. Susie recommends to find a male pelvic health specialist?
[58:13] What is Dr. Susie's podcast about?
[58:38] What is the biggest myth or misconception men have about their pelvic health?
[1:01:59] What are Dr. Susie's thoughts on hernias and exercise in male bodies?
[1:05:53] What were your key takeaways from this episode?
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity and Pelvic Health Professionals
Quotes from this episode:
"There's a lot of isolation and stigmatization and taboo around helping male-bodies."
"The prostate has been blamed for a lot of male pain issues, but if you look at the research and the literature, the stats are about 95-97% of them have no correlation to an infection at all."
"Part of my role is to help them to be aware of that protective response, and question whether or not that's necessary for them in that moment."
"Sexual health issues, they often are intertwined with psychological or psychogenic components as well."