Vaginismus is a term used to describe a persistent or recurrent difficulty in achieving vaginal penetration, despite an expressed wish to do so. There is often an associated involuntary pelvic floor muscle contraction, which can cause the vaginal entrance to present as smaller in appearance. This condition may or may not be associated with marked pain on light touch applied to the tissues surrounding the entrance to the vagina. The condition can also be associated with pain on insertion of tampons or use of a speculum (such as with a pap smear).

There are a small percentage of women in whom a physical and/or psychological trauma has influenced the onset of their symptoms, however for many women, the underlying cause may be a direct result of another medical condition. Examples of conditions which are often associated with this type of pain include endometriosis, urinary tract infections, chronic constipation, and bladder/bowel urgency/frequency.

If you are experiencing difficulty in achieving comfortable vaginal penetration, are suffering from severe pain associated with light touch applied to your vaginal tissues, or are suffering from symptoms of chronic pelvic pain, then we encourage you to consider a consultation with our Physiotherapist at IvoryRose Physiothetapy. It can be a good idea to organise this alongside care of your GP and/or Gynaecologist (although this is not a necessity).

An assessment with our Physiotherapist will enable a differential diagnosis, and allow the most appropriate treatment and follow up to be determined. Fortunately, if there is an issue with excessive pelvic floor muscle tone and/or sensitivity, then there are a number of treatment options available to assist in improving this. We are confident that treatment with us will enable you to achieve a more normal sexual function, and assist you in developing your sexual intimacy in more fulfilling ways.