After a two-year hiatus, we’ve decided to kick off the Women’s Health Podcast again. We’re excited to interview some incredible guests on the show in the months to come and would love to hear your suggestions!
In this chat, we discuss what we’ve been up to over the past two years (and all the places Antony has been to!). We have a bit of a chat about principals rather than protocols when treating pelvic health conditions and the importance of personal experience as a motivator for change. We also talk about collaboration between health and fitness professionals and how this can benefit women. It’s a bit of a random chat, but hopefully you enjoy it!
Today we have the pleasure of speaking to Kieran Richardson.
Kieran is a Specialist Physiotherapist and the Director of Global Specialist Physiotherapy, a consultancy company providing Professional Development, Formal Mentoring and Non-surgical opinions for patients.
Kieran and his team of academics, expert clinicians and researchers consult to multiple clinics and health care professionals in Perth, Western Australia, and well as nationally and internationally via online platforms such as Zoom.
He also has various online courses for both clinicians and patients, specifically covering non-surgical management of ACL tears.
He also has successfully overseen 100’s of full thickness ACL tears of patients both in Australia and internationally via the Telehealth method.
Today we talked about: – Kieran’s career journey – from considering a life as an accountant, doctor or lawyer to choosing to be a physiotherapist – how the specialisation process helped – in particular the mentoring/peer review – how applying evidence-based practice can be a tricky balance – how ACL management is VERY surgical focussed in Australia and how this has been very slow to change in spite of the current research – how healthcare is very medically dominant – we (physiotherapists) would need to be a combined force to have a strong say – the evidence for and against manual therapy – are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater? – communicating with colleagues online. Could we do better? – the business of healthcare and how profits can impact on management. – ACL pathways. What is considered best management? How is ACL surgery/rehab funded in Australia? – whether or not physiotherapists could play a bigger role in musculoskeletal pain in primary health care settings to help reduce medical burden – why important intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration is so important – his top tips for new graduate physiotherapists
We’re excited that today we have a dynamic duo on the podcast: Dr Andrea Bruder and Dr Adam Culvenor.
Adam is a Physiotherapist and Research Fellow at the La Trobe University Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, Australia. He has combined a clinical career in sports medicine together with research investigating prevention, management and long-term outcomes of sports-related injuries, and life-span osteoarthritis. He has a particular interest in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries; in optimising return to sport, identifying risk factors for poor long-term outcomes, and developing and testing novel osteoarthritis prevention strategies. Adam has written more than 50 publications on the subject of ACL injuries and osteoarthritis, has been invited to speak at numerous international conferences, and is\ currently leading the first clinical trial in the prevention of osteoarthritis in young adults following ACL injury.
Andrea is a physiotherapist, Lecturer in Physiotherapy at La Trobe University and Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre. Her research focuses on improving injury prevention and rehabilitation practices after musculoskeletal injuries. Andrea has a particular interest in reducing the risk of ACL injuries among women and girls playing Australian football, and for those who do sustain an ACL injury, how we can improve rehabilitation practices to reduce the long-term burden.
In this podcast we talked about:
what the ACL is and how it can be injured
some risk factors for ACL injury (in males and females)- including some of the social, environmental factors
some of the current programs that exist that have been shown to reduce lower limb injuries…but how the uptake has been poor
surgical versus non surgical (sexy, cutting-edge rehab) management
why a trial period of this kind of rehabilitation may be of benefit, even if the client goes on to have surgery further down the track
how the rates of arthritis are similar between the two treatment options
We are again blessed to have the amazing Molly Galbraith on the podcast!
Marika and Antony have both had the pleasure of getting to know Molly over the past 5 years and are thrilled to talk to her about her new book, Strong Women Lift Each Other Up.
Molly Galbraith, CSCS, is the cofounder of Girls Gone Strong (GGS), the world’s largest platform providing evidence-based, interdisciplinary health, fitness, nutrition, and pregnancy education for women and the health and fitness professionals who work with them—including industry-leading certification programs and coaching.
The “Strong Women Lift Each Other Up” philosophy is woven through the fabric of GGS, as Molly leads a team of women from the US, Canada, UK, Mexico, India, and Australia. From employing and educating, to featuring, collaborating with, and investing in women, GGS is dedicated to serving their community of women from 80+ countries around the world.
In the podcast we talked about soooo much great stuff, including:
how this book came about and how women lifting each other up has helped Molly get to where she is today
some of the statistics around representation of women in government and executive positions… and ways that we can help change this.
why making the biggest difference with the least amount of harm is her highest value
why the book is structured the way it is – to help the reader move through the stages of working on their own care first (eg on jealousy and the comparison trap) in order to feel able to truly support other women
why understanding your values truly helps you a more fulfilling life and be true to yourself
how helping lift other women up can be small, simple things such as a compliment or a recommendation
how you can find your superpower and level up your support of other women!
We love Molly’s book and would love everyone to get out and buy it and tell us what you think (no, we are not making commission!!). The book is not only filled with fabulous advice, interesting stories and reflective questions, but also a ton of online resources.
Antony and I were thrilled to talk to Clare Minahan, PhD Scientist and champion for women in sport.
Clare Minahan is an Associate Professor at Griffith University, Queensland Australia, and has led the Griffith Sports Science group since 2002. Clare’s interests are in the advancement of human performance with a key focus on the determinants of performance in female athletes. She has documented unique responses to exercise in female athletes including muscle damage, thermoregulation and immune function. Clare is a founding member of the Australian Institute of Sport’s Female Performance and Health Initiative.
Some of the topics we cover in this episode include:
some of the differences between male and female athletes in terms of how they respond to training and recovery
how the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) influences things like thermoregulation, immune function and recovery from acute bouts of intense exercise
how the hormones fluctuate over the menstrual cycle and how this may influence training choices
why training needs to be individualised and based on tracking of the athlete’s cycle
that around 50% of athletes are on the OCP, so we need to understand better the effects. Clare also discusses the different generations of OCP and acknowledges that these will have different effects on the athlete (there are at least 35 different types of OCP just in Australia!)
how female athletes are at a 3x increased risk of ACL injuries. Studies showing that landing strategies seem to changes during teenage years for girls. This could also be related to hormonal changes – there are some studies showing increased risk during late follicular phase- but there is still much more to learn on this. Could also be related to changes in body composition through the teenage years
females with higher circulating levels of testosterone. Do they have a competitive advantage?
the advantage of having a regular menstrual cycle in terms of giving us a picture of our health. Withdrawal bleed while on OCP is not the same thing.
if not able to properly track menstrual cycle due to OCP use, Clare talks about other ways that we can monitor for RED-S (hint: performance, fatigue, mood, immune function)
why it’s important to get the basics right (sleep, nutrition, stress etc) before manipulating your training around the menstrual cycle
If you would like to get in touch with Clare, you can best contact her on twitter @clareMINAHAN or via the Griffin University website. c.minahan@griffith.edu.au
On this podcast, we chat to Amanda Thebe, fitness professional and author of the book Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too!
Amanda has over twenty years of experience in the fitness industry. She is a popular guest on podcasts and online summits, and her health and fitness tips have been featured in media outlets like Shape, Prevention, Healthline, and Global News. She lives in Houston, Texas.
In this episode we talked about:
Amanda’s recent experience with COVID-19 and how it knocked her for six for a few months. The post-viral syndrome left Amanda with a lot of fatigue and she struggled with daily activities for a long time, but is thankfully now on the mend!
her story about when she first started experiencing symptoms of menopause (ie migraines, vertigo and depressions) and how it took two years and several health practitioners to find the answers she was looking for
how surprised she was to find out that she was perimenopausal at the age of 42 and how so few people were talking about the subject! This led Amanda on a journey of discovery – she dived deep into the literature to learn more about menopause so that she could help herself and others. This led to her writing a book on it!
the frustration that Amanda felt when she couldn’t find the answers to what was going on. She felt so much despair and thought that she was going to be feeling like that forever.
how little medical professionals get trained on the topic of menopause -including the management. But this seems to be changing in the UK with new guidelines and mandatory training
some of the common symptoms that women experience through the perimenopausal period (that no-one talks about!), such as vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
what happens to oestrogen and progesterone during the perimenopausal period. Amanda also talks about leptin and ghrelin and how these hormones can impact our hunger and satiety cues.
some of the physiological and psychological changes that occur through the perimenopausal period and how we can become more susceptible to things like cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers disease and osteoporosis
the controversy around hormone therapy, how the medication has changed over time and how incredible helpful it is for so many women
how physical and emotional stress can impact on symptoms during perimenopause – and some things that you can do to reduce these!
why women tend to put on weight around menopause and how there is often a change in body shape around this time.
how perimenopause can be a tough time for many women as they are often not only working and raising children, but also looking after elderly parents too. She discusses how useful it can be for women to spend some time exploring their values (see website below) and learn to make values-based decisions. And say no!
