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Sexual Pain (Dysparuenia)
Sexual pain is pain that is experienced in and around the vagina or pelvis during intercourse. Sexual pain can be experienced at the vaginal entrance or can be a pain that occurs with deeper penetration. Common Causes of Sexual Pain:
Pelvic Floor Muscles and Sexual Pain Overactive pelvic floor muscles occur when the pelvic floor muscles are constantly contracted, and they do not relax between each contraction. When the pelvic floor muscles fail to relax, they can create muscle spasms and tension, and they can therefore become painful just like any other muscle in our body. Inner Pelvic Pain Internal pelvic pain is pain experienced on the inside of the pelvis, in the lower abdominal or perineal area and can be caused or contributed to, by pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. The most common pelvic floor muscle dysfunction that causes abdominal pain is due to over activity or tension of these muscles. Signs of Pelvic Floor Muscle over activity Urinary · Incomplete emptying · Slow flow Bowel · Incomplete emptying · Stools become thinner and cut short · Difficulty releasing wind Intimacy · Painful on entry or deep penetration · May have difficulty achieving an orgasm This condition can be treated by Pelvic Health Physiotherapists Pelvic Girdle Pain Pelvic girdle pain can include sacroiliac pain, pubic symphysis pain, coccyx pain or a mix or any of these. Sacroiliac Joint Pain Can occur during pregnancy or beyond. It is commonly felt in a clear area over the sacroiliac joint and is often aggravated by walking, household chores and any single leg activity like dressing or stair climbing. Causes of Sacroiliac joint pain Muscle imbalance causing increased load to the ligaments around the joint Overload of the joint itself causing joint inflammation Alterations in posture after pregnancy causing increased load to go through through the joint Treatment for Sacroiliac joint pain A tailored exercise program to address imbalances in muscle tightness and strength Joint mobilisations to free up stiff joints Bracing and life alterations to allow for ligament and bone healing Pubic Symphysis Pain There are many contributing factors to developing this condition including; foot mechanics, hip mechanics, joint laxity, neuro-muscular imbalance and occupational stresses. Coccyx Pain Coccyx pain can be disabling, limiting your sitting tolerance and quality of life. Felt on tailbone mostly with sitting, it can often be caused by fall onto the tailbone or childbirth. We look at all the factors contributing to your tailbone pain and treat everything, reducing, if not completely relieving your pain. Causes of coccyx pain Muscles Your pelvic floor muscles attach onto the coccyx bone, therefore any abnormal tension in these muscles can aggravate your pain. Additionally, if your lower buttock muscles are tight it can aggravate your pain. Sitting Posture You may have adjusted your sitting posture and are sitting more on your sacrum rather then your sit bones. This commonly happens to women after pregnancy as the pregnancy backward tilt is maintained after birth, causing the woman to sit on the sacrum – thus causing or aggravating their tailbone pain. Treatment for coccyx pain Our treatment involves releasing all the tight structures attaching to the coccyx, treating any pelvic floor tightness and adjusting your sitting posture to allow the coccyx to heal. Wedge cushions and postural corrections are an easy fix for poor sitting posture. Massage for the tight external muscles works brilliantly. Whilst we teach you how to normalise your pelvic floor muscle tension Hip Pain Pelvic Girdle pain may be caused or contributed to by hip dysfunction which can cause changes in forces going through either the pubic symphysis at the front or the sacroiliac joints. You may require hip X-rays to adequately ascertain if you have hip dysplasia or some hip dysfunction which is altering the load through your pelvis. After pregnancy your posture may be significantly changed contributing to alterations in load through the pelvis and causing hip or pelvic problems. |
