Episode 99: Dr. Kristen MacKenzie on The Relationship Between Your Nervous System + Your Pelvic Pain

In Episode 99 of the Not Your Mother's Pelvic Floor podcast, Aliya has the opportunity to chat with Dr. Kristen MacKenzie, the co-director of the Pelvic Pain Program and the Women’s Sexual Dysfunction Conference at Stanford University. This conversation is eye opening and sheds so much light on pelvic pain, the nervous system, and how our brain + body communicate with each other.  In this episode, you'll hear Dr. MacKenzie and Aliya chat about:Whether Dr. MacKenzie wants her mother's pelvic floor...or not!How Dr. MacKenzie approaches pelvic pain from a multi-disciplinary standpoint, and never believes that pain is “in your head”. Why tests + scans can be normal, yet pain and dysfunction can still be present.How the nervous system changes with persistent pelvic pain.Whether or not our nervous system can actually be “stuck” in fight or flight - is this just a social media thing?Dr. MacKenzie’s top tips to create safety within the nervous system and body to help manage persistent pelvic pain.Why pelvic floor muscles can become "tight" and how this can contribute to chronic pelvic pain.How Dr. MacKenzie talks about "body stuff" with her small kids.+ much more!About Dr. Kristen MacKenzie:Kristen MacKenzie, MD is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University. She serves as the co-director for the Pelvic Pain Program and co-director of the Stanford Women’s Sexual Dysfunction Conference. She is part of the Stanford Pelvic Health Center for interdisciplinary, collaborative care between urology, gynecology, gastroenterology, colorectal surgery and pelvic floor physical therapy. She completed a Faculty Fellowship in the Medical Humanities in 2024 and is interested in the intersection of social media and women’s health._____If you’d like to get in touch, Aliya would love to hear from you! Find her on Instagram at @boxwellnessco or send her an email at [email protected] for listening!About Aliya:Aliya Dhalla PT, B.Sc, MPT is a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist in Toronto, Canada and the Founder of Box Wellness Co. You can learn pelvic floor exercises and tips from her on Instagram @boxwellnessco - this is where she likes to share some behind-the-scenes of her life, her clinic, and what she's eating these days. _____Check out boxwellness.co to learn more about Aliya + how she can help you through her online courses, programs, and more!For FREE resources to help you along your pelvic health journey, check out https://boxwellness.co/free-pelvic-floor-resourcesFollow along @boxwellnessco + @notyourmotherspelvicfloor for more fun. More info on: The Pelvic Floor Mobility ProgramMore info on: Online Pregnancy Courses