Sexual dysfunction is defined as any problem that prevents or limits a person from engaging in satisfactory sexual activities. The symptoms may be vast but can include:
- Lack of desire
- Limited ability to get aroused or ability to maintain arousal
- Pain in the pelvis or genital area
Sexual dysfunctions are typically caused by multiple reasons. These causes may be related to:
- High stress levels
- Medical conditions or surgeries
- Medication(s)
- Past traumas
- Post-partum/post-birth
- Muscle over activity/tightness
- Past/current injuries
Pelvic floor therapists are educated to help with treating sexual dysfunctions. We are trained to work on pelvic floor muscles and surrounding anatomy that can play a role in your symptoms.
Sexual Dysfunction is Common
Sexual dysfunctions are common affecting between 30% and 40% of people at some point in their life. They can affect anyone, at any age.
Types of Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunctions can occur during any phase of sexual activities. They are typically categorized into one or more of the following categories:
- Desire disorders: This is when there is little to no desire to engage in sexual activities.
- Arousal disorders: Inability to become physically aroused or excited during sexual activity. You may feel a desire for sex, but your body doesn’t respond.
- Orgasm disorders: Delay or absence of orgasm (climax). You may feel desire and arousal but be unable to orgasm.
- Pain disorders: Pain during intercourse, arousal, or with pressure/touching of genitals that makes you want to stop.
Symptoms of Sexual Dysfunction
Possible symptoms in persons assigned male at birth include:
- Erectile dysfunctions: inability to achieve an erection or ability to maintain an erection, premature ejaculation, poor quality or partly hard erections
- Decrease or inability to ejaculate
- Climacturia (leakage of urine with orgasm)
- Pain with sexual activities can include pain along the shaft and/or tip of penis, pain in the scrotum or perineum, or pain with ejaculation.
Possible symptoms in persons assigned female at birth include:
- Pain with initial or deep penetration, or continual pain throughout sexual activity typically in the genital region.
- Pain or burning after sexual activity in the vagina or surrounding tissues
- Clitoral pain (over sensitivity)
- Inability to orgasm or difficult having an orgasm
- Climacturia (leakage of urine with orgasm)
- Decreased lubrication or dryness in vagina
Possible causes of sexual dysfunction
- Medications (i.e. antidepressants/antipsychotics, antihypertensive, allergy meds or decongestants)
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Surgeries in the low back, abdominal or pelvic regions (which includes but not limited to c-sections, cancer/tumor removal, pelvic floor surgeries, or gender affirming surgeries).
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and/or breastfeeding/lactating
- Hormonal changes due to menopause, pregnancy/post-partum, and/or cancer treatments
- Other diagnoses that may be associated with sexual dysfunctions include endometriosis, vulvodynia, interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, pudendal neuralgia, chronic pelvic pain/male pelvic pain, lichen sclerosis, lichen planus, post prostatectomy, Peyronie’s disease (a significant bend in the penis)
When to Seek Medical Care
If you are unhappy with your current sexual function, talk with your health care provider to determine if pelvic floor therapy would help you with your symptoms.
This is a common problem to experience at some point in your life and there are steps we can work on to reduce the impact it has on your life. You just have to be brave enough to ask.
What to Expect from Pelvic Floor Rehab
When you arrive at therapy for the evaluation, your therapist will review your history, current and past symptoms, and what type of treatments you have tried in the past. We will do a physical examination that looks at your joints, nerves, muscles, tissue, and movement patterns to help determine what may be impacting your symptoms.
After the evaluation is complete, we will set up a treatment plan that will work toward addressing your individual issues/concerns. You will be an active participant in your care as we help direct you to achieve your goals.
For treatments in the clinic, we may use following techniques: exercises, relaxation techniques, education on ways to change your diet or your activities, manual therapy, biofeedback or electrical stimulation. We’re here to help you achieve your goals and live your best life.
Talk to your healthcare provider about a referral to Pelvic Health.