Next month, the global health community will mark World Menopause Day on 18 October. Coordinated by the International Menopause Society (IMS), the campaign is designed to highlight the importance of understanding menopause and to ensure people have access to the support, information, and healthcare they need during this life stage. Far from being a single ‘moment in time’, menopause is a transition that can shape health, wellbeing, and quality of life for decades. 

This year, the IMS has chosen Lifestyle Medicine as its theme. By doing so, the Society emphasises that while medical treatments and therapies remain vital, the everyday choices people make, especially around nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress, can be equally powerful tools in managing symptoms and improving long-term health. It’s the perfect theme to highlight the value and impact that manual therapists can have in people’s menopause experiences.  

Why it matters 

Menopause is often framed in terms of symptoms and treatment, but the conversation is expanding to a more holistic view of health. Lifestyle medicine encourages women, and the professionals who support them, to consider how everyday habits influence not just hot flushes or sleep patterns, but also longer-term outcomes such as heart health, bone density, and cognitive wellbeing. 

The message is clear: small, sustainable changes can make a meaningful difference. By integrating lifestyle approaches with medical options, individuals are better equipped to navigate menopause with confidence. Importantly, this year’s theme also challenges outdated narratives that reduce menopause to a single set of symptoms, highlighting instead the diversity of experiences and the opportunity for positive, proactive care. 

At Therapy Expo 2025, we’ll be continuing the menopause conversation. Check out the below sessions for a deeper diver into understanding the menopause:  

Moving through menopause: MSK, metabolic, and pelvic health issues 

Michelle Lyons, Women’s Health Physiotherapist, Celebrate Muliebrity  

Theatre B – 27 November – 16:35 – 17:05  

Michelle Lyons graduated from UCD’s physiotherapy programme in 1994 and although her initial career was in sports medicine, for the past 20 years she has focused on women’s health. She has a post grad in health coaching & nutrition, and another post grad in innovation & creative thinking, along with teacher training qualifications in Pilates, yoga and mindfulness. She has presented at prestigious conferences nationally, internationally and online and is a consultant with FIFA on their female athlete project. For further information please visit her website CelebrateMuliebrity.com 

Menopause and loss of muscle mass: fact, fiction, or fear? 

Christien Bird, Pelvic Health Physiotherapist & Co-Founder, Menopause Movement 

Theatre A – 27 November – 12:05 – 12:35  

Christien Bird MSc MCSP is the co-founder of the online Menopause Movement online training & community platform for health & fitness professionals, www.menopausemovement.co . The movement has created a community and training platform for the fitness and health world to confidently treat & train women into the menopause. Christien is a Pelvic health physio treating all things pelvic health: bladder, bowel and sexual issues. She runs a multi-disciplinary clinic in South-West London. Prior to opening the clinic, she was head of physio out-patient at a London teaching hospital. Christien completed a master’s degree in clinical research methodology from King’s College and published in medical peer review journals worldwide. She continues to compete as an age-group triathlete, representing GB. Much of her drive is supporting women in enjoying movement and staying strong.