Pelvic Floor / Pelvic Girdle

Instructors - Lyons - Ariail

Michelle Lyons, PT, MISCP

Michelle Lyons

Michelle Lyons, MISCP PT, has over twenty years of experience as a chartered physiotherapist. She has recently returned to live in Ireland after a number of years in the US.

As well as developing numerous speciality courses for Herman & Wallace (Oncology and the Female Pelvic Floor, Oncology and the Male Pelvic Floor, The Athlete & the Pelvic Floor, Menopause Rehabilitation and Symptom Management, and Special Topics: Endometriosis, Infertility & Hysterectomy), she is also a tutor on the Pelvic Floor Series and the Pregnancy/Post-partum Series. Michelle was also proud to be an item writer for the PRPC certification exam.

With additional training in nutrition therapy, herbal medicine, pilates and yoga as well as her clinical training and experience in pelvic health and oncology rehab, Michelle is a firm believer in integrative medicine and a whole body approach to health and wellness.

She is also a lecturer for the Pelvic Obstetric & Gynaecological Physiotherapy Association in the U.K. on their pregnancy/MSK courses and will be Clinical Lead on their new advanced pelvic floor course and their male pelvic health coursework. She blogs and teaches online (available late 2015) for Medbridge Education and has collaborated with the Integrative Women's Health Institute and Burrell Education on a number of live and online women’s health educational programs.

As a social media advocate, in 2013 she co-founded the Women’s Health Physiotherapy Facebook group, which now has over 3000 members from all over the world. A poster presentation looking at the role of the group/social media in promoting women’s health was presented at WCPT in 2015.

She also offers consulting/ mentoring service to clinicians internationally who wish to develop pelvic rehab, integrative health or oncology rehab programs. With a busy international teaching schedule, she also finds time to indulge her passion for reading, shopping for more books and reading some more!


Allison Ariail, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA, BCB-PMD, PRPC

Allison Ariail

Allison Ariail, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA, BCB-PMD, PRPC (she/her) has been a physical therapist since 1999. She graduated with a BS in physical therapy from the University of Florida and earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Boston University in 2007. Also in 2007, Dr. Ariail qualified as a Certified Lymphatic Therapist. She became board certified by the Lymphology Association of North America in 2011 and board-certified in Biofeedback Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance in 2012. In 2014, Allison earned her board certification as a Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner. Allison specializes in the treatment of the pelvic ring and back using manual therapy and ultrasound imaging for instruction in a stabilization program. She also specializes in women’s and men’s health including conditions of chronic pelvic pain, bowel and bladder disorders, and coccyx pain. Lastly, Allison has a passion to help oncology patients, particularly gynecological, urological, and head and neck cancer patients.

In 2009, Allison collaborated with the Primal Pictures team for the release of the Pelvic Floor Disorders program. Allison's publications include: “The Use of Transabdominal Ultrasound Imaging in Retraining the Pelvic-Floor Muscles of a Woman Postpartum.” Physical Therapy. Vol. 88, No. 10, October 2008, pp 1208-1217. (PMID: 18772276), “Beyond the Abstract” for Urotoday.com in October 2008, “Posters to Go” from APTA combined section meeting poster presentation in February 2009 and 2013. In 2016, Allison co-authored a chapter in “Healing in Urology: Clinical Guidebook to Herbal and Alternative Therapies.”

Allison works in the Denver metro area in her practice, Inspire Physical Therapy and Wellness, where she works in a more holistic setting than traditional therapy clinics. In addition to instructing Herman and Wallace on pelvic floor-related topics, Allison lectures nationally on lymphedema, cancer-related changes to the pelvic floor, and the sacroiliac joint. Allison serves as a consultant to medical companies, and physicians.

Outside of work, Allison enjoys spending time with her family, caring for her animals, reading, traveling, and most importantly of all, being a mom! She lives in the Denver metro area with her family.