LMTs from Red Moon in attendance at the 2026 Pelvic Health Conference in Manhattan. From L to R, Claudia Gowen, Lanny Chu, Tara Chase, Lena DeGloma, Alicia Weinstein. Not pictured but present: Isabel Umali, Jessie Jean, and Shanna Ossi.
Last weekend, eight members of the Red Moon Wellness team attended the 2026 Pelvic Health Conference & Endometriosis Symposium, hosted by Inspira Integration at the Kaufman Music Center on the Upper West Side.
The interdisciplinary medical conference brought together physicians, researchers, and clinicians from a wide range of specialties to explore the complex intersections of pelvic pain disorders, endometriosis, and commonly co-occurring conditions such as dysautonomia / POTS, connective tissue and hypermobility disorders, and mast cell activation syndrome.
Speakers included pelvic health physical therapists, OB-GYNs and specialized gynecologic surgeons, physiatrists, gastroenterologists, cardiologists, and mental health professionals—all leaders in the evolving field of pelvic health.
At Red Moon Wellness, we place a strong emphasis on continuing clinical education that extends beyond hands-on massage techniques. While manual therapy skills are essential, understanding the physiology and medical conditions underlying many forms of chronic pain allows us to work more thoughtfully and effectively with the people we serve.
As Founder + Clinical Director of Red Moon Wellness, advancing this kind of interdisciplinary learning is something I prioritize for our entire team. Many of our clients live with complex conditions involving the pelvic floor, connective tissue, nervous system regulation, and hormonal health.
Why Pelvic Health Matters in Massage Therapy
Conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, and chronic pelvic pain often coexist with systemic conditions like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and connective tissue disorders including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD).
These conditions frequently contribute to patterns we see in massage sessions, including:
- chronic pelvic and abdominal pain
- hip and low-back tension
- joint instability
- widespread myofascial pain
- nervous system dysregulation
- gut motility issues and gastrointestinal dysregulation
Because of this, massage therapists who specialize in reproductive health and chronic pain benefit greatly from understanding the broader clinical landscape surrounding these conditions.
A Few Fascinating Takeaways
The day was packed with presentations detailing cutting edge research and clinical insights. A few highlights that stood out to our team:
Pain severity in endometriosis is NOT related to lesion size.
Some people with extensive disease experience minimal symptoms, while others with fewer lesions can experience severe pain. This highlights how complex and individualized pain processing can be. In some cases it is the issue lies more with the central nervous system (pain processing in the brain) than with the local lesions.1
Massage has a unique ability to modulate pain processing globally so it can support quality of life and pain management in endometriosis patients who are failed by conventional treatments.
Chronic pelvic pain can increase nerve sensitivity via a proliferation of pain receptors at the nerve endings.
Many pelvic pain disorders involve an increased density of pain receptors in local nerves. Muscles in the area often tighten protectively in response to this pain, which can create a cycle of guarding, tension, and further discomfort.2
An important distinction: hypermobility is NOT the same as instability.3
Hypermobility and pelvic pain are closely linked. Connective tissue disorders such as Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome are strongly associated with pelvic pain conditions.
The key question regarding instability is whether joint movement can be controlled. When joints are unstable, other muscles often compensate—sometimes in inefficient ways that create chronic tension and pain patterns. A few examples: the pelvic floor muscles may compensate for hip instability; the diaphragm may compensate for lumbar (low back) instability. In both cases this can lead to patterns of dysfunction and pain.
Strength, control and body awareness can improve stability.
And perhaps our favorite quote of the day came from physical therapy professor and researcher, Dr. Leslie Russek:
“When you can’t connect the issues, think connective tissue.”
Because connective tissue provides structural support throughout the body, disorders affecting collagen can lead to symptoms across many different body systems. Recognizing these patterns can help practitioners better understand why some clients experience such a wide constellation of seemingly unrelated symptoms including everything from brain fog, migraines, joint pain, gastrointestinal motility issues, pelvic and menstrual cycle pain, overactive bladder, fatigue and dizziness, rapid heartbeat, blood pressure instability, and more.
Hormones also influence pelvic pain.
One interesting point from the conference: cisgender women actually produce more testosterone than estrogen. Adequate testosterone is important for the health and normal sensation in vulvovaginal tissue, and low levels can contribute to irritation, pain, and musculoskeletal guarding of the tissue. (Goldstein, A.)
A plant-derived treatment under investigation.
Researchers are studying resiniferatoxin, derived from the succulent plant Euphorbia resinifera, as a treatment for certain chronic vulvar pain conditions like vulvodynia. The compound—an ultra-potent form of capsaicin (the plant chemical that gives cayenne peppers their heat)—can selectively deactivate overactive pain receptors in local tissue. This plant compound is so powerful that it must be delivered under anesthetic because the burning would otherwise be unbearably intense when its administered, but it is able to selectively ablate the excessive quantity of pain receptors without harming any other type of nerve receptor. So chronic pain is gone and normal sensation is unaffected! (Goldstein, A.)
How This Knowledge Shapes Care at Red Moon Wellness
Learning from conferences like this directly informs the way we support our clients.
At Red Moon Wellness, many people come to us with conditions that involve complex interactions between the musculoskeletal system, connective tissue, hormones, and the nervous system. Our services are designed to address these patterns from multiple angles.
Prenatal and postpartum massage helps support the significant structural and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and after birth, including pelvic and sacroiliac discomfort, rib and diaphragm tension, connective tissue strain, and blood volume and hemodynamic changes.
Our holistic massage for chronic pain focuses on restoring balanced tension patterns in the body and supporting nervous system regulation—particularly for clients navigating conditions like endometriosis, dysautonomia, or connective tissue disorders.
We also offer menstrual relief massage, which can help reduce muscular guarding and improve circulation for those experiencing painful periods or chronic pelvic tension.
Acupuncture provides another layer of support, often helping regulate nervous system function, circulation, and inflammatory processes in conditions affecting pelvic and reproductive health.
In addition to our bodywork services, my own clinical practice in herbal medicine focuses on many of the conditions discussed at the conference, including pelvic and reproductive health disorders, connective tissue conditions, dysautonomia, mast cell activation disorders, and complex chronic pain. Herbal medicine can play a valuable role in supporting hormonal balance, immune regulation, connective tissue health, and nervous system resilience.
Together, these approaches allow us to offer a truly integrative model of care.
Continuing to Grow as Clinicians
One of the things I value most in leading the Red Moon Wellness team is cultivating a culture of curiosity and continued learning. Supporting our therapists in attending advanced interdisciplinary conferences helps ensure that our practice stays deeply informed by evolving research in the fields most relevant to our clients.
We’re incredibly grateful to the team at Inspira Integration for organizing such a thoughtful and inspiring event, and to the many clinicians and researchers who shared their expertise.
Bodywork is most powerful when it’s informed not only by skilled hands, but also by a deep understanding of the complex health conditions people are living with. And when practitioners across disciplines share knowledge and collaborate, the people we care for ultimately benefit the most.
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