Pelvic and Sexual Pain

Chronic pelvic pain and sexual pain can interfere with your every day life. This is a frustrating, emotionally distressing, and often very private issue as many women may not know where to go or what to do with this ‘hidden problem’. 

Not to mention, it is often hard to diagnose — then misdiagnosed women often suffer for many years before finding the right help they need.

Below is a list of of concerns, conditions, and causes that may benefit from physiotherapy assistance and how we can help.

Possible causes:

  • Tight, overactive pelvic floor muscles

  • Excessive training of the core / abdominal muscles

  • Physical and/or psychological trauma (stress, relationship issues or past abuse)

  • Pelvic scarring (episiotomy, vaginal birth tear, pelvic surgery)
    Irritation, injury or compression of a nerve

  • Recurrent infections e.g.  thrush or medical conditions

  • Inflammatory conditions of the skin and vulva

  • Hormonal changes associated with menopause or breastfeeding

Common associated signs or symptoms:

  • Pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) 

  • Pain inserting a tampon and/or having a PAP smear

  • Painful periods

  • Vulval pain with sitting or tight clothing 

  • Pain with a full bladder 

  • Tailbone or coccyx pain 

Common pelvic pain conditions 

Vaginismus, vulvodynia, endometriosis, neurological/pudendal pain syndrome, painful bladder syndrome (Interstitual cystitis), coccydynia. 

How we can help

We will listen and take a detailed history and, if necessary take an internal examination. We offer gentle muscle release, stretching, and work to desensitise vaginal tissues. We will then partner with you to develop and individualised training programme that will work to address and ease your pain.

If we believes you may need additional medical assistance, we have built a trusted network and can refer of other medical professionals.

Feel free to Contact us if you have any additional questions.