Sexual Health
Painful Intercourse and Sexual Dysfunction can be experienced by men and
women alike. Causes can include pelvic muscle spasms, Interstitial Cystitis,
surgical scarring, chronic back problems, sacral or pudendal nerve problems.
Many women who experience Fibromyalgia, Endometriosis, Vulvodynia, Vaginismus,
or vaginal dryness after chemotherapy or menopause often have symptoms
of painful intercourse. Men with Prostatitis, post-prostatectomy, Pudendal
Nerve Entrapment (PNE), or other conditions may also experience dysfunction
and pain during intercourse.
Treatment Options:
Counseling Session with a Licensed Psychologist
A licensed psychologist can help you cope with sexual issues, have more
comfortable sexual experiences and to better understand your sexuality.
They can assess your progress and identify underlying psychological issues
that might contribute to both sexual problems and chronic pelvic pain
conditions.
Our licensed psychologist,
Dr. Stephanie Buehler, also specializes in helping cancer survivors, couples with infertility
and couples in the postpartum period recover sexual function and pleasure.
Manual Therapy By A Physical Therapist
Trigger Point Release directly to the pelvic floor/ vaginal muscles is
used to decrease muscle tension, nerve sensitivity and inflammation while
increasing blood flow and improving tissue quality. Other modalities may
be used to decrease nerve sensitivity, break up bound or scarred tissue,
decrease inflammation, and re-educate muscles. As the body is very complex,
we also assess other systems such as surrounding organs, the spine, and
nerve systems.
Pilates
Once your muscles are lengthened and less tense, we need to give them
a new memory–a new way to function properly. That is where specialty
"core" exercises help. Your physical therapist will coordinate
with one of our certified Pilates Instructors to create exercises to help
strengthen and decrease tension in the pelvic floor muscles (as they are
part of your "core"), and create a more functional posture.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine has helped many of our patients overcome
painful intercourse. Our Acupuncturist can give treatments to increase
blood and energy flow through all systems of the body. She is even able
to do needling techniques directly to the vaginal/ pelvic muscles.
Massage therapy
Often when there is tension in the vaginal/ pelvic muscles, other areas
of the body are also affected. Muscle tension restricts blood flow and
can decrease organ health, cause headaches, and decrease the ability for
the body to rid of its waste through the lymph system. Massage therapy
is helpful for regaining muscle balance and decreasing toxin build up.
Guided imagery
Guided imagery is an amazing treatment technique used to help with relaxation
and to decrease pain. Our guided imagery therapist, Rhona Jordan, C. Glt,
C. CHt offers this unique therapy. Guided imagery can be done in a private
session with Rhona, and she also can work with you IN TANDEM with other
therapies to increase the healing experience. For example, she can help
during your physical therapy to increase relaxation and blood flow, during
Acupuncture for connecting the points of light for the complete quantum
physics, and during massage for a deeper relaxation and emotional release.