Tag Archive for painful intercourse

Is Your Sexual Function Normal?

February 5, 2009 Jackie No comments

By Jackie

Many comedic movies like to poke fun at the relationship between men and women in the bedroom. While these portrayals are sometimes humorous, they fail in one regard: showing a real woman. In comedic movies, women are either portrayed as the sex kitten who will bring out the whip at any given moment or the completely bored lover who has to use “fake orgasms” or the excuse of headaches.

What is normal female sexual function? Occasionally having a “headache” or trying to spice things up certainly isn’t abnormal, but for most women, these two extremes don’t represent their sexual relationships.

To help define “normal” female sexual function, doctors designed the Female Sexual Function Index. It breaks-up female sexual function into six quantifiable categories:

  • Desire
  • Arousal
  • Lubrication
  • Satisfaction
  • Orgasm
  • Pain

Doctors have designed a questionnaire to help a woman determine her overall sexual function score. To take the test and see your score, visit the FSFI website.

If a woman scores low on the test, it does not mean there is something “wrong” with her. It may be that a woman isn’t lubricating enough, making sex painful. Or a woman may not be receiving enough foreplay, leading to decreased arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and overall satisfaction. Another possibility is that a woman is experiencing a particularly painful emotional time, thus decreasing her levels of arousal and desire.

But what if you scored low and you feel your sexual function has been low for years? What if you and your husband have tried to increase your sexual experience in multiple ways, but it just isn’t working? What if no matter what you do, you still experience pain with sex?

If any of these questions sound like you, adhesions may be contributing to your sexual dysfunction and pain. Adhesions form after any injury to the body – including vaginal infections, bladder infections, rough sex, etc. The minute an infection occurs, tiny strands of collagen rush to the site. They not only seal off the area from the rest of the body, but also help it heal. Although helpful, these strands of collagen can blanket the sensitive walls of the vagina. When the nerves of the vagina are blanketed, desire, lubrication, satisfaction, and orgasm can be decreased.

In addition to blanketing the vagina, collagen can continue to build and form adhesions. Adhesions can constrict the vagina, pull on the cervix, or pull on nearby structures. Whenever a woman attempts sex, pain is generated as the adhesions are stretched.

To learn more about a safe, non-invasive treatment for sexual function and intercourse pain, please visit our painful intercourse page and sexual dysfunction page.

Intercourse Pain, Recent Posts, Sexual Function , , ,

Infertility and Sexual Dysfunction are Linked – And It’s Not All in Your Head

January 23, 2009 Jackie No comments

By Jackie

Maintaining a sexually satisfying relationship can be difficult for couples struggling with infertility.  Judith C. Daniluk, author of an article entitled, “Keeping Your Sex Life Alive While Coping with Infertility” explains that, “Infertility affects a person’s feelings about themselves – their masculinity or femininity, their self worth, their self esteem, their body.”

Many women experience a deterioration of sexual satisfaction during infertility treatments, often related to feelings of disappointment, guilt, or low self esteem. These feelings can decrease a woman’s sexual desire, arousal, ability to lubricate, and overall satisfaction.

A study published by Fertility and Sterility (October 2007) found that women experience greater levels of anxiety and sexual stress due to infertility than men. For some women, infertility treatments directly decrease desire and arousal because of altered hormonal levels.

Although these articles and studies show that decreased sexual satisfaction can be related to emotional and mental health, it is imperative that women know sexual dysfunction or painful intercourse is not always, “all in your head.”

At CPT, we often find that female infertility and sexual dysfunction are physically linked. Frequently, a woman will experience a common event such as a car accident, vaginal infection, STD, sexual abuse, or surgery that causes adhesions to form within the reproductive tract. These adhesions can lead to infertility by restricting or pulling the fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, and vagina. Although some women may not initially experience any pain or sexual dysfunction at the time, the continued pulling and restriction can cause more adhesions to form, eventually resulting in painful intercourse and sexual dysfunction six to twelve months later. Because of the delayed onset, women often do not see the connection between their infertility and sexual dysfunction.

CPT therapists see sexual dysfunction as a clue to discover the cause of a woman’s infertility. We often ask patients, “When did your sexual dysfunction begin? How often does it occur? Are you experiencing trouble with arousal, desire, satisfaction, orgasm, pain, or lubrication? In what sexual positions does sex hurt? Where exactly does it hurt and what does it feel like?”

The answers to these questions shape our individualized treatment for each woman. Many women find that when we resolve the cause of their infertility, we also resolve the cause of their sexual dysfunction and pain.

To learn more about our treatment, please visit our sexual dysfunction page, painful intercourse page, or female infertility page.

Adhesions, Fertility, Intercourse Pain, Recent Posts, Sexual Function , , ,

Decreased Sensation During Intercourse

January 6, 2009 Jackie No comments

By Kandy

Sexual intimacy and intercourse should provide some of life’s greatest pleasures. But because the female urogenital and reproductive organs are very susceptible to adhesions, intercourse can become painful, dissatisfying, and embarrassing. Many women still believe the old misconception that “there isn’t anything that can be done,” or “it’s just the way it is,” or “my mother didn’t enjoy sexual intimacy and neither did hers, therefore I won’t be able to either.”

If you are not satisfied with sexual intercourse, you are not alone. Did you know that approximately 50% of all US women and 43% of women aged 18-59 experience female sexual dysfunction (FSD) according to data from Urology and the Journal of the American Medical Association? In 2000. the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy classified female sexual dysfunction into six measurable domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Intercourse pain affects between 46% and 60% of all US women, according to reports in American Family Physician (2001) and Obstetrics & Gynecology (1996). Have you ever been informed that female sexual dysfunction can occur during any stage of intercourse?

