Good Neighbor Podcast: TN-WNC-SWVA

EP# 292: Taboo Talk: Breaking Silence on Men's Pelvic Health with Dr. Susie Gronski

• Skip Mauney & Dr. Susie Gronski • Episode 293

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What makes Dr. Susie Gronski a good neighbor?

Breaking the silence on men's pelvic health, Dr. Susie Gronski shines a light on a medical field that has historically focused almost exclusively on women. As a doctor of physical therapy, pelvic health therapist, and certified sexuality counselor with a practice in Asheville, North Carolina, she's challenging the stigma around discussing "everything below the belt."

The conversation reveals how Dr. Gronski entered this specialized field over a decade ago when men began courageously reaching out for help with intimate health issues. These patients, suffering from genital pain, sexual dysfunction, and urinary problems, often found themselves ignored or dismissed in traditional medical settings. Many had undergone prostate procedures resulting in complications with little guidance on recovery. Their bravery inspired her to become an advocate for closing the significant gap in men's pelvic and sexual health care.

Dr. Gronski dismantles common misconceptions, emphasizing that pelvic health concerns aren't exclusive to women and that problems like incontinence or sexual dysfunction shouldn't be dismissed as inevitable parts of aging. She creates a judgment-free space for discussing topics many find embarrassing—bladder leakage, bowel issues, painful intercourse—while reminding listeners that effective treatments exist. Through her practice, website, YouTube channel, and supportive Patreon community, she's normalizing conversations about natural bodily functions and providing hope for those suffering in silence. If you're experiencing issues "below the belt," Dr. Gronski's message is clear: speak up, ask for help, and know that you don't have to just live with it.

To learn more about Dr.Susie Gronski go to:

https://drsusieg.com/

Dr. Susie Gronski PT, DPT, CSC, CSE

(828) 545-2996



Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Monty.

Speaker 2:

Well, hello everyone and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast of the Tri-Cities and Western North Carolina. So we are thrilled today to have a very special guest in our studio for the first time and appreciate her taking time out of her busy schedule to be here with us and tell us all about what she does. And I'm sure you'll be just as excited because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, dr Susie Gronski, who is a physical therapist. Dr Gronski, welcome to the show.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much for having me Skip.

Speaker 2:

Well, we're thrilled to have you and, like I said, excited to learn all about you and what you do. So if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us about your enterprise?

Speaker 3:

I'm a doctor of physical therapy, a pelvic health therapist and a certified sexuality counselor and educator. I have a private practice in Asheville, North Carolina, which specializes in men's pelvic and sexual health. Of course, we see all bodies, because all bodies have pelvises and genitals and poop, pee and have sex. So those are the most important aspects of what we do in our community to serve those who have those intimate concerns.

Speaker 2:

Wow. So what exactly is tell us about pelvic health for men?

Speaker 3:

Yes, so everything in between your butt bones would be considered the pelvic floor, and that entails muscles, nerves, genitals and also the organs that live in the pelvis, so the bladder, the prostate and the rectum, and sometimes there are issues that happen down below. Some of those issues could be pain, so that could be pain with recreational activities, pain with sitting, pain with bowel movements, pain with sex, and you can also have issues related to bladder concerns, so incontinence, difficulty emptying your bladder, having a weak urine stream, and you might have issues with bowels, such as constipation, diarrhea or even anal incontinence, so involuntary loss of stool, liquid or gas. And so we work to support men and certainly, of course, all bodies who have pelvises, because we all have them, to improve sexual function, bladder function, bowel function or whatever.

Speaker 2:

Their concerns may be related to everything below the belt or whatever their concerns may be related to everything below the belt. Everything below the belt, very good, didn't know that. So, dr Susie if you don't mind me calling you Dr Susie how did you get into this business?

