Visit our Locations
Lawton, Oklahoma
Give us a Call
580-699-5455
Opening Hours
Mon - Thur: 8AM - 6PM
Friday: 8AM - 2PM

Women’s Health: Dyspareunia and Physical Therapy

DyspareuniaDyspareunia is one of the major causes of interpersonal conflicts in marriages that affect approximately 20% of women in the United States. Dyspareunia is a medical condition where there is some recurring pain during intercourse which occurs when there is deep penetration, initial penetration or when there is a lack of lubrication. It may occur before, during or after sexual intercourse.

Painful intercourse usually affects the physical health, body image, relationship, conception and mental health of a woman. It can be a very disturbing condition that needs support and care to the patient. This is what drives our loving and trained physical therapists at Fusion Physical Therapy when dealing with your case. They are by your side during the entire process until you fully recover.

Symptoms of Dyspareunia

  • Pain during penetration
  • Burning pain during intercourse
  • Deep pain in case there is thrusting
  • Aching pain during intercourse
  • Throbbing pain after intercourse
  • Painful when inserting a finger or tampon

Causes of Dyspareunia

There are various causes of pain in women during intercourse. Here are some of the causes:

  • Lack or inadequate lubrication – this may occur if there is no sufficient foreplay, taking some antidepressants, menopause, childbirth, certain medications etc.
  • Infection and Irritation
  • Inflammation
  • Skin disorder
  • Injury and Trauma
  • Congenital abnormality
  • Vaginismus
  • Previous treatment and surgeries
  • Certain illnesses like uterine prolapse, cystitis, uterine fibroids, endometriosis etc.
  • Previous sexual abuse
  • Psychological issues like stress, anxiety, intimacy fear, physical appearance concerns, depression, and relational problems.

How We Help You

At Fusion Physical Therapy we carry out a thorough medical examination to determine the cause of your pain before administering the treatment program to you. Our certified physical therapists will be there to assess your posture, strength, movements, mobility, and breathing so as to know how you use your body. They will also conduct a visceral examination of the vaginal wall, vulva, and muscles at the pelvic floor to determine their strength, tension, and tightness.

After all the examination and evaluation, our caring physical therapists will give you a take-away treatment program and exercises to follow when at home. To ensure you get the best results, our therapists at Fusion Physical Therapy will do follow-ups. Contact us today and say goodbye to painful intercourse.

Women’s Health: Pain While Having Sex – Dyspareunia Treatment

dyspareuniaHave you ever experienced pain while having sex? Then you may suffer from dyspareunia, a recurrent or persistent pain with sexual activity that affects approximately 10% to 20% of women in the United States. This condition can result in a lack of desire for sexual intercourse and damper the relationship a woman has with her partner as sexual intercourse should be associated with pleasure and not pain. When the pelvic muscles in the pelvic floor tighten then Dyspareunia may occur. However, there are women who experience dyspareunia as a result of yeast infections, vaginal dryness or even post-childbirth.

Dyspareunia can be categorized into two types: 1) entry and 2) deep. Entry Dyspareunia occurs when the pain is felt at the entrance of the vagina and deep dyspareunia pain occurs with deep penetration. Dyspareunia tends to have a negative impact on a woman which include negative perception of their body, issues with their relationships, and challenges with their efforts to conceive a baby.

While there are several factors that cause dyspareunia, the five most common causes of dyspareunia are as follows:

  1. Vulvodynia
    1. Burning pain in the vulva that may be continuous or may occur every once in a while. Sometimes it is triggered by touch or pressure, including intercourse or long periods of sitting.
  2. Vaginismus
    1. Pain that occurs when vaginal muscles of the pelvic floor involuntarily or persistently contract when vaginal penetration is attempted. These contractions prevent sexual intercourse and/or make sex painful.
  3. Inadequate Lubrication
  4. Vaginal Atrophy
    1. Thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls due to a lack of estrogen.
  5. Postpartum Dyspareunia

Physical Therapy is a great treatment option for Dyspareunia. At Fusion Physical Therapy, Jackie Saravane, our physical therapist who specializes in women’s health will create a customized plan that will address all of the facets of the pelvic floor. Her treatment plan may consist of a pelvic physical exam, pelvic floor massage as well as bladder manipulation and retraining. The retraining phase includes teaching you to identify the correct muscle groups and how to consciously relax those muscle.

Contact Jackie today to schedule an appointment via phone at 580-699-5455 or online at https://lawtonphysicaltherapy.com/book-an-appointment.