Endo Untangled
Endo Untangled is a podcast about endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain, one conversation at a time. It is hosted by Dr Alecia Macrow, a GP and founder of Thrive Family Practice, alongside exercise physiologist Cherie Noble. Together they explore the tangled threads of pelvic pain with compassion, curiosity and clinical insight, covering topics from hormones and hypermobility to trauma and gaps in treatment. The show features conversations with experts and real-life stories, and challenges outdated thinking about one of the most misunderstood conditions in women's health.
Episodes
Ep 32. The Good Sex Buffet: Rethinking Pain, Pleasure and Penetration with Clinical Psychologist and Sex Therapist Dr Hilary Lingberg.
In this episode, we’re joined by clinical psychologist and sex therapist Dr Hilary Lindberg to talk about painful sex, pelvic pain and the myths many of us have absorbed about what sex is supposed to look like.We unpack the idea that good sex has to be spontaneous, penetrative, effortless and orgasm-focused, and explore what happens when pain, endometriosis, chronic illness, neurodivergence, chang
Ep 31. POTS 2.0: What to Do When Salt and Water Aren’t Enough w Cardiologist Dr Alexis Cutchins
POTS is often introduced with the same advice: drink more water and eat more salt.What happens when that isn’t enough?In this episode, we welcome back cardiologist Dr Alexis Cutchins for a practical deep dive into diagnosing and managing POTS. We talk through what can be done in primary care, when further cardiac investigation is useful, how to make salt, fluid and compression actually work, and h
Ep 30: Ten things to get underway while you’re waiting (so you’re not starting from scratch)
Waiting for a pelvic pain appointment can feel like being stuck in limbo. But there are a few useful things you can get underway now, from organising some basic tests and screening to finding the right GP and starting to understand what might be contributing to your symptoms.In this episode, Alecia and Cherie talk through practical things that may help while you wait, including what your bowels ma
Ep 29: Life on Hard Mode. ADHD, Hormones and Pelvic Pain with Dr Emilie Staehr
What happens when you add ADHD to an already complicated pelvic pain picture?Dr Emilie Staehr joins us to unpack ADHD through a female lens: why it’s so often missed in women, how hormones can change the way symptoms show up, and what happens when executive dysfunction collides with the demands of managing chronic pain.We talk periods, pregnancy and perimenopause, masking and burnout, and why aski
Ep 28: Skipping Periods: What’s Safe, What Works and What to Do When It Doesn’t with Dr Jess Floreani
Is it really okay to skip periods? Do you need to have a bleed every month? Every few months? And what do you do when the pill that’s meant to stop your bleeding… doesn’t?Dr Jess Floreani is back for a practical follow-up to our episode Is the Pill Just a Band-Aid?We talk about why suppressing periods can be useful for people with painful periods, pelvic pain and endometriosis, and tackle some of
Ep 27: When Pelvic Pain Doesn't Add Up. Understanding Pelvic Venous Disease with Sarah Thorncraft RN and Dr James Hillhouse
Join GP Dr Alecia Macrow as she interviews interventional radiologist Dr James Hillhouse and nurse practitioner candidate Sarah Thorncraft to explore one of the most overlooked contributors to persistent pelvic pain: pelvic venous disease.Together they unpack:why pelvic venous disease is often missedhow venous pain differs from endometriosisthe symptoms that should raise suspicionwhy a "n
Ep 26: Mirena, Kyleena & IUDs: The Honest Conversation, with Dr Jessica Floreani
Thinking about a Mirena but feeling nervous? Heard horror stories about IUDs and aren't sure what to believe?In this episode, GP Dr Jess Floreani joins Dr Alecia Macrow and exercise physiologist Cherie Noble to unpack everything you need to know about hormonal and copper IUDs.We cover:• Mirena vs Kyleena vs copper IUDs• How they actually work• Why they can be so effective for endometriosis, pelvic
Ep 25: Why Is My Body Falling Apart But My Tests Are Normal? If you can't connect the issues, think connective tissues with Dr Fraser Burling Rheumatologist and Ehlers Danlos expert
This is a special combined episode of Endo Untangled and the Australian POTS Foundation. We're joined by Dr Marie-Claire Seeley, CEO of the Australian POTS Foundation, and Dr Fraser Burling, New Zealand rheumatologist and internationally recognised expert in hypermobility and connective tissue disorders.Together we explore why connective tissue might be the missing link for some people living
Ep 24: The Diagnosis Behind the Diagnoses? MCAS, POTS, EDS & Endometriosis with Dr Alexis Cutchens
Why do so many people with endometriosis also have food sensitivities, bloating, bladder symptoms, migraines, fatigue, POTS or hypermobility? Is it coincidence, or are we missing part of the picture?Recorded live at the 2026 Australian POTS Foundation Conference, we sat down with internationally recognised cardiologist Dr Alexis Cutchens to talk about mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a topic
Ep 23: Why Do Humans Have Such Difficult Periods? with Evolutionary Biologist Dr Deena Emera.
