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In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I’m joined again by Dr. Rita Deering, PT, DPT, PhD — Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Director of the Movement Sciences Laboratory at Carroll University. With 18+ years of clinical experience and 15 years specializing in pelvic health, Dr. Deering is a leading researcher in perinatal musculoskeletal health, pregnancy and postpartum exercise, pelvic floor function, and female athlete performance.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone navigating the overwhelm of women’s health information — clinicians, coaches, athletes, and moms trying to get real answers outside the noise. We dig into how to actually interpret research (not just quote it), what different study types really mean, and how to confidently separate evidence-based guidance from trending misinformation on social media.

Whether you’re dealing with pelvic floor symptoms, postpartum return to running or lifting, perimenopause changes, or pregnancy athletic performance, this episode brings clarity to the research so you can make informed decisions with confidence.

We break down:

• What “evidence-based” actually means in pelvic health & pregnancy fitness
• Different types of research (RCTs, systematic reviews, case studies) and how to interpret them
• Why outliers in research don’t invalidate lived experience
• Making research relatable and useful for everyday moms & athletes
• How AI, algorithms, and social media fuel misinformation
• Translating research to clinical practice without fear-based messaging
• Why respectful, nuanced conversation in women’s health actually helps patients

Time Stamps

1:00 Introduction

3:15 making research accessible

7:58 what is PubMed

13:50 different types of research

18:20 transferring research to the clinic

22:44 looking at the studies

33:19 different levels of evidence

37:04 systematic reviews and meta analysis

43:10 changing approach to implementing research

48:55 where the funding goes

51:20 rapid fire questions

CONNECT WITH CARRIE

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/

Website: https://carriepagliano.com

CONNECT WITH RITA:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ritadeeringphd/

Website: https://www.carrollu.edu/faculty/deering-rita-phd

The Active Mom Podcast is A Real Moms' Guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond for active moms & the professionals who help them in their journey.

This show has been a long time in the making!

You can expect conversation with moms and professionals from all aspects of the industry.

If you're like me, you don't have a lot of free time (heck, you're probably listening at 1.5x speed), so theses interviews will be quick hits to get your the pertinent information FAST!

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