Dyspareunia

Dyspareunia is a pain that occurs during or after sexual intercourse or for example, when inserting a tampon. Dyspareunia is considered one of the most common female sexual problems.

Whilst having pain during intercourse is common – it is not normal. There are numerous causes of dyspareunia, many of which are treatable.

People affected with dyspareunia can experience a wide variety of pain such as: burning sensation, burning, itching, cutting pain, stinging, tightness. These pains can often prevent the woman from reaching orgasm.

There are two types of dyspareunia, depending on when the woman feels the pain.

Women with dyspareunia may have pain in vulva or in the vagina.

Superficial dyspareunia is a pain at the entrance of the vagina.

Deep dyspareunia is deeper pain in the vagina or in the lower abdomen during penetration.

Treatment

Whether the dyspareunia is of physical, psychological or both origins, women usually present contracture of the pelvic floor muscles to greater or lesser degree, secondary to painful sexual activity and other dysfunctions of the pelvic floor.

For the treatment of dyspareunia expert pelvic floor physiotherapists will aim to desensitise the painful area, reduce fear of penetration and treat musculoskeletal dysfunctions that they encounter. Due to the important emotional component of dyspareunia, this treatment should be done in tandem with a psychologist with expertise in sexual problems.

Case Study

Throughout my professional career I have acquired knowledge which has helped me carry out a holistic approach. Whilst for many patients, treatments focused solely on their pain will be successful, for others this may not be the case. This is because very often the underlying cause of the condition or problem may not be local to where the symptoms or pain are present.

This is where a holistic approach is beneficial as it allows for all avenues (such as posture, joint mobility and pattern movements) to be fully considered in order to relieve the pain effectively.

Take a look at this case study to see how I got to the root of a client’s pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia).

Pain During Sex

A 28-year-old female, shop manager who practiced a lot of sports like swimming, running, weight training and skating, consulted me for deep dyspareunia (pain during intercourse) which she had had…

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Somewhere in my first pregnancy I started to suffer from incredibly painful sex. Six years on I was told time and time again that it was in my head, and there was nothing wrong. Yolanda was the only person who was able to find my pelvic floor pain as well as it's cause. I owe her more that words can say. So, ladies, have hope, painful sex can go away if you see the right specialist!

Fiona Peart

19/02/2024

Seeing Yolanda was a revelation. I was so impressed how she hit the nail on the head with the issues I was facing! She's gentle, caring, attentive and very knowledgeable.

Elisha DaCosta

11/11/2023

Yolanda has been incredibly helpful with my diastasis recti after an emergency c section and lower back pain. I've regained connection with my core and can do so many more exercises pain free now. She is an excellent women's health physiotherapist who brings far more expertise & nuance than the standard Mummy MOT assessment. I would recommend her to anyone who needs specialist support.

Alicia Tew

09/10/2023

Yolanda is a fantastic professional. She was thorough and supportive during my assessment; she performed a clear treatment plan. I would recommend Yolanda to any woman after birth for mummy MOT.

Laura Ferreras Antolin

11/09/2023

I first saw Yolanda 6 weeks postpartum for pelvic floor and general recovery after a stressful birth. The sessions i have had with Yolanda have been brilliant - she tailors every session to your specific needs and goals and within a short space of time i noticed a really big difference. Yolanda is very easy to get on with, very professional - i couldn't recommend her more highly

Anna Brownrigg

11/07/2023

Great physio who gave me the tools & confident to get back into shape post birth

Chessie Samler

29/06/2023

Yolanda is an amazing healer, not just simply a therapist. As well as being incredibly knowledgeable in her field, she is also extremely perceptive about her patients' problems. She improved my condition in a few sessions, after other practitioners gave me the wrong treatments for months. Thoroughly recommended!

Viola Caon

06/04/2023

Yolanda is such a great physio, and as a bonus she’s a lovely person. I started seeing her a year after giving birth as was having issues with my pelvic floor. She looked at how the whole body worked, not just giving me a generic “do more kegels” and discovered a pattern of muscular imbalance I was completely oblivious of that also had affected other areas of my life. It was such a ‘wow’ moment. Doing the exercises she gave me I’ve seen huge improvement and have learnt so much about how the body works, related to the postnatal period and in general. Can’t recommend her enough and will come back pre and post birth to get her advice if I ever have more children.

A T

31/03/2023

After 3 sessions with Yolanda I felt like I had a new body! I first went to Yolanda with a mix of back pain and pelvic issues. I was in so much I couldn’t sleep through the night and couldn’t roll over in bed. I also had strange tingling down one side of my body to my fingertips. Yolanda was able to identify the cause of my pain which was not at all what I expected! She released my back pain and improved my pelvic strength by first sorting out toughened scarring left after two cesarean sections over a decade ago! After the first session my pain was reduced by around 70%, I was walking differently and was more aware of my posture compensating for the scarring. Over six sessions Yolanda has worked her way through each pain point and my pain is virtually gone. The exercises she gives are strengthening my core and the right level of challenge. I will probably carry on seeing Yolanda forever at least a few times a year to keep my body strong and healthy.

Reesa Amadeo

07/03/2023

Yolanda is a brilliant physio - caring, knowledgeable, extremely capable and technically excellent. I couldn't recommend her more highly.

L L

06/02/2023