Why do we have periods at all, when most mammals don’t?In this episode we catch up with Dr. Deena Emera, evolutionary biologist and author of A Brief History of the Female Body, and look at menstruation through an evolutionary lens that shifts the usual framing.We unpack what’s actually happening between the brain, ovaries and uterus, and why menstruation may be less about a monthly inconvenience
Ep 22: When the Bladder Is Sensitive, But the Tests Are Normal, with Urogynaecologist Dr Tanaka Dune
Why do so many people with pelvic pain feel like they have constant UTIs… even when the tests keep coming back negative?In this episode, we sit down with urogynecologist and pelvic floor expert A/Prof Tanaka Dune to unpack the incredibly complex world of bladder pain, urgency, frequency, pelvic floor dysfunction and the nervous system.We talk about:• why bladder pain is so often misunderstood• the
Ep 21: The Biggest Questions in Endometriosis, Viewed Through a Microscope with Dr Rebecca Morrow
Have you ever wondered how a pathologist actually decides whether tissue is endometriosis?Endometriosis is often described as “endometrial-like tissue” growing outside the uterus. But what does that really mean? What does endometriosis actually look like under the microscope? Where does it come from? And what can pathology tell us about this complex disease?Joining us is anatomical pathologist Dr
Ep 10: How this expert detects endo on ultrasound. Making the invisible visible with Ali Deslandes.
If you’ve been told your ultrasound was normal but your pain isn’t, this episode is for you.Join us on Endo Untangled as Dr Alecia Macrow and Cherie Noble sit down with Alison Deslandes – clinical academic sonographer, endometriosis researcher and founder of Astute Ultrasound Education – to explore how advanced imaging is reshaping the diagnostic landscape for people living with endometriosis and
Ep 20: Pelvic Pain in a nutshell: not what you might think. Cherie interviews Dr Alecia, about how menstrual cycling, pelvic floor, bowels and nervous system collide.
Pelvic pain isn’t driven by one thing. It’s multiple systems hitting each other and keeping pain in motion.In this episode, we zoom out and examine some of the main drivers of persistent pain and how they interact, in particular, our key swinging balls: menstrual cycling, bowels, pelvic floor and the nervous system.If you’ve tried everything and you’re still stuck, this is the episode to listen to
Ep 19: When the System Burns You Out: Pelvic Pain, Trauma & Safety with Laura Grace Psychologist.
So much of pelvic pain care focuses on finding and fixing a single cause.But what happens when the system itself becomes part of the problem?In this episode, we’re joined by psychologist Laura Grace to explore:how the nervous system learns painwhy dismissal, delay, and fragmentation matterthe impact of trauma and “micro-traumas” in healthcarehow neurodivergence changes the way pain shows upand wha
Ep 18: Is the Pill Just a Band-Aid? We take a comprehensive look at hormone treatment for pelvic pain with Women's Health GP Dr Jessica Floreani
Is the pill just a band-aid for pelvic pain and endometriosis? It’s a question many patients ask, and one that comes up again and again in clinics and online.In this episode of Endo Untangled, Dr Alecia Macrow and Cherie Noble are joined by women’s health GP Dr Jessica Floreani to unpack how hormonal treatments actually work. From the basics of the menstrual cycle through to combined pills, proges
Ep 17: When Your Pelvic Floor Won’t Let Go. What your Physio wishes you knew about your diaphragm, a good poo and the core. With Caz Berry, Pelvic Physio
If you've got pelvic pain, you probably know it's not just about the endometriosis lesions. But did you know how much your muscles are contributing to your symptoms?Pelvic health physio Caz Berry is back to explain the anatomy that matters. She's brought her pelvis model and she's not afraid to use it.In this episode, we're covering the three things Caz wishes every patient kne
Ep 16: What Happens in Vagus, Shows Up Everywhere . Internationally renowned pelvic health physio Michelle Lyons explains how the vagus nerve can dial up pelvic pain into a whole-person experience.
