Pain with Gynecology Visits, Tampons, or Sexual Activity

Pelvic floor physical therapy is an effective treatment for pain with gynecology visits, tampon insertion, or sexual activity. Pain with sexual activity is also called dyspareunia. This pain usually occurs because of tightness in the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles sit between the bones of the pelvis and help open and close the vagina, urethra, and anus. When the pelvic floor muscles are tight, it can make the vagina, urethra, and anus more difficult to relax and open.  

Pelvic floor physical therapy helps relax tight pelvic floor muscles to decrease pain. This can be done with stretches, yoga poses, breathwork, biofeedback, internal myofascial work, vaginal trainers, or pelvic wands.  

• Stretches and yoga poses help loosen tight muscles around the pelvic floor in the hips, groin, and back.  
• Breathwork is important because when you take a deep breath in, your diaphragm moves downward in your abdomen, and when your diaphragm moves down it helps your pelvic floor move down and relax.  
• If you are struggling to understand how to do breathwork correctly, biofeedback can provide you with immediate visual feedback to help you learn how to relax better.  
• Internal myofascial work is when your physical therapist uses gloved finger in your vagina to put gentle pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. This pressure helps the muscles relax, just like a neck massage helps your body relax and posture improve.  
• Your physical therapist can teach you to use vaginal trainers or a pelvic wand to do the internal myofascial work on your own.  

Your pelvic floor physical therapist will spend time helping you understand your body better and deciding together what treatment options are best for you. We are happy to answer any questions and help you feel comfortable in your body!