Even if the body and pain is complex, the strategies we can use to recover from pain doesn’t have to be! We’re going on a “Magic School Bus” ride (cue 1994 PBS nostalgia) to our cellular systems on the nanomolecular level. Jump to 34:40 for simple biohacks to reset a hypersensitive biological system that happens during chronic pain. “Change is inevitable, how you change is not.” Huge things are possible when we know how our body works and actively use that knowledge to make changes to our cellul...
Oct 10, 2022•51 min
Doing a self-examination often can help you to detect Peyronie’s disease as well as other concerns (like testicular cancer). The earlier you can detect Peyronie’s, the easier it is to treat it as a soft tissue injury. Take one minute while in the shower to: Check your balls for lumps, bumps, and changes in shape Check your penis for any bending/curvatures, rotation, or hard or calcified skin Dr. Jo Milios is a Titled Clinical Researcher and Men’s Health Physiotherapist (MACP) who has a special i...
Sep 12, 2022•48 min
Pain is just neuroscience. Your brain is calculating information 24/7 to keep you safe and alive; when it calculates the threat of danger, pain becomes a protective measure. This information is biological (like recognizing a broken bone, torn ligament, or a cut), but there are other factors the brain is calculating to make a decision on whether or not you’re in danger and need pain to rescue you. Knowing the information that both produces and reduces pain levels allows your brain to start to pro...
Aug 15, 2022•53 min
I love Dr. Denise’s focus on restoring quality of life and normalizing that there’s no normal in sexual function and desires for men. Instead of a disease-centered approach that puts a diagnosis in the spotlight, focusing on getting back to enjoying life with a personal approach. Dr. Denise Asafu-Adjei is a urologist with subspecialty training in sexual dysfunction and male infertility. She completed a Fellowship in Andrology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). She will be joinin...
Jul 16, 2022•46 min
I admire and look to Dr. McCarthy as a mentor for his work to empower men to enjoy their sexuality, freedom of choice, and to challenge the pressures men have to experience sex in a specific way. Dr. McCarthy shares how leaning into sex as sharing pleasure between partners, and letting go of the emotional need for total predictability and control, can deepen your own feelings of pleasure and allow you to continue to be sexual and playful with your partner. Vulnerabilities and concerns do not def...
Jun 20, 2022•55 min
It’s time to go on a sexy pleasure hunt, friends! Learn ways to help you feel empowered to navigate your sexual barriers so that you can connect with your sexual voice, identity, and freedom. Dr. Rose Schlaff is an intimacy coach and licensed pelvic physical therapist who helps people overcome barriers to intimacy and reclaim lives that are filled with fun, fearless pleasure. We cover topics like: Common barriers to sexual intimacy Connecting with pleasure both in and out of the bedroom Safety a...
May 24, 2022•38 min
Dr. Jason Stevens is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who completed his advanced practice residency with Dr. Gronski, working primarily with men with chronic pelvic pain / chronic prostatitis. In his twelve years as a dietitian, he has worked as a clinical oncology dietitian, taught clinical nutrition in an accredited educational program for dietetics students, and is currently a full-time college educator. His research interests include advanced-level practic...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 9 min
The moments in life that bring you the most joy in your day (the things you would not skip or live without) is what grounds us and makes us feel powerful. In my conversation with Dr. Sakshi Tickoo, founder of Sex, Love, And OT, and a queer Occupational Therapist and Counselor actively working in the areas of sexuality, intimacy, relationships and mental health across lifespan, we’re reminded how there is no normal. From sex to relaxation, what does your personal pleasure practice look like? Mayb...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr
We explore religious lenses on sexuality and pleasure. From giving ourselves permission to feel pleasurable to the fierce and genderless expression of sexuality, your body is a precious gift.Your body is asking permission to be a body and to be appreciated and loved in various expressions.We talking about the Bible and what the Catholic Church says about pleasure and sexuality. We also dive into Catholicism and vulnerabilities with sexual shame, and the reminder that sexuality is also viewed as ...
