Who Is Peri?™ | Menopause Related Joint Pain, Strength Loss and Body Shifts
You're not imagining it. The joint pain, stiffness, tendon issues, strength loss, and body composition changes so many women experience before, during, and after menopause may be connected to the hormonal and physiological changes that occur across midlife.Each week, Dr. Diedra Manns, physical therapist, movement science fellow, Pilates educator, and certified menopause health practitioner, unpacks the musculoskeletal side of menopause through her Stability Before Performance™ (SBP™) framework. She looks beyond hormones alone to explore what may be influencing how a woman feels, moves, recovers, and performs, and most importantly, what she can do about it.Expect solo deep dives grou...
Pickle Jars and Perimenopause
When opening a pickle jar suddenly takes more effort, is it just a stubborn lid—or something worth noticing?
In this episode, Dr. Diedra Manns uses an everyday change in her own grip strength to introduce the emerging Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, or MSM. She explains how hormones communicate with tissues throughout the body, and why menopause may influence more than reproduction.
You’ll also hear how researchers organize MSM around five processes associated with changes in muscles, bones, joints, strength, balance, and movement. Dr. Diedra explains why she uses this emerging framework in her work...
Perimenopause, Menopause, or Postmenopause: Where Are You—and Why It Matters
In this episode, Dr. Diedra Manns explains the stages of reproductive aging, from the reproductive years through perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. She explores how menstrual patterns, symptoms, hormone testing, and medical history help provide context for where you may be, even if you use hormonal contraception, have an IUD, have had a hysterectomy, or experienced surgical menopause.
You’ll also learn why understanding your reproductive stage may help you ask better questions about joint pain, stiffness, strength changes, and your overall musculoskeletal health.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome and disclaimer
00:53 Why women need a menopause ma...
Who Is Peri?™ And Why are Having this Conversation?
Episode 1: Who Is Peri? And Why Are We Having This Conversation?
The name of this podcast started with a husband, his wife...and a pretty big misunderstanding about someone named Peri.
In this debut episode of The Who Is Peri? Podcast, Dr. Diedra Manns explores what the name Peri has come to represent—and introduces the conversation at the center of this show: the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause (MSM).
What happens when changes in your joints, muscles, strength, movement or recovery begin showing up in midlife? Menopause may be pa...