Speaker 3:

So I've been a pelvic health therapist for the past 12 years and I began specializing in men's pelvic health about 10 years it's greater than that actually now and this started way before I even moved to this area in Western North Carolina, which is going to be nine years ago. But I started my practice in Illinois, which is where I'm originally from. But I started my practice in Illinois, which where I'm originally from, and when I started my baby practice there as a fresh pelvic health therapist newly graduated, really a doctor of physical therapy men were reaching out for help. I had a very generic practice that lifted women's health specialties because historically, pelvic health therapy is very gynocentric and female-centric, women's health related, and the men are left out, and so men were asking very bravely and courageously for help.

Speaker 3:

I'm having issues of pain in my genitals, I'm having issues around my tailbone, sex is uncomfortable, I have sexual dysfunction, I have incontinence. A lot of these men also have had procedures done, like a prostatectomy or enlarged prostate procedures that resulted in either pain or sexual dysfunction or urinary incontinence, and so they're just asking for help. How I need help. I'm not getting help in the traditional medical spaces and so they're just asking for help. How I need help. I'm not getting help in the traditional medical spaces, and so I got really curious. I opened my doors and my heart to these men, and it is through their bravery and their courage that I then stepped into this space to be an advocate for men, to close the gap that exists related to pelvic and sexual health care in these spaces, and that's how it all started.

Speaker 2:

Wow, wow. Well, we're glad you've been in North Carolina for nine years. What part of Illinois are you from?

Speaker 3:

It was the southwest suburbs, so Willow Springs Burridge area is where I first started my practice, and then we moved here to Western North Carolina Asheville area nine years ago.

Speaker 2:

And what? What brought you to Western North Carolina, if I can ask?

Speaker 3:

Oh for sure. Yes. So my husband and I wanted a change of pace, you know so, in Illinois, the area we were living, a very concrete jungle, fast pace, it's just it wasn't our lifestyle. We love love the outdoors, we love hiking, and Western North Carolina is such a beautiful part of our country and we actually got married in Greenville, south Carolina, years prior to the move, so our heart has been in this area for a very long time.

Speaker 2:

The upstate South Carolina. Greenville is a very cool town actually.

Speaker 3:

And it's so close.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and Asheville is a wonderful, wonderful place, absolutely, it's growing, it's growing. I'm originally I'm from Shelby, north Carolina, which is too far away.

Speaker 3:

Okay, yeah, that's right Anyway.

Speaker 2:

Anyway. So what are some myths or misconceptions in your industry?

Speaker 3:

Well, the first one being that pelvic health therapy is just for women's health I think it's the biggest one that I already sort of alluded to that there's just such a huge gap in accessibility for men in pelvic health care and sexual health, and so it's not just a women's issue. And so it's not just a women's issue. Men also experience issues with pooping, peeing and sexual concerns, and so why not also include them? You know, having issues with peeing or having issues with sexual function, that that's just normal as you age, and I would say it may be common as you as we get older, because our bodies do change for various reasons and other health comorbidities, but it's not normal. So if you're leaking from bladder or bowel, if you're having sexual dysfunction or if pain or if sex is painful, whether you have a penis or whether you have a vagina, that is not normal and there's help and hope for that.

Speaker 2:

Awesome, there are people that specialize in that, because I can't imagine so outside of work. Doc, what do you like to do for fun?

Speaker 3:

I love to go hiking with my dog, stella. My husband is my favorite pastime activity. I also love spending time with family and friends. In this area, we love traveling, and I'm also a spiritual practitioner, so I meditate quite a bit, and so my travel these days is temple hopping, going to various temples throughout the country and also internationally. So that's what I, what I love to do.

Speaker 2:

Wow, Temple hopping yeah that's what I call it.

Speaker 3:

I travel to visit temples and meditate and do retreat and things like that. Oh, very cool, that's very cool.

Speaker 2:

So, and, of course, time with family is always a great answer too. So let's switch gears for just a second. Can you think of a hardship or a life challenge that you've encountered and you overcame, and when you came out the other side, you were better for it? Anything come to mind.

Speaker 3:

Let me think about this one. There's probably many, but we often tend to forget the hardships that happen.

Speaker 2:

For folks in Asheville.

