Pain with Intercourse (Dyspanreunia)
Overview of painful intercourse:
Painful intercourse, or dyspareunia, may feel like burning, stabbing, aching, or deep pressure during or after sexual activity. It can have physical and emotional components. Many women first experience painful penetration with using tampons and then go on to have pain with sex as well. The pain might be at the entrance to the vagina, the surrounding muscles and tissues, or deeper in the vagina. Some women have pain with initial penetration, while others have more pain with deep thrusting. No matter the pain you are experiencing, we are here to help!
Common causes:
Dyspareunia can be caused by pelvic floor muscle tension, vaginal dryness, scar tissue from childbirth or surgery, endometriosis, hormonal shifts, or a history of trauma or painful first experiences. If you have another pelvic condition, you might also experience painful intercourse as a secondary symptom as well.
Impact on life:
Pain during intimacy can lead to avoidance of sexual activity, difficulty communicating with partners, relationship strain, and emotional distress. It often brings feelings of inadequacy, shame, and grief over lost connection and comfort. We are here to help you navigate not only the physical, but also the emotional and mental components as well. We work with you to develop good communication with your partner as well, so you don’t feel like the burden of your symptoms is only on you. We understand this topic can be hard to discuss and navigate on your own, and we never want you to feel alone.
How pelvic floor therapy helps:
Pelvic floor therapy addresses physical restrictions, improves blood flow and tissue mobility, and helps you reconnect with your body. We offer education, validation, and tools to rebuild intimacy at your pace. We use a holistic and whole-body approach to address all the contributing factors to your pain. We also heavily consider your nervous system and often refer to our nervous system focused chiropractic friends to help collaborate on your care!
Our treatment:
All our care starts with a thorough evaluation, where we discuss your history, so we can get a good idea of how long you have been dealing with dyspareunia, if there are other factors to consider, and how it is affecting your life. Then, we complete a head to toe external examination to address compensation patterns, muscle tension, and muscular imbalances. With full consent, we use gentle manual therapy techniques, internal and external soft tissue work to your pelvic floor and surrounding tissues, breath work, and desensitization exercises. We also provide guidance on communication with your partner, various lubricants to try and their benefits, and positioning for comfort. If appropriate, we educate you in the use of dilators and/or a pelvic wand so you can perform soft tissue work between sessions as well.
Ready to experience pleasure instead of pain? Book your evaluation today.