FEMM consultsAs a certified FEMM instructor, my goal is to help women become more in-tune with their menstrual cycle as a sign of health. This is a particularly valuable tool for endurance athletes as a way to prevent and monitor overtraining and leverage performance based on hormone fluctuations throughout a healthy cycle.
I do this through educating and empowering women to have a better understanding of healthy hormones + how to properly chart their menstrual cycle. Great for women trying to achieve or avoid pregnancy. Great for women who want a safe alternative to birth control. Great for women who want to leverage their knowledge of their body as an asset to their running training. *All sessions take place in a secure, virtual platform. |
teenFEMM consultsteenFEMM is a knowledge-based health program for young women (that have not yet reached an age of CONSISTENT menstruation) that teaches them how to understand and monitor hormonal and other indicators of their health. Without knowledge of the normal hormonal interplay of her cycle, the ability of an adolescent and her family to make informed health decisions is hindered. To make informed, empowered decisions about their health, young women need to understand how their bodies work. FEMM enables an adolescent to recognize irregularities and present evidence to healthcare professionals, who then use that evidence to diagnose and treat the problem. During our SIX sessions together, I will guide your teen in understanding the holistic connection between hormones + health, how to track her menstrual cycles, the impact of diet + lifestyle on her body, brain development + emotions, and so much more. These sessions will be conducted one-on-one with your teen + the practitioner. This is a must-do for all teen girls and particularly those who participate in endurance sports so as to prevent overtraining and its health complications. *All sessions take place in a secure, virtual platform. |
group classes |
chart review |
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Do you work with a group of women or female teens that could benefit from this type of knowledge? Whether it is a running club, a sports team, a homeschool co-op, a church group, an after-school program, or even a health class, Dr. Thornberry offers group sessions for this purpose. Please call to discuss pricing, scheduling and if this would be a good fit for your group.
*In-person and virtual options available. |
These sessions are intended for periodic follow-up regarding patterns in your charting. We will review your monthly menstrual cycle chart(s). This may include discussing the health of your ovulatory events, menstrual bleed, current supplements regimen, diet + lifestyle, etc. We will also review any questions you might have regarding charting.
*This service is only open to active/current clients. If you are a new client please book a FEMM or teenFEMM consult first. |
It's no secret that we as women have been left in the dark in regards to health literacy, or an awareness of the behaviors that affect our general and reproductive health over the course of our lives. General health education fails to provide girls the adequate tools to understand and monitor their own unique hormonal health and we are left to our own devices to fill in the gaps. How can we make informed decisions about something we do not understand?
As a healthcare provider, coach and runner herself, Dr. Thornberry is also specifically trained to:
1) teach women and teens how to monitor their hormonal health via key biomarkers, bloodwork analysis and with the assistance of the FEMM app and other hormonal tracking technology.
2) help women regularly assess and troubleshoot their monthly cycles and charts and offer insight on how to interpret it as well as how to leverage your cycle to maximize your sports performance
3) refer to medical professionals who are trained to further assess and treat any abnormalities that require medical attention
As a healthcare provider, coach and runner herself, Dr. Thornberry is also specifically trained to:
1) teach women and teens how to monitor their hormonal health via key biomarkers, bloodwork analysis and with the assistance of the FEMM app and other hormonal tracking technology.
2) help women regularly assess and troubleshoot their monthly cycles and charts and offer insight on how to interpret it as well as how to leverage your cycle to maximize your sports performance
3) refer to medical professionals who are trained to further assess and treat any abnormalities that require medical attention
Female athletes are at an increased risk of experiencing abnormal hormonal health. Intense training causes a release of stress hormones (even with adequate calorie intake). These are the same hormones that give you the post-workout “high” and they can interfere with the body’s production of reproductive hormones; most commonly leading to estrogen deficiency. The long-term consequences can be
1. Infertility
2. Stress fractures due to osteopenia (weak bones) and even osteoporosis (spinal and hip fractures) as 90% of bone mass is built up during late teen years
3. Increased risk of heart attacks later in life
In fact, a cycling woman that misses their period more than twice should go into problem-solving mode and women are lucky to have their cycles to tell us how healthy we are on the inside.
(For more details on the female athlete triad click here .)
1. Infertility
2. Stress fractures due to osteopenia (weak bones) and even osteoporosis (spinal and hip fractures) as 90% of bone mass is built up during late teen years
3. Increased risk of heart attacks later in life
In fact, a cycling woman that misses their period more than twice should go into problem-solving mode and women are lucky to have their cycles to tell us how healthy we are on the inside.
(For more details on the female athlete triad click here .)
No matter your age, from puberty to menopause, it is never too soon or too late to improve your body literacy. Not only can this help prevent injury and improve your overall wellbeing but perhaps most importantly it will empower you to make informed decisions for your health. Now THAT's girl power.