Although sexual dysfunction and intercourse pain are prevalent among women, these conditions should not be considered “normal” or “untreatable.” An informative article found in Science Daily (November 16, 2006) discusses a recent study about a possible cause of sexual dysfunction in women. The study, completed by researchers of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine and The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, found that many female competitive bicyclists experienced decreased genital sensation. The researches found that external genital nerves and arteries were negatively affected by being directly compressed in women who consistently cycled an average of at least 10 miles a week, four weeks per month.

Other known causes of sexual dysfunction and intercourse pain include bladder infections, yeast infection, inflammatory disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, pelvic surgeries, physical or sexual abuse, etc.  All of these conditions can cause adhesions to form within in the reproductive tract. Adhesions can restrict and blanket the delicate structures of the reproductive system, causing decreased sensation (such as in the bicyclists) or painful intercourse.

So what can a woman do once she experiences sexual dysfunction or painful intercourse? First, she should speak with her doctor to make sure there is not a greater problem at hand, such as endometriosis or a sexually transmitted disease. If the doctor cannot find a probable cause, it is likely that adhesions are at fault.

A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Medscape General Medicine (2004) examined a sexual dysfunction treatment that directly targets adhesions within the reproductive tract. The study showed that 78% of women had increased desire (libido), 74% had increased arousal, 70% had increased lubrication, and 56% experienced increased orgasms after receiving treatment developed at Clear Passage Therapies®. For more information on this treatment, please visit our sexual dysfunction or painful intercourse page.

Intercourse Pain, Recent Posts, Sexual Function , , ,

Three Common Causes of Deep Penetration Pain

December 6, 2008 Jackie No comments

By Jackie

Few women feel comfortable discussing painful intercourse, much less deep penetration pain. However, many women experience pain that lasts after initial entry. Some women report that, “It feels like my partner is hitting something.” Other women experience a broader ache in their pelvis.

So what can cause this type of pain? Below are three common culprits:

Tailbone: A fall onto the tailbone can cause it to be pushed forward or to the side. If the ligaments and tissues attached to the tailbone are also injured, the tailbone can heal in this position. Women with this condition experience painful intercourse, pain with bowel movements, and difficulty sitting for long periods.

Cervix: The cervix is held in its midline position by ligaments that attach to tall sides. If infection, inflammation, surgery, or trauma occurs in the vagina, adhesions can form and pull the cervix out of alignment. Adhesions can also tighten the cervix, causing significant pain when impacted by deep penetration.

IUD: An IUD is designed to prevent pregnancy by causing inflammation in the uterus. If the uterus is inflamed, a woman may experience pain during intercourse. Inflammation also causes adhesions to form in the uterus and cervix. Even if the IUD has been removed, a woman can still experience pain during intercourse due to these adhesions.

Our therapists, trained to reduce adhesions, have had great success treating intercourse pain. In our latest study, 96% of patients experienced a decrease in intercourse pain. To read more about our treatment for sexual dysfunction and painful intercourse, please visit our site.

Intercourse Pain, Recent Posts , , , , , ,

Study Links Abuse to Sexual Dysfunction

November 15, 2008 Jackie No comments

By Jackie

A medical study published last month in Fertility and Sterility found that women who experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse at any time during their life had doubled odds of experiencing sexual dysfunction. That means female survivors of abuse are TWICE as likely to struggle with desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and intercourse pain. This study is extremely relevant to women because it shows that even if the abuse occurred during childhood, it can have lasting impacts on sexual function in adulthood. The psychological and emotional impacts of abuse are devastating enough – women do not deserve to live with continued pain or sexual dissatisfaction.

In some instances, women are subjected to direct force, such as being stuck or forced into sexual acts. As a result of the trauma, adhesions may form to help the body repair and heal. However, these adhesions can also restrict the vagina, cover sensitive structures designed to make sex pleasurable, or adhere the vagina to other structures, such as the bladder. Adhesions can also form at the cervix, making it immobile and painful during intercourse. Adhesions that restrict the vagina can also prevent proper lubrication. Furthermore, women who experience intercourse pain often become guarded against sex and experience trouble with desire and arousal.

In other instances, trauma from abuse may occur over time. For example, if a child experiences ongoing emotional abuse, she will always be “on guard” against a recurrent perpetrator, thus tensing her muscles and causing them to go into spasm. Over time, this spasm can also result in adhesions. Adhesions that form around the pituitary-hypothalamus feedback loop can also prevent proper hormonal function, thus decreasing desire and arousal.

Our treatment for sexual dysfunction and intercourse pain can be extremely helpful and cathartic for women who have experienced physical or sexual abuse. We treat the scars and adhesions that form within our patients as a result of the abuse. When we break-apart, detach, and deform these adhesions, women find that pain dramatically decreases and their sexual function increases.

One of our previous patients, Kelly, came to CPT after experiencing sexual abuse almost 20 years prior. She told us, “I had a feeling that the therapy would help me resolve the pain and inflexibility in the vaginal area which had resulted in sexual dysfunction.” After completing our 20 hour treatment program she reported, “The therapy worked beautifully, and I have had no pain since the treatment.”

Please visit our website if you would like to read more about our treatment for sexual dysfunction, intercourse pain, or abuse.

Adhesions, Recent Posts, Sexual Function , , , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »