Why Does Sex Hurt?
There are multiple reasons why someone might experience painful sex. Before getting into what those are, just to be very clear – when I say painful sex, right now I’m referring to pain with insertion during vaginal intercourse. This pain can be deep in the vagina or more at the entrance. Sometimes it can prevent intercourse from happening completely. So why is it painful?
Good Lube Matters
Lube can be our best friend. Use it, reapply it and use it again. (In fact, please use lube and not your spit). But not all lube is created equal. Turns out you shouldn’t put cherry blasted flavoring up your hoo-hah. Lube shouldn’t get hot and cold. Sounds fun at first, but did you know it can significantly irritate your tissue and increase risk of infection? Not so fun. Even some seemingly normal ones that you see in your local pharmacy store might look normal at first glance, but at second glance, they can be just as problematic.
5 Tips for Using Dilators With Confidence
Using dilators doesn’t always go as easily as it might seem. Or maybe it seems deathly scary and you don’t even know where to start, let alone if you want to. Maybe you’re using dilators and you’re having a hard time bumping up to that next size towards your goal.
Try these 5 tips to help you have success with vaginal dilators!
How to Help Your Vaginismus
So you have vaginismus and you’d like to, well, not have vaginismus! So how do you make it go away? Is there a cure for vaginismus? Let’s dive into 7 ways you can help heal from your vaginismus.
What is Vaginismus & What Causes Vaginismus?
Vaginismus - a clinical syndrome where there is difficulty or pain with vaginal insertion, so much so that it can seem nearly impossible to insert anything vaginally. It has overlapping elements of hypertonic pelvic floor muscles, pain, anxiety, and difficulty in penetration. It has many possible causes, or shall I say risk factors. Knowing possible causes for your vaginismus can help you heal from it.
Vaginal Dilators: What, Why, How?
If you’ve been dealing with pelvic pain, painful sex, or a sense of tightness or tension in your pelvic floor, you may have come across something called pelvic dilators—maybe from your pelvic floor therapist, a doctor, or just a late-night Google search.
They can look a little intimidating at first. And they kinda look like dildos? Are they dildos? What the h*ll are they?!
How Anxiety Impacts the Pelvic Floor & Pelvic Health
Anxiety and pelvic health are intimately connected. Remember last time you felt anxious or stressed and you noticed your neck was tense as your shoulders were hiked up? Or maybe your jaw cracked open after it was just in a tense battle with your thoughts? The pelvic floor is also responding to your nervous system! So how does anxiety impact pelvic health?
Told You Have a Hypertonic Pelvic Floor, Now What?
So your doctor says you have a hypertonic pelvic floor…
You may be thinking – “What does that really mean? What am I supposed to do about it? What else has this been impacting that I may not know about?”
Well let’s talk about it.
Pelvic Health - What Is This Buzz All About?
Maybe you’ve seen “Pelvic Health” in an Instagram infographic, your pregnancy class mentioned its role in birth, or you saw an ad at your local rehab clinic. It’s also possible you’re hearing about it now for the first time. The pelvic floor has gained attention in the media's eye, and thankfully in some doctor’s offices. For the longest time it’s gotten hardly any attention at all, but at last it is now the latest “buzz” word. We all have a pelvic floor, but what the heck is it?
How to Find The Best Fit Pelvic Floor Specialist For You
With different pelvic health options available, it’s essential to find a specialist who aligns with your values, your medical needs, your logistical concerns, and makes you feel safe and supported. Find out how to find the best fit pelvic floor specialist for you!
Top Pelvic Floor Therapy Clinic for Vaginismus in Denver
Anxious Pelvis Clinic is the top treatment space for treating vaginismus in Denver, CO. Through a calming clinic space, trauma-informed care, holistic training, sex counseling techniques, years of experience, and passion, we are dedicated to help you finally heal from vaginismus and difficult or painful insertion.
Denver Trauma-Informed Pelvic Floor Therapy: Why does it matter?
Trauma-informed pelvic floor therapy in Denver - learn what it actually means, who it helps, and how to find a therapist who truly practices it.
What’s The Difference Between Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and Pelvic Floor Occupational Therapy?
What’s the difference between pelvic floor physical therapy and pelvic floor occupational therapy? Pelvic floor therapy is provided by a physical therapist (PT) or an occupational therapist (OT). What’s the difference between PT and OT? Is there a difference between PT and OT in pelvic health? Let’s get into it.
What Does a Typical Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatment Look Like
Pelvic floor therapy treatment sessions can look so many different ways, especially when it’s through holistic approaches.
At Anxious Pelvis Clinic, we pull from a variety of techniques and methods to create a plan that works best for your needs and preferences.
To get an inside look at possible methods that can be included in your sessions, read more.
What To Expect in Your First Pelvic Floor Therapy Visit
First visit approaching and not sure what to expect? That’s very fair! What pelvic floor therapy looks like can be confusing, and even intimidating. Not to worry, at the Anxious Pelvis Clinic we prioritize trauma-informed care. Everything is optional, thoroughly explained, and done with your consent.
A pelvic floor therapy evaluation can look widely different across providers and clinics. Read more to know what a typical first session looks like for the Anxious Pelvis Clinic.
What is Internal Work in Pelvic Floor Therapy
Internal exam and treatment in pelvic floor therapy — What is it, what to expect, and is it necessary?
Assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor muscles may involve directly observing, palpating, and providing therapy to the pelvic floor muscles themselves. Some therapists may have different techniques or approaches. At Anxious Pelvis Clinic, we use additional training in trauma-informed care and take a consent forward, nervous system supportive approach. Let’s dive step by step into what that looks like.