Feb 07, 2022•40 min
“Am I enough?” is a social and sexual anxiety we ruminate about. Yet, how did we get to this place of having abandoned our unconditional self-acceptance? Deepak put it beautifully when he said that: “we are at war with our own bodies and it’s desires.” Eroticism is part of breaking free from our binary thinking: of true/false ideas. Erotic intelligence, similar to emotional intelligence, is the awareness of and accepting of your emotions, what brings you physical pleasure, what brings others phy...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Joan shares how to maintain your sexuality, comfort, and dignity in older age sexuality. From being sexual with a spouse you’ve been with for years to engaging with a new partner. It’s liberating to be able to communicate that what worked in the past is no longer working, and sharing your curiosity to try something new to stay connected and find pleasurable intimacy. Recapturing your sexuality after losing your beloved is rarely touched on but holds potential to rediscover how you want sex to lo...
Dec 13, 2021•27 min
Dr. Murray uncovers how and when the shift happens when men say they don’t feel “as much as a man as I used to,” and worry if their partner is thinking the same thing. Delving into the challenges of how men can be authentic in expressing their sexual desires when the chasm of expectations and standards keeps them hiding their true sexual health and concerns. Her favorite finding from the research was discovering how deeply men wanted to feel sexually desired, physically cared for, close to someo...
Nov 15, 2021•40 min
I really appreciated Dr. Lee’s perspective on mindful dating and red flags to watch out for , tips for partners, and the gap between sexual health and medical care for disability and chronic illness.Dr. Lee Phillips specializes in couples sex therapy and lectures on topics including sexuality, chronic pain, anxiety and stress management, caregiving stress, depression in the elderly, mindfulness and cognitive strategies for chronic pain, reclaiming sexuality for couples with chronic illness, ethi...
Oct 05, 2021•48 min
What happened when British author Tim Parks wrote down his personal experience with pelvic pain? A major US publisher said nobody wants to read about prostate and bladder concerns. They were wrong: Teach Us to Sit Still by Tim Parks was one of the first books I read on male pelvic pain and has empowered others to make their own journey out of pain. Tim shares his own struggles, triumphs, and gems in this episode. He’ll encourage you to drop the worry, be open to new possibilities for what can ch...
Aug 17, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Your bladder, bowel, digestive system, and genitals all hang together; and just like the muscles and organs down there aren’t in isolation, neither is your brain. The digestive system changes in how it functions when under stress and anxiety, and these psychological challenges come in all shapes and sizes. . I chatted with Dr. Alyse Bedell a GI Health Psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University Fein...
Jul 20, 2021•41 min
Pooping, peeing, and sex (our body’s basic physiological functions!) are just as important for our well-being as good nutrition and daily movement are for a healthy body Everything’s connected: nerves from the spinal cord and lower back connect with the pelvic floor and impact the penis, bladder, and bowel. Addressing our basic physiological functions allow the nervous system to dial down, and allow us to feel confident and safe: just like eating a chunk of broccoli nourishes our body with essen...
Jun 22, 2021•51 min
What’s toxic for a vagina is toxic for your rectum! Iso-osmotic lubricants (like those formulated by Wendy Strgar, founder and CEO Good Clean Love,) prevent transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, don’t damage vaginal and anal tissues, and increases arousal. Getting lube savvy includes learning about the vaginal microbiome, helping you better show up for intimate partners with awareness and support, and by nature learn about your own absorptive and delicate anal microbiome. . Wendy is an ...
Jun 04, 2021•38 min
There’s a dilemma between what you want to happen, and the anticipatory fear of pain during sex. The protective mechanism is always there to protect you: it’s automatic and anticipatory, but you’re still able to define your values around sex and communicate your needs and concerns as a man experiencing pain during sex. The context of painful sex is interconnected with social, cultural, and relationships values. How do you define your values in the lens of the biopsychosocial approach? Get a work...
Apr 20, 2021•50 min
A spinal cord injury can result in loss of function, feeling and mobility. This can also include changes in sexual function, bladder and bowel control. Natalia shares why neurological concerns can impact the bladder and bowel, cauda equina red flags to recognize, actionable tips for health professionals to use in their clinic with patients who have a spinal cord injury, how to use TENS for hyperactive bladders, and tips on catheter use. We also review a special spina bifida case study.
Mar 17, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Discovering pleasure and joy beyond penetrative sex can help alleviate genital pain in men. In my conversation with Heather Edwards, we dive into redefining sex, strategies to ease pain in and out of the bedroom, and how clinicians can make their practice more gender inclusive and positive.
