In Your Pants With Dr. Susie G

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, ethical decision making, the assessment of mental disorders, and exploring sexual communication, freedom, and pleasure for gender minorities with chronic illness, pain, and other disabilities.Discover your mental fluidity through the process and what makes you and your partner comfortable. Dr. Lee shares how you can have those deep conversations that define what pleasure means to you and what it means to your partner. Remember: slow down and let the process take its course. Get curious about your partner and get creative

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 change pain, and to enjoy the journey out of pain.

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 Feinberg School of Medicine where she pursued a research and clinical specialization in psychogastroenterology. . If you love the science behind the gut-brain axis, get jazzed to discover the intersection of psychology and gastroenterology  . Connect with Dr. Bedell on Twitter @DrAlyseBedell or via email at abedell1@uchicago.edu . ️ Grab a digital coffee with me in a 15-minute call and have your questions answered: https://drsusieg.com/pelvic-pain-specialist-15-minute-call Dive in and get started with a 6-week DIY Pelvic P

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 essential nutrients. We uncover the research that links lumbar spine conditions together with pelvic pain syndrome. Di Wu and I uncover what you really need to feel better.Di Wu, also known as Woody, obtained his medical degree at the China Medical University. After graduating, he completed his post-graduate training in Orthopedic surgery at Beijing Tiantan Hospital. He worked as an attending orthopedic surgeon at Fuxin Central Hospital caring for trauma and spine injuries. Di offers multiple approaches to help patients eli

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 award-winning entrepreneur, author, loveologist, and sex educator whose work has helped thousands of people reclaim their passion and heal their relationships. Tune into her newest project: the podcast “Dear Sex,” where she facilitates conversations with experts, researchers, and practioners that explore the human relationship to sex and answer letters from listeners.

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 worksheet in the show notes at drsusieg.com to rediscover sexual intimacy and pleasure after pain. . Talli Rosenbaum is an individual and couple therapist and is certified as a sex therapist by The American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), as well as the Israeli Society for Sex Therapy (ISST). She co-hosts the Intimate Judaism podcast and is co-author of the book “I am For My Beloved: A Guide to Enhanced Intimacy for Married Couples.” and co-edited the Springer textbook entitled “The Over

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.

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.

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 pain: https://drsusieg.com/pelvic-pain-in-men-online-program

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. 

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. Kathleen Suka  recommends is in everyone's medicine cabinet. Everything in the nervous system is moldable, and once you have a concern going on, it doesn’t mean it’s set it stone! Pain can change

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 dots between how pelvic pain impacts your life and where you can begin to explore your attitudes, beliefs, and values to start feeling better. We’re zooming out and taking a look at everything with a wide scope. It’s all connected.

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 the pain. It can feel so incredibly satisfying to discover you're already halfway through your journey to feeling better! No need to hit the 'reset' button, or order a new body, you're half-way there!

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 improve your hard-on Tuning into so-called negative emotions like jealousy, insecurity and sadness. Treating your relationship like a business

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 media. Tune in to our chat about: commonly used medications by urologists and their impact on male sexual health (like Viagra, Cialis, Flomax, Tamsulosin, Finasteride and injections), low-intensity shockwave therapy for ED, PE, and pelvic pain, her involvement in the first clinical trial on shockwave therapy in the US, and so much more!

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 pain alarms ringing. Neil Pearson joins me on In Your Pants, a physiotherapist and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia, and in this episode we bust misunderstandings about the conception of pain versus the lived experience. Check out the show notes on my website: www.drsusieg.com for a worksheet on pain that you can do at home!

  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 out their mat because it makes them feel good physically, emotionally, and mentally. We'll also chat about polyvagal theory and what is its significance for physical, mental, behavioral health and physical therapy!

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 navigate the world of pain. Check the show notes at drsusieg.com/podcast because Shelly has a free gift your you!

Need help getting your penis to stand at attention? Let’s turn that frown upside down because there are lots you can do to improve your sexual health and function like diet, exercise, flexing your sex (ahem, pelvic floor exercises), sex toys, medications, and acupuncture. Yup, acupuncture, who knew?! On today’s show, I chat with licensed acupuncturist, Danielle Brunner, who tells us what acupuncture is and what it’s not, how it can help with your erections, and what you should expect during treatment (wipe the sweat off your faces guys, no needles go near your prized parts, phew!) Hope you enjoy the show!

Social support is crucial for well-being and solution-oriented problem-solving. Men don’t tend to have outlets to feel heard and understood, or a safe space to be vulnerable. Sociocultural taboos and stigmatization are major barriers to men seeking and receiving support, especially when it comes to their most prized parts. On today’s show, I’ve invited psychologist and sex therapist, Dr. Teresa Johnson, to chat about the barriers and challenges that men face with sexual health issues, intimacy, and pelvic pain. We dive into the importance of social support and connection when facing these challenges. We also have some exciting news to share with you, so be sure to listen to the entire show. Thanks again for listening, enjoy!