Pelvic pain can be complex, distressing and disruptive to our lives. This can include pain at the entrance to the vagina, or deep pain which can occur with or without touch or attempted entry. Dyspareunia, a recurrent or persistent pain during sexual activity is unfortunately common; one in five people report chronic vaginal pain during intercourse (Laumann et al., 1999) and only 60% seek treatment (Harlow et al., 2014). Pelvic floor physiotherapists can help to tease apart the contributing causes of genital discomfort with a detailed assessment and can provide treatment and recommendations to help alleviate these issues.
Laumann, E. O., Paik, A., & Rosen, R. C. (1999). Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. Jama, 281(6), 537-544. Harlow, B. L., Kunitz, C. G., Nguyen, R. H., Rydell, S. A., Turner, R. M., & MacLehose, R. F. (2014). Prevalence of symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of vulvodynia: population-based estimates from 2 geographic regions. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 210(1), 40-e1.
