Rethinking Compression Garments & Diastasis: An Interview with Gráinne Donnelly

How do you challenge long-held beliefs in pelvic health? You ask better questions.

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How do you challenge long-held beliefs in pelvic health?  You ask better questions.

This week, we're joined by Gráinne Donnelly—pelvic health physiotherapist, researcher, educator, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy, and one of this year's featured PelviCon 2026 speakers. 

Gráinne has built a career around asking questions that matter, from postpartum return to sport and diastasis recti to compression garments and pelvic floor function. In this conversation, she shares what she's learning through her PhD research, why clinical curiosity should drive research, and how our profession continues to evolve.

In this episode, we discuss:

🔹 The story behind her new textbook, Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor: From Science to Practice

🔹 What her research is teaching us about compression garments

🔹 Why our understanding of diastasis recti continues to evolve

🔹 Bridging the gap between research and real-world clinical practice

🔹 How motherhood has shaped her as a clinician, researcher, and leader

If you're passionate about evidence-based practice—and want to hear from someone helping shape the future of pelvic health—you'll love this conversation.

🎟️ Learn from Gráinne live at PelviCon 2026

Gráinne will be presenting two sessions at PelviCon 2026 (September 25–26):

✅ The Science of Pelvic Floor Support Garments

✅ Distilling Diastasis: Current Evidence for Assessment & Management

Can't join us in Atlanta?

Grab a Live Virtual + Lifetime Recording Ticket and you'll get access to both of Gráinne's presentations—and all 8 featured speakers—to watch live or anytime afterward.

🎟️ Register at www.pelvicon.com

About Gráinne Donnelly

Gráinne Donnelly is a pelvic health physiotherapist, researcher, educator, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy. She is currently completing her PhD while leading internationally recognized research on postpartum return to sport, compression garments, and diastasis recti. She is also the editor of the textbook Sports Medicine and the Pelvic Floor: From Science to Practice.

📍 Website: https://absolute.physio/

📸 Instagram: @grainnedonnelly_absolutephysio

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Nicole Cozean, PT, DPT, WCS

Founder of Pelvic PT Rising and PelvicSanity Physical Therapy in Southern California.

Dedicated to forever changing pelvic health with online clinical courses to help you be more confident in your practice and business resources to help start and grow pelvic health businesses.

Jesse Cozean, MBA

Co-founder of the Pelvic PT Rising and the Rising Podcast.

Jesse uses his business experience to help pelvic health business owners start and grow their practices so they can build a practice that truly works for them. From website design, SEO, conversions, marketing, finance and money mindset, he wants to make the process of owning your own practice easier and fun.