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Painful Sex
Your Compassionate Guide to Intimacy with Vaginismus
Living with vaginismus can bring about a lot of negative emotions-it can feel isolating, overwhelming, and discouraging — especially in a society that puts a huge emphasis on penetrative sex. When penetration is painful or impossible, it can trigger a…
How Anxiety Fuels Painful Sex
By Gina Inglese, MS, OTR/L, CCTS-I, CSOT, Owner of Anxious Pelvis In this article, painful sex is referring to painful intercourse, or insertion into the vagina. This can be closer to the entrance or deeper in the vagina. There are…
3 Expert Tips to Boost Pleasure When Sex Hurts
By Michiko Caringal, MScPT, MHsc in Bioethics, Registered Physiotherapist Pelvic health physiotherapists play an essential role in helping people achieve and maintain strong, healthy, and well-coordinated pelvic floor muscles. These muscles support pelvic stability and hold up the pelvic organs—but…
4 Ways to Manage Painful Intercourse in Peri/Menopause
By Amanda Olson DPT, PRPC As women transition through perimenopause and menopause, many experience physical changes that can affect intimacy, including painful intercourse, or dyspareunia. These changes are primarily caused by declining levels of estrogen, which can lead to vaginal dryness,…
How Strength Training Can Help Those Who Struggle with Painful Sex
By Julia Rosenthal, PT, DPT, OCS, PRPC For too long, the standard advice for people experiencing pain with sex—also known as dyspareunia—has centered around rest, avoidance or at best, passive care. While techniques like breathwork, manual therapy, and desensitization have…
Understanding Postpartum Dyspareunia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Options
Navigating and Overcoming Painful Sex After Childbirth Congratulations! You’ve made it through pregnancy, childbirth, and the whirlwind that is postpartum life. You’ve survived sleepless nights, adapted to a whole new role (parenting!), and adjusted to a rollercoaster of hormonal changes.…
3 Ways to Address Painful Intercourse After Cancer Treatment
By Amanda Olson DPT, PRPC Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are life-saving interventions, but they often come with challenging side effects, including pain during intercourse. For many cancer survivors, this discomfort—known as dyspareunia—can significantly impact their quality of…
