Women’s Health & Pain (3/8)

Straight Talk with Dr. Lau on Women’s Health and Pain (3/8) – 8-Part Series

Dr. Brenda Lau

Dr. Brenda Lau is a pain specialist who knows intimately about menopause from lived experience.

Through these eight 60-minute didactic sessions, we candidly explore various topics affecting those born with ovaries and their impact through its various phases in our adult lives. Each will focus on some physiology, symptom prevention strategies, health solutions and research behind it.

No preparation required. Bring your questions and an open mind.

All are welcome to join as we navigate these issues that greatly affect individual lives, families, partnerships, companies and communities.

Session 1: Forever Strong
This session covers an overview of the female body and how estrogen maintains its functions. We discuss the key physiological differences to males and timing through the phases of our lives. We explore phases of hormone changes and what the science tells us of key lifestyle measures from 18 years old and older. This session particularly focuses on the updated knowledge on the musculoskeletal structure and why maintaining muscle and bone mass is foundational for body and brain health and what we can do about it.

Session 2: More to sex than meets the eye
The session focuses on brain and body aspects of sexuality, intimacy, and how our relationships evolve on all levels. We discuss the physical anatomy of our sex organs and pelvis and their changes. We explore the spectrum of factors that impact our emotional states, sense of connection, and concepts of intimacy and sexuality as it pertains to the changes induced by fluctuating sex hormone levels leading up to menopause and afterwards. As the body changes, our connection to self and others are affected. We create a safe space to openly share the stuck stories to support the transition to healthy inner and outer relationships and how we can maintain vitality in our health through intimacy.

Session 3: Brain Foglights
The MINDBODY connection to thriving as a human being physically and in our community is significant. Here we discuss the impacts of fluctuating estrogen levels on the brain and the updated neuroscience understanding of improving brain health, memory, emotional capacity and energy.

Session 4: Winnie the Poo and Pee
Toxin elimination is key to life. Here we talk about various matters related to bladder and bowel systems that changes with age, sex hormone levels, medications, injuries, surgeries and disease.

Session 5: Hot Hot Hot
Vasomotor symptoms of hot flashes, also called hot flushes, are one of the most common symptoms associated with menopause and we talk about two way impact on body odor, metabolism, sleep, and brain function.

Session 6: Matters of the Heart literally
Heart palpitations are common after the age of 40 and it’s associated with perimenopausal symptoms. This session focuses on the impacts of estrogen on common chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obstructive sleep apnea, insulin resistance and what we can do about them.

Session 7: Pain WTF!
Did you know that fluctuating estrogen levels can cause pain of all types that can mimic arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, and more? In this session, we explore the layered care approaches to pain syndromes from head to toe.

Session 8: Body Armour From Head to Toe
The skin is largest organ of our body with the greatest surface area. Along with our hair, nails and mucous membranes, this combination makes our outer body armor and their health is more than skin deep. We talk about the health of these tissues and dive into the concepts of inner body armour concept of Anti-Fragility for life.