Speaker 3:

lately a lot of things pop up for Helene, oh for sure, absolutely yeah, and that definitely was last October, which I think was such a shock to all of us, and living through that as a community has been. It's there's a lot of hope. It's it's there's a lot of hope. There was so much kindness and gratitude and love and support that from from such a adversity came so much generosity and and love and hope and resilience. So as a community, you know, we have been rebuilding and it's been beautiful to see that, but certainly challenging in many ways for our community and continues to be so. I'm glad that you brought that one to mind. I can't believe it's been almost a year already that that has occurred.

Speaker 3:

It just flies by, I would say. The other two that are big ones that come to mind are certainly our niece. My niece who passed she was three months old. My brother's child that was several years back as well, and a dear cousin of mine who was in her 30s. Loss of family, loss of friends, friends that have recent diagnosis of cancer All those things are just life changing for all of us in those circles and I'm sure many of us can relate to that as well.

Speaker 2:

Oh, absolutely, Absolutely Everybody.

Speaker 3:

But it seems as though here on the other side, you're strong and hanging in there doing great strong and hanging in there, doing great, absolutely, absolutely Trying to stay strong and peaceful and you know being a source of peace and support for folks and sticking with each other. You know connecting with each other and keeping your heart open and compassion. Compassion is so healing for all of us and so needed in our world of so much pain and conflict.

Speaker 2:

Amen, I couldn't agree more. Dr Susie, if you could think of one thing that you would our listeners to remember about you and your practice and what you do, what would that be?

Speaker 3:

If there is anything below the belt or related to your most intimate and private concerns, please feel free to speak up about it, to ask for help, and to know that leaning into spaces are often very challenging. We often feel very isolated and siloed, like we're the you know how could. It's embarrassing, right To talk about poop, pee and sex is something that we really openly talk about in our society, in our culture, and so if there there are any questions, there are any concerns, or if you're having issues with incontinence, pain, painful sex, anything related to your genitals or pelvic region, please reach out for help, because there is help. You don't have to just live with it, and it's not just due to getting older.

Speaker 2:

Very good thing to remember. And yeah, I mean, that's just not something you whip out there very easily.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, by the way, you know, hey, my penis hurts, or you know. Or you know, urination isn't quite the same, or I can't, you know, I'm having erectile dysfunction. I mean none of those, of course, we're not talking about it, right, but it normalizes the conversation around these very common experiences that many of us, at some point or another in our lives, are going to have some potential issue, whether it's related to our bladders, whether it's related to our bowels or whether it's related to our sexual function. And having an outlet and a space to like, lean into and not feel judged and you can trust someone to talk openly about those concerns, I think makes a world of a difference in the therapeutic process and also gives people opportunity to do something about it and improve their quality of life, because there are many things that we can do to address those concerns from a conservative perspective.

Speaker 2:

So awesome, awesome. Well, for those of us who are having an issue or are worried about one of those three things or four things, how can they learn more?

Speaker 3:

They can visit my website at drsusiegcom that's D-R-S-U-S-I-E-Gcom. I'm also on YouTube. You can find me there at Dr Susie Gronski, and I also have a very lively and engaging Patreon community Mostly men, really who are in a camaraderie and support of of seeking help for their pelvic and sexual health concerns and connecting with each other and being so open, and I'm so grateful for all those people in that community to support one another in the way that they do so openly and so bravely. So that's Patreon and that is patreoncom. Forward slash D-R-S-U-S-I-E-G.

Speaker 2:

Awesome. Well, dr Susie, I can't tell you how much we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to spend some time with us and tell us all about your practice and something that you know a lot of people just don't talk about. So hopefully you know we'll be able to to uh reach some folks that uh, that you can help. So thank you for that. Well, thank you, and uh, we'd love to wish you and your family and your clients and your, your, your business all the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you very much, Skip. It was a pleasure being here.

Speaker 2:

It was a pleasure having you and maybe we can. It's a very deep subject. Maybe we can have you back sometime in the future.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

All right, thanks so much.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnptry-citiescom. That's gnptry-citiescom, or call 423-719-5873.