Pelvic pain doesn’t exist in isolation — and neither does the nervous system that processes it. In this episode, world-renowned pelvic health physio and storyteller Michelle Lyons explains why what happens in the vagus nerve shows up everywhere.We explore persistent pelvic pain through a nervous-system lens, unpacking how the vagus nerve connects pain with the gut, bladder, pelvic floor, immune sy
Ep 15: Self Care, Minus the BS. Some raw reflections with our Cherie, EP
Forget the candles and face masks. This episode gets real about what self-care actually looks like when you live with endometriosis or chronic pelvic pain.Dr Alecia Macrow and exercise physiologist Cherie Noble break down the Circle of Control and why so much energy gets wasted on things you can’t change. They explore how pain, sleep, work stress, and relationships all feed into each other, and sh
Ep 14: What this Physio Educator Wishes You Knew About Pain: with Emma Kirkaldy; Summer Series
Next in our Summer Series - Interviews from the 2025 Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia Annual Practitioner Seminar.*we'll be back with our long form eps in late Jan*What does a physio educator wish you knew about pain? In this episode of Endo Untangled, Alecia and Cherie sit down with Emma, a physiotherapist and pelvic pain educator, to break down the complexities of pain, especially pelvic pain
Ep 13: When Period Pain Stops Kids Going to School - PPEP Talk with Michelle Nielsen: Summer Series
In this Fast and Curious episode from the Pelvic Pain Foundation annual seminar, Michelle Nielsen talks about PPEP Talk, the Periods, Pain and Endometriosis Program. PPEP Talk is an engaging, medically accurate education session for secondary students that helps young people understand what normal period pain looks like, when pain is concerning, what endometriosis is, and practical strategies to m
Ep 12: Endometriosis and fertility; expert insights with Professor Louise Hull
TW: Fertility is discussed here, and we know this can be a painful subject for those with endo and pelvic pain. If this raises concerns for you, give yourself permission to skip this episode.In this episode, we talk with Professor Louise Hull, a reproductive medicine specialist and world-leading researcher in endometriosis. Louise shares her story, from IVF training at Cambridge to leading nationa
Ep 11: Insights from an Excision Specialist - talking endo lesions, ultrasound, ovarian cysts and a new gold standard with A/Prof Mathew Leonardi
In this episode we sit down with world class excision surgeon and leading pelvic sonologist Dr Matthew Leonardi to explore how high quality pelvic ultrasound transforms the way we understand endometriosis. Matthew explains how advanced ultrasound maps disease in three dimensions, reveals deep lesions that laparoscopy can miss, and helps patients build a clearer, more accurate story of what is happ
Ep 09: The science of pain, and what *actually* helps pelvic pain, with scientist Dr Millie Mardon
In this episode of Endo Untangled, Dr Millie Mardon PhD shares how her long trips from Port Augusta to Adelaide as a teenager shaped her work in pain science. She explains how understanding what pain really is can help us change it, slowly but surely.We talk about where pain discussions go wrong, how what we think, feel and see can shift the way pain shows up, and why personal stories matter in re
Ep 08: A Pain in the Bum! When pelvic pain hits the bowels, with Dr Chris Gillespie
In Episode 08, we dive deep (no pun intended) with specialist colorectal and pelvic floor surgeon Dr. Chris Gillespie as he lifts the lid on everything your bowels don’t want you to ask. From the anatomy and reflexes behind a good poop, to what’s going on when your colonoscopy is “normal” but symptoms persist, we cover it all. We unravel the role of anorectal manometry, bust common myths (do laxat
