Pubic Pain & Pelvic Health & Female Athletes: Episode 134 with Dr Helen McKeever

Hello & Welcome to today’s episode! This is one for the pelvic health in sports medicine fans!

I’m interviewing Helen McKeever about pubic and inguinal pain in female athletes, based on Helen's chapter in Grainne Donnelly's book "Sports Medicine: The Pelvic Floor."

In this conversation, myself and Helen discuss the importance of considering multiple factors beyond just pelvic floor issues when treating groin pain, including musculoskeletal drivers, hypermobility, and REDs - encompassing reproductive, endocrine, digestive, and sleep factors.

We explored how pelvic floor physiotherapists should expand their assessment beyond mechanical issues to include questions about bladder and bowel function, menstrual cycles, and psychosocial factors.

Helen shared clinical insights about the anterior pubic ligament complex and the role of deep hip rotators in managing chronic groin pain.

The conversation highlights the need for collaborative approaches between pelvic health and sports medicine specialists, with Helen currently working at Aspetar in Doha where she sees female athletes presenting with complex pelvic and groin pain issues, as part of a multidisciplinary team approach.

We also talked about pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy, differential diagnosis and clinical reasoning for hip, pubic & groin pain, hypermobility and we discussed how pelvic floor physiotherapists should broaden their differential diagnosis beyond just pelvic floor issues, considering factors like motor control around the hip, deep rotators, and anterior-posterior tilt capabilities. Helen shared a case study of a tennis player where addressing both pelvic floor and musculoskeletal components was crucial for successful rehabilitation.

This was a rich conversation that I think really highlights the importance of pelvic health in sports medicine.

If you'd like to learn more, the textbook 'Sports Medicine & the Pelvic Floor' edited by Grainne Donnelly and of course, my online course 'The Menstrual Detective', includes access to 'Pelvic Health for the Young Female Athlete' as well.

You can find Helen and her research on ResearchGate and LinkedIn and you can follow my continuing adventures in women's health on instagram @michellelyons_muliebrity and all of my online courses can be found at CelebrateMuliebrity.com

Until next time, Onwards & Upwards! Mx #celebratemuliebrity