You might not immediately recognize the name Paul Hodges. But we can almost guarantee you've been taught his work.
And if you're attending PelviCon (either in-person or with our Live Virtual option) you'll get the chance to learn from him directly!
If you've learned that...
👉 The pelvic floor and diaphragm work together
👉 The pelvic floor is part of a larger pressure-management system
👉 Timing and coordination matter—not just strength
👉 The abdominals and pelvic floor don't function independently
👉 Intra-abdominal pressure isn't inherently bad
👉 Pain is far more complicated than simply "tissue vs. brain"
...then you've been influenced by research Professor Paul Hodges and his collaborators have spent decades developing.
And that's why we were SO excited to sit down with him.
Paul is one of the most influential physiotherapy researchers in the world, and in this episode we get to nerd out with him about the science that has fundamentally shaped how we practice.
We talk about:
🔬 What we got wrong about his early motor-control research — and how complex science gets oversimplified when it reaches the clinic.
💨 Why pressure isn't the enemy. Paul introduces the Swedish concept of lagom: we need the appropriate amount of pressure for the task—not simply less pressure.
♂️ Why we can't just extrapolate female pelvic floor rehab to men. Paul's team has been investigating what actually creates continence after prostatectomy and how that should change rehabilitation.
🧠 Why we've oversimplified chronic pain. We dig into nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic pain—and why chronic pain doesn't automatically mean the tissues are irrelevant.
🤯 The problems with “central sensitization.” Including Nicole getting a little surprise when Paul explains the limitations of the Central Sensitization Inventory!
📚 How research actually makes its way into clinical practice—and why Paul believes research should ultimately change outcomes for real people.
And maybe our favorite theme of the entire conversation:
Complexity doesn't mean we throw our hands up.
Our job is to understand that complexity well enough to find the clinically meaningful pieces that help the person sitting in front of us.
🎟️ Learn From Paul LIVE at PelviCon 2026!
If this conversation gets your clinical brain firing, just wait until PelviCon. (You can still get your tickets at www.pelvicon.com/virtual)
Paul is giving two presentations during the main PelviCon conference:
Beyond the Squeeze: Ultrasound and Precision in Male Pelvic Floor Care
and
Same Symptoms, Different Pain: Phenotyping Pelvic Pain in Clinical Practice
Your PelviCon Live Virtual + Recording ticket gives you access to Paul's presentations PLUS all 14 talks from our eight incredible speakers—and you have lifetime access to the recordings.
And there's still time to be with us in spirit!
🎁 Order before September 2nd and we'll ship you the printed, full-color PelviCon manual PLUS a PelviCon swag set.
👉 Get your PelviCon Live Virtual + Recording ticket (www.pelvicon.com/virtual)
About Professor Paul Hodges
Professor Paul Hodges is a physiotherapist, neuroscientist and professor at the University of Queensland whose research has profoundly influenced our understanding of motor control, biomechanics, pain, continence, breathing and pelvic floor function.
His work spans decades and hundreds of scientific publications, but what makes it so relevant to us is how many of the principles we now take for granted in pelvic rehab have roots in questions Paul and his collaborators were asking long before those concepts became commonplace.
📱 Follow Paul on Instagram: @paulwhodges
🔬 Learn more about his research and academic work: Professor Paul Hodges — University of Queensland
About Nicole & Jesse Cozean
Pelvic health is hard. We want everyone in this field to have a joyful, impactful career—and for business owners to build something that truly works for them.
🎙️ Pelvic PT Rising Podcast — Over 1 million downloads.
🏥 Founders of PelvicSanity — One of the nation's leading cash-based pelvic health practices.
🎤 Co-Creators of PelviCon — Bringing together the brightest minds in pelvic health.
📚 Authors — The Interstitial Cystitis Solution.
🎓 Clinical Educators — Training thousands of pelvic PTs & OTs around the world.
💼 Business Coaches — Helping more than 1,000 pelvic health business owners build thriving practices.
Get in Touch!
Learn more at www.pelvicptrising.com, follow Nicole @nicolecozeandpt (www.instagram.com/nicolecozeandpt) or reach out via email (nicole@pelvicsanity.com).
Check out our Clinical Courses, Business Resources and learn more about us at Pelvic PT Rising...Let's Continue to Rise!