Ep 07: Lightning vag? Random stabs? Pelvic muscles and why so painful: Alycia Scannell & Caz Berry
Titled Pelvic Health Physios Alycia Scannell and Carolyn Berry explain how overprotective pelvic floor muscles can tighten and guard, leading to stabby pains, bladder urgency, bowel changes, deep pelvic aching, tailbone pain, or painful sex.They share how treatment goes far beyond exercises. It is about calming the nervous system, teaching the body safety again, and helping people reconnect with t
Ep 06: Unpacking the pain and fatigue double whammy with expert pain physio Sophie Sheppard
In this episode of Endo Untangled, physiotherapist Sophie Sheppard shares her lived experience of chronic fatigue as a teenager and later discovering she is autistic and ADHD. We unpack the science of persistent pain and how it reverberates through the nervous, endocrine and immune systems (the NEI ensemble), and explore how understanding the whole-system impact changes care. Sophie explains how t
Endo Untangled, Fast and Curious Ep 01: The Brain-Uterus Axis with A/Prof Susan Evans
Welcome to the first of our Endo Untangled mini ep series, Fast and Curious.We met with A/Prof Susan Evans at the recent Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia Annual Practitioner Seminar in Brisbane, to pick her brains on:- the relationship with the uterus, brain, nervous, and immune system- Dr Evans' work with Alyra Biotech in the development of some novel therapies for endometriosis and pelvic
Ep 05: Standing Up to POTS with Dr Marie-Claire Seeley (Part 2)
From tests to treatment, here’s how to take your next steps with POTS.In Part 2 of our conversation, Dr Marie-Claire Seeley takes us deeper into the journey of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). We explore what investigations can actually help, practical management strategies that make a difference, and how to start feeling better day to day. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or years
Ep 04: Standing Up to POTS: Dr Marie Claire Seeley’s POTS story, pt 1
Unwell in Central Asia. Dismissed as “just anxiety.” Four kids, nursing shifts, and a fight to be believed. Today Dr Marie-Claire Seeley is CEO of the Australian POTS Foundation, using her PhD and lived experience to change care for people with POTS.
Ep 03: Bridging the Gap: Why Endo Conversations Go Off Track – and How to Get Them Back, with Gynaecologist and Pain Physician A/Professor Susan Evans and Women's Health GP Dr Carmel Reynolds.
Why does endo care feel like a tug-of-war?Pill pushback • stabbing pains • surgery debates.Why do so many endo appointments leave patients feeling unheard and doctors feeling stuck? In this episode, GP Dr Alecia Macrow and EP Cherie Noble sit down with Prof Susan Evans and Dr Carmel Reynolds to unpack why care can feel like control, why “they just want to put me on the pill” is such a common refra
Ep 02: The pelvic pain super-syndrome with Dr Sneha Wadhwani
Ep 2: The Pelvic Pain “Super Syndrome” with Dr Sneha WadhwaniWhy the fatigue? Why the headaches? Why the lightning arse?!In this episode, we dive into the messy overlap of gut issues, pelvic floor dysfunction, heavy periods, and crushing fatigue – and why these symptoms so often show up together. Dr Sneha Wadhwani joins us to explore what we’re calling the Pelvic Pain “Super Syndrome” and how reco
Ep 01: Introducing the Tangle
Exercise Physiologist Cherie Noble and Endo GP Dr Alecia Macrow talk through the 'why' of Endo Untangled, their personal stories, and what they're most looking forward to in the podcast.
Endo Untangled - season preview
Full series dropping soon
Recommended
V180 Daily Devotion
Triple M Rock
Triple M Breakfast with Kaz & Tubes - Triple M Hobart 107.3
Aussie Real Estate Podcast
Raising Teens with Collett Smart
Kids Ministry & Leadership Podcast
Coaching Hypnosis
The Unplayable Podcast
The Kylecast
Deepthink
Australian Dental Council Exam Prep Podcast
From Idea to Intellectual Property