In this episode we have a fantastic conversation with Dr Julie Granger all about adolescent health and well being.
You may remember Julie from our previous episode (#20 “Do you have a hormonal teenager?”)
Julie educates and mentors physical therapists and health professionals to eliminate the awkwardness that comes with helping teens — to instead confidently and expertly guide them and their families toward healthy lives in adolescence and adulthood. She also helps entrepreneurial physical therapists and health professionals who are feeling stuck, confused, or overwhelmed about how to start or grow a practice to tap into their intuition and discover a personalized life and business plan that’s both inspiring and reflects what they truly love in life.
In this podcast, we talk about
how teens often slip through the cracks as they don’t fit into either the adult or paediatric models of care
how some teenage boys can bottle up their emotions and minimise their injuries – and how we can open up dialogue with them
the importance of allowing children to experience the consequences of their decisions in the process of transitioning to independent adults
why some injuries and pains are more common at different age points (think: bony changes)
why it is essential for health professionals working with teens to know the growth charts and to have good links with radiologists that understand growth plates
some tips for communicating with parents of teens
how to help navigate the rehabilitation timeline with teens (when a week feels like a year!)
how to set up your working environment to make it more “teen friendly”
You can learn more about Dr Granger here: Facebook: @drjuliegranger Instagram: @drjuliegranger Twitter: @drjuliegranger
If you would like to join her FB group and learn more about working with this population head to
And for those who want to deep dive and become the go-to expert in working with teens, then definitely check out her online course (commencing November 16th): http://bit.ly/healthprosforhealthyteens (using this code will help support our podcast by giving us a small commission).
In this episode, we finally manage to grab Dr Jo Milios back on the podcast. We spoke to Jo for over an hour this time last year…and sadly the technology let us down. Yes…it all got wiped.
So thankfully Jo does not hate us and she kindly agreed to come back on the podcast!
Dr Jo Milios is a physiotherapist based in Perth, Western Australia. She is passionate about helping men with urinary incontinence, Peyronie’s disease and pelvic pain.
Here are some of the topics that we discussed in the podcast
Jo’s journey in physiotherapy and how she came to be working in men’s health through a connection with her brother who is a urologist
how Jo became so passionate in helping men after radical prostatectomy (RP) regain their continence and sexual function, culminating in her completing her PhD in 2019.
the story of how she learnt about Peyronie’s Disease through the experience of a young client and wanted to be able to help him. This led to her reaching out to international colleagues and trying therapeutic ultrasound to great effect
Jo then added yet another project to her PhD, demonstrating the efficacy of ultrasound on Peyronie’s disease -she discusses the physiological changes that occur during prostate surgery and why there are changes in continence and sexual function.
how penile length changes can occur after surgery and some of the things that can be done to help maintain length
hard-flaccid syndrome – how some young men are suffering from too much vigorous self stimulation while watching porn. Can lead to hypersensitivity, pain, Peyronie’s disease, depression/ anxiety etc
how it can take 2 years for the nerves to recover after RP, so during that time we want to maintain length and function but take the pressure away from sexual function. Only 22% of men regain sexual function after two years and in men over 60 – only 4% will regain sexual function if don’t do penile rehabilitation
ultrasound treatment for Peyronie’s disease – how she performed her research study and some of the amazing results found. We may need to pull these machines out of the cupboard and dust them off!
why it’s important for men to check their penis regularly (eg in the shower) and feel for any changes such as lumps and bumps.
the importance of screening for erectile dysfunction (think: cardiovascular disease), urinary /bowel function and pelvic pain. We as health and fitness professionals need to be more proactive in this!
the importance of screening the spine in clients with urinary symptoms and how treatment of the spine (eg through manual therapy and/or exercise) could help relieve symptoms esp in those who seem to have good PFM function
You can learn more from Jo by listening to her podcast with Melissa Hadley-Barrett
