In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy (couples and sex therapist) and Dr. Alex DiGrado, DPT, PRPC (pelvic floor physical therapist) discuss how your nervous system, muscular habits, and past experiences (including trauma and chronic stress) are all connected to chronic pelvic pain. Whether you’ve been dismissed by the healthcare system, or are looking to better understand the connection between your body and brain, this conversation will leave you feeling informed, seen, and empowered to seek relief for yourself and your loved ones.

What You’ll Learn:

• The 10-Year Delay: Why conditions like endometriosis take so long to diagnose and how these conditions contribute to chronic muscular pain.
• The Ab Gripping Habit: How chronic ab-tightening (often thanks to diet culture and fitness trends) can lead to a chronically tight, painful pelvic floor.
• The Fire Alarm Analogy: Why your body continues to send very real, strong pain signals even after an infection (like a UTI) or injury has been treated.
• Lifestyle Optimization: The often-overlooked connection between pelvic tension, low back pain, bowel movements, and overall wellness.

Tune in if you’ve ever thought:

• “I feel like I'm going crazy—I know my pain is real, but my doctor keeps telling me everything ‘looks normal’.”
• “Why does it seem like I constantly have a UTI even though my tests are negative?”
• “How can pelvic floor PT help my chronic pain when it’s caused by a disease like endometriosis (or PCOS, IBS, and more), rather than a specific injury?"

Resources

• Explain Pain by Lorimer Moseley
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Nancy's Nook (Endometriosis education + resources)
• Beating Endo by Dr. Iris Kerin Orbuch and Amy Stein
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory
• Under the Hood Newsletter (Boston Pelvic PT)
• Parents in Love Newsletter by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

• Website: https://www.rebeccaeudy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccahowardeudy/
• Newsletter: https://substack.com/@parentsinlove

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado

• Website: https://www.bostonpelvicpt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bostonpelvicpt/
• Newsletter: https://bostonpelvicpt.myflodesk.com/underthehood

Under the Hood Podcast

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underthehooddocs/
• Website: http://www.underthehoodpod.com