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42 St Mark Rd, Taylors, SC
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(864) 534-1780
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office@histherapy.net
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Painful Intercourse and Physical Therapy

I have people who ask me all the time how a physical therapists can help someone who has painful intercourse.  Pelvic floor therapists are trained with the pelvic floor muscles which have a major function for intercourse. Physical therapists can help patients understand the role of these muscles through education, biofeedback training and manual cues. Therapists can also help with soft tissue massage/myofascial release of the pelvic floor muscles which are tight and have trigger points. People who have pain usually have problems with relaxation and tense up their muscles during intercourse. Teaching relaxation techniques and stretches are also a significant part of the therapy. Treatment can be very beneficial and even after 3 or 4 sessions patients began to have significant relief.

For further questions please feel free to contact me at Sabina@histherapy.net or 864-534-1780

Dyspareunia-What Is It?

Dyspareunia is a medical term for painful intercourse, defined as persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during or after intercourse. There are more than 200,000 cases per year that are diagnosed, and many more cases that are unreported.  It may be caused by infection, trauma, vaginal dryness, or malignancy.  There are other conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic congestion, vaginismus, vulvodynia, and interstitical cystitis that can all cause pelvic pain.  These diagnoses may require medical care, yet sometimes women receive treatment and continue to experience symptoms. Sometimes after being seen and assessed by a doctor, doctors may treat dyspareunia by the use of antibiotics for infection, topical estrogen for hormonal imbalances, and other creams like Lidocaine for pain relief. 

A few other factors may also contribute to pain in women who have any of the above listed conditions, as well as women with none of them.  One of those biggest factors is your pelvic floor.  The pelvic floor is a large, bowl-shaped muscle group stretching from your pubic bone to your tailbone.  Your pelvic floor controls your bladder and bowel.  It’s also what relaxes to allow for penetration, and contracts rhythmically and involuntarily during an orgasm. 

From what we’ve seen, there is a lack of awareness and knowledge of the anatomy of the pelvic floor.  
Physical therapy for pelvic health focuses on improving function of the pelvic floor muscles by educating our patients on how the floor functions.  Manually assessing the muscle’s tone and seeing what areas of the muscles are not able to relax as well as assessing the core muscles are part of the initial assessment.  These other core muscles that are assessed include: the abdominals, the hips, the low back, and the lower extremity muscles that are attached to the pelvis.  Treatments that pelvic floor therapy include to help dyspareunia are: manual myofascial release, biofeedback, internal E-stem, vaginal dilators to help stretch the muscles, and education on bladder and bowel function.  Physical therapy for the pelvic floor allows patients to gain control over their pain and teaches them how to use their body and mind to relax certain muscles that they’ve never been able to relax.  In many cases pelvic floor therapy can help manage the pain and help patients enjoy pain-free intimacy with their mate.  

In our personal experience we have seen remarkable outcomes in the use of pelvic floor therapy as a treatment of dyspareunia.  Within three to five visits our patients have less pain.

Look for our podcast next week on the personal story of a couple married for 29 years who experienced painful intimacy, and after literally five visits of pelvic floor therapy, had NO pain!

Painful Intimacy

His Therapy will be offering another support group for women struggling with pelvic pain and other painful conditions involving the female urogenital system. Women who suffer from these conditions often face many physical as well as emotional limitations and frustrations, including but not limited to- decreased physical activities, inability to enjoy intimacy, depression, and isolation.  

We don’t want you to suffer in silence. Together we can encourage, sympathize, and provide hope, help and support for you.  

Sunday, June 9th   2:00pm-4:30pm       

His Therapy, 3921 S Hwy 14, Ste A, Greenville, SC 29615
864.594.1780 RSVP

Manual Therapy Treatment of Dyspareunia in Females

What is Dyspareunia? Recurrent or persistent genital
pain associated with sexual intercourse.

We treat this condition in our office with GREAT success! 

There is an article just published in the Journal of Women’s Health/Physical Therapy, January/March 2019, Volume 43, Number 1.  This is an excellent article on the efficacy of manual
therapy, including methods and results published.  

Please call us today if you would like to have a free phone consultation or
set up an initial pelvic floor assessment.

For More information on Dyspareunia you can also listen to our podcast on this website.