STA89 ’Women’s Health Pt4: The Athletic Female’ with Gráinne Donnelly and Emma Brockwell

In the final episode of this month's focus on 'Women's Health', we are absolutely honoured to be joined by special guests Gráinne Donnelly, Emma Brockwell, both physiotherapists passionate about developing the knowledge and awareness necessary to optimise each female athlete’s potential.

Gráinne and Emma and Dr Helen McElroy (unable to join us for this episode - wish you well Helen!) are about to launch a course entitled 'The Athletic Female', specifically designed for fitness & health care professionals & coaches working with female athletes. With input from a highly respected panel of multi disciplinary specialists and a growing online community to mix with fellow health care professionals, this course is something any therapist working with female athletes should seriously consider.   

In this episode, Gráinne and Emma talk about how things have been changing since the release back in March 2019 of the first ever UK guideline to specifically offer evidence based recommendations for postnatal women returning to running – 'Returning to Running Postnatal  – Guidelines for Medical, Health and Fitness Professionals Managing this Population' (Goom, Donnelly & Brockwell 2019).

Together they break discuss some of the most important considerations when working with a female athlete, all of which are key components of 'The Athletic Female' course:

• The importance & relevance of the Menstrual Cycle
• Working with female teenage athletes
• The athletic pelvic floor
• Breast Health
• RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)
• Implications of the perimenopausal and menopausal transition
• Common misconceptions about Diastasis recti

About the Guests

Gráinne Donnelly
BSc Hons Physiotherapy, Pg Cert Continence for Physiotherapists, HCPC, MCSP
Gráinne is the Advanced Physiotherapist and Team Lead for Pelvic Health in the Western Health and Social Care Trust (National Health Service) as well as running a busy private practice. She has a particular interest in Diastasis Rectus Abdominis and provides training and education about it within the UK as well as online platforms and podcasts to help improve knowledge and awareness of it on the global scale. 

Emma Brockwell
Bsc (Hons), HCPC, CSP, POGP
Emma is a pelvic health physiotherapist working in the private sector. She specialises in perinatal rehabilitation and returning women back to running and exercise if they have pelvic floor dysfunction. She has co-written evidence based Return to Running Postnatal Guidelines which have been published as an infographic in the BJSM and spoken at many conferences including Sports and Exercise in medicine, POGP in London and Ireland and The Running Injuries Symposium. She is also an author, writing the new book ‘Why did no one tell me? How to protect, heal and nurture your body through motherhood’ published by @eburybooks and has written in various magazines including Women’s running magazine and women’s health magazine.

Useful Links:

• Website: The Athletic Female
• Gráinne's Website: absolute.physio 
• Emma's Website: physiomum.co.uk
• Instagram: @theathleticfemale
• Instagram: @physiomumuk
• Twitter: @ABSPhysio

A huge thanks to Gráinne & Emma for giving up their time to join us!

NEXT WEEK!
In March our Focus turns to CPD, highlighting some fantastic CPD courses in the UK in the coming months. We start next Tuesday (March 1st) with Dan Williams and Mike Grice talking about the up & coming DermoNeuroModulation course courtesy of Mike Reoch and Rey Allen. James Morgan of Barefoot physio is hosting one in Exeter and Mike Grice in Birmingham.

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Questions? Email: matt@thesta.co.uk