Why Is Sex Painful?

RELAX PAINFUL SEX WITH 6 TIPS

Sex should be fun, pleasurable and painless that you and your partner can have sincerely!

Sex should not be painful under any circumstances… Just as it should be painless while performing the eye function and visual function, the genitals are expected to perform their healthy functions in a normal and painless manner. If you are experiencing pain during sex, you may be wondering what is normal, what is not, and what can help.

Painful sexual intercourse, also known as dyspareunia, is a common diagnosis with 18% of the world’s population suffering from these symptoms; However, this disorder is often neglected due to people who do not want to share these problems with healthcare workers or do not know who to go to when this problem occurs. As such, people fail to get the help they need, potentially leading to mental health problems, bonding difficulties, and an overall poor quality of life. Fortunately, when properly diagnosed, dyspareunia can be managed and treated by a group that specializes in pelvic health.

Let’s first talk about what can cause your pain during sex, and then we’ll talk about some ways to reduce your pain.

Why do I have pain during sex?

• Increased pelvic floor muscle tension – your pelvic floor muscles are in line with other muscles in your body and may be tight or have trouble relaxing during engagement.

• Vaginismus – Vaginismus is defined as muscle spasms in the outer third of the vagina or at the vaginal opening. You may feel that your partner “hits the wall” while trying to enter the vagina, or you may feel as if there is a wall.

• Vaginal atrophy/drying/thinning – This is mostly the result of hormonal changes caused by breastfeeding and/or hormonal contraceptives during menopause.

• Vulvodynia occurs as a condition that persists for 3 months or longer in the vulva and causes burning, redness and itching of unknown cause.

• Injuries from pregnancy and childbirth, such as perineal tear/scarring and cesarean section scarring can also cause scar tissue that causes pain. This, in turn, can cause tension in your pelvic floor muscles.

• Endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, cervical irritation can cause painful attachment.

• Vulvar or vaginal infection such as lichen sclerosus, bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection can cause vaginal pain and irritation before, during and after sexual intercourse.

What can I do to relieve pain during sex?

1. DIAPHRAGM BREATH

Practice diaphragmatic breathing regularly every day and during sexual interest. For detailed breathing work, watch the “diaphragm and pelvic taaban” image on @pelvikoterapi instagram address!

Diaphragmatic breathing increases mobility in the pelvic floor and abdomen, providing blood flow and relaxation. Thus, it helps to calm the border system and reduce muscle retention.

How to do diaphragmatic breathing:

• Put one hand on your chest, glutton on your stomach and relax your chin and shoulders, keeping the long spine. If you find it difficult, start by lying on your back and as you progress, start sitting, standing and doing it in a random position.

• Inhale in a slow, gentle form, allowing your stomach to expand. With your breath, keep your stomach and ribs moving evenly in all directions (as if you have a balloon in your stomach and inflate it 360 degrees in all directions). Then exhale slowly and allow your belly to come in gently without mistake. We do not want contractions in the abdomen during exhalation.

1. USE Plenty of LUBRICANT!

• Vaginal wetness is valuable for reducing friction, irritation and stiffness during intercourse. Self-wetting may decrease with decreased estrogen during breastfeeding, menopause, or the use of certain birth control methods.

• However, not all lubricants have a one-to-one effect! Some of the ingredients we want to avoid in lubricants are: glycerin, nonoxynol-9, petroleum, propylene glycol, and chlorhexidine gluconate.

• You can use water-based lubricants suitable for the pH of the vagina, or you can use natural coconut oil. Caveat – oil and latex may not be a good pair. For this reason, avoid using latex condoms if you are using oil-based lubricants, as they may tear.

1. LOOSE YOUR PELVIC FLOOR

Listed below are some stretches that help lengthen and relax the pelvic floor. Add 4-5 diaphragmatic breaths to each of these stretches and observe how your pelvic floor relaxes. You can do these once a day and use them to prepare yourself for the engagement quickly before the engagement.

• Single leg then double leg abdominal pull

• happy baby pose

• child pose

• deep squat

• butterfly pose

TRY OTHER CONDITIONS

You may find it easier to control your body by lying on your side, lying on your back or sitting on your partner with pillows that support your knees, and you can open up space for your pelvic floor muscles to relax.

1. USE VAGINAL DILATORS

Dilators allow the pelvic floor muscles to be relaxed, massage the scar, if any, at the vaginal entrance, and provide the basis for regaining the flexibility of the tissues.

1. TAKE SUPPLEMENTS FROM PELVIC FLOOR PHYSIOTHERAPY

Finally, if you’re feeling pain during sex and don’t know where to go, if you need additional medical support from a pelvic floor therapist to have your pelvic floor muscles and attached tissues evaluated, it’s pretty expensive to steer you in the right direction.

In our therapies, we focus on smoothing muscle tone, reducing pain and optimizing pelvic health function with manual therapy techniques, neuromuscular training and pelvic floor training!