Feb 16, 2021•48 min
HRV is one marker that makes the intangible sensation of stress and recovery tangible through data. All systems are interconnected, and the balance of stress and recovery in the body is always at play. Learn to recognize what the body views as a stressor and how to bring the body back into balance to manage pain, recover efficiently from stressful events, and feel your best. Get started with a 6-week DIY Pelvic Pain Relief Program and learn the skills and guidance to do something about pelvic pa...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Does size matter? Thoughts are just an opinion. The size that does matter is the size of your sexual energy: your passion and desire to experience connection, vulnerability, and caring intimacy with yourself and a partner. Vulnerability is a strength that allows you to live an authentic life. Learn tantra and Daoist techniques with Dominique D'Vita to stimulate nerve endings in different ways and discover your own pleasure preferences.
Dec 15, 2020•53 min
The most up-to-date information on pain science from the researcher! Taking new research advancements and implementing them in the clinic. Researchers found that TENS increases the body’s inhibitory pathways and reduces their excitability in the nervous system. After years of research and understanding how it works: researches tested it to find out if TENS can help reduce pain in movement. TENS is a safe way to activate your opioid system (using your own body’s pain killers), and is what Dr. Kat...
Nov 17, 2020•31 min
If you’re looking for one physical cause to your pain, you’ll never find it. Pain is influenced by how you feel about it, as much as it’s influenced by biomechanical, physiological, or pathological factors. There’s a lot of research on the mechanisms of pain, on rating pain, and strategies for treating pain, but research has widely ignored the impacts of persistent pain on a person’s life. Why is this missing puzzle piece so important? Because Tom Astill’s QoL study on pelvic pain connects the d...
Oct 15, 2020•54 min
Living well, with persistent pain or a health concern, is a process that can illuminate your own plan for overcoming pain. Pain and psychology are tightly weaved together. When Dr. Bronnie Lennox Thompson began her PhD she was curious about understanding why some living a life in pain are able to live a fulfilling life despite the pain, and why there are those who were not able to, through evidence based approaches. Dr. Bronnie shares with us a process to take charge of your future and overcome ...
Aug 25, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Get back to pleasure with the science, skills, and expertise you need to spice up the bedroom and get an erection with Jessica O’Reilly (AKA Dr. Jess), an award-winning sex and relationship expert. We bust the soulmate myth, name the big issues for couples, and dive into the science of sex so that you can get back to experiencing more and more pleasure! Get back to sexual pleasure with: Mindfulness, deep breathing, visualization, sensory experiences, emotional presence, and sensual focus to impr...
Jun 29, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 43
There is something super exciting bubbling in the world of data, research, and scientific tests: electro-hydraulic shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction and pelvic pain! Dr. Rachel Rubin is my guest on this episode of In Your Pants! A urologist and one of only a handful of doctors fellowship-trained in male and female sexual health (this knowledge and expertise is not as common as you think!). She practices in Washington, DC and is an active educator through professional networks and social...
May 08, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Seeking treatment at the start can seem frustrating - maybe the exercises aren’t working, maybe the hands-on manipulation is causing *more* pain, and you’re thinking “this is supposed to make me feel better why is it not working?!” The goal of physical therapy is not only about instant relief, but about rediscovering how your movement allows you to move better and with less pain. The goal of any therapy is to get your life back and allow you to do the things you love without worrying about your ...
Apr 07, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Yoga postures give you more than a stretch or workout: you’re actively changing your neurological platforms (aka how you experience the world) while moving your body. On today’s episode with Marlysa Sullivan, we’re sharing how yoga impacts the parasympathetic nervous system and how you can activate it at home. Everyone experiences the same benefits on the mat (which are starting to be noticed by the scientific community too!), and everyone who starts to practice yoga chooses to continue to roll ...
Mar 10, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Some of you might know, last July, I completed a 200hr yoga teacher training. These 3 weeks were not a walk in the park. It was both physically and emotionally challenging. Through this experience, I learned a lot about myself and deepened my connection with universal love and compassion. So on today’s show, Shelly and I talk about yoga, how you can apply yoga practice and philosophy both on the mat and in your everyday life to cultivate peace in your mind and compassion in your heart as you nav...
Feb 10, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 39
