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image depicting why sex can be painful after menopause
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When Emilia Benton reached out to me for an article she was working on for Livestrong, her intent was to give a brief overview of why sex can be painful after menopause and the various treatment options being offered. Of course I was glad to put in my two cents for pelvic floor physical therapy as a big piece of the puzzle.

Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

Learn Why Sex Can Be Painful After Menopause - And What You Can Do About It

First we had the Baby Boom, and then the Menopause Boom. Since then we've learned a lot about what menopause is all about, but as happens with any time of change in our lives, there are still a number of questions to be answered. One of the more common ones concerns why sex can be painful after menopause.

Some of the answers to this question will be familiar to any woman who has experienced insufficient lubrication for any number of reasons, often to the point where they either cannot enjoy sex to the fullest - or cannot even do it at all due to the pain and discomfort. But during the fertile period of a woman's life, these issues can often be corrected depending on the cause.

But the vaginal dryness that can accompany menopause is often treated with a more long term approach, since the issue is seen as "here to stay", so to speak. Everything from hormone replacement therapies to laser treatments are sometimes touted as quick fixes for what is really just a natural part of every woman's life cycle. Here at Femina PT we prefer to treat issues related to menopause with a whole body approach, rather than just blaming these issues only on a lack of hormones - or a lack of laser light exposure!

What Causes Menopause?

From the article:

During your younger years, hormone levels — particularly estrogen, progesterone and testosterone — are high, explains Barbara Hannah, MD, an ob-gyn in the Detroit area and author of ​A Hot Mess: Tips, Tricks and Truths About Menopause and Perimenopause​. These hormones are needed for menstruation, childbearing and childbirth, but their levels naturally shift once menopause sets in.

"During the aging process, there is a significant decline in hormone production, and as a result there are a number of changes in the body," Dr. Hannah explains. "These changes occur from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet and not one single body system is spared."

When most people think of the effects of hormonal changes on the body and how they might affect one's sex life, many people's minds go straight to the psychological effects such as lowered libido and lack of sex drive, but in fact hormones - or the lack thereof - play a signficant role in a physical sense as well.

What Causes Painful Sex After Menopause?

During youth, the hormone estrogen is responsible for keeping the vagina moist and lubricated during sexual intercourse," Dr. Hannah explains. "The youthful vagina has folds called rugae that help to add pleasure to the sexual experience, and the thicker vaginal skin is resistant to damage and tearing."

"With aging and the decrease in estrogen, the vagina thins and dries, which leads to frequent infections, tearing of the tissue and, unsurprisingly, painful intercourse, which can make having sex almost impossible for some people, Dr. Hannah says. Additionally, the vagina becomes shorter and narrower with the decrease in the hormone estrogen.

The average age most women hit menopause is 51. It's important to lead a healthy lifestyle and avoid excess use of things that can accelerate aging such as alcohol, tobacco, and fast foods, to name just a few. Staying hydrated with clean filtered water is always a good call, and leading an active lifestyle will help make sure your body stays in tune and wards off the effects of aging.

The article lists 6 potential remedies for painful intercourse after menopause, which include:

1. Moisturizers - We've got lots of good info here.
2. Lubricants - One of our most popular articles is "Could Your Lube be Hurting You?"
3. Prescription Medications - Hormone replacement therapies are a common topic, see here
4. Eating Phytoestrogen Foods
5. Laser Treatments - Lasers And My Vagina?!?
6. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy - This is where we come in!

The article seems to imply that making Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy your last option is a good idea, but of course we hope you will make it a priority in case it's all that's needed!:

If the prescription or over-the-counter products you've tried aren't bringing you relief, it may be worthwhile to consider seeking out pelvic floor physical therapy or rehabilitation, says Leia Rispoli, MD, an interventional pain management specialist and physiatrist specializing in pelvic floor pain and dysfunction in Newport Beach, California. This can include pelvic floor exercises, manual therapy or biofeedback using stimulation by various tools.

"If those interventions still fail to improve symptoms, the patient may require a further workup and treatment options from a pelvic pain management doctor," Dr. Rispoli says.

My take:

Sex doesn't have to stop after menopause, but what makes you comfortable and how you experience pleasure may need to change," adds Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a pelvic floor physical therapist, owner of Femina Physical Therapy in Los Angeles and author of ​Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide to the Sex Life You Deserve​. "Incorporating a pelvic floor physical therapist and learning how to keep the tissue flexible and allow it to stretch without experiencing pain can make the difference between abstinence due to pain and being able to engage in a pain-free sex life."

Can You Prevent Painful Sex After Menopause?

One Answer Aside From Hormone Replacement - Have Frequent Intercourse!

File this under "Use it or lose it!" - like any other part of the body, underuse can lead to atrophy.

Frequent intercourse helps to keep the vagina stretchy and healthy," Dr. Gersh adds. "Use it or lose it is the motto of the day."

This might be the best advice you can get, but if you just can't get there yet and need some help, use this form if you would like to see one of our trained therapists.

You can also use this link for the complete story at Livestrong on why sex can be painful after menopause.

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Testimonial by M.M.

My husband and I were married for 5 years and unable to have intercourse, but I never knew why. After numerous awful experiences at doctor’s offices (where many doctors told me I “just needed to relax”), a surgery that didn’t fix the problem, and a year of owning dilators that didn’t get me anywhere, someone finally referred me to Heather for Physical Therapy. I finally had answers and information from someone who knew exactly what I was dealing with!

Read more: Testimonial by M.M.

Testimonial by Alexandra B.

Heather is without exaggerating AMAZING! After years of trouble with a certain part of my body, in no time, she made everything change back to equilibrium and to what would be considered normal. She explains everything in detail and therefore gives you a better understanding of why things are the way they are, and how you can work towards turning things around. I would highly recommend Heather for any type of Physical Therapy. She has created her own "Method/Therapy" through years of studying (with some of the greatest practitioners), practice and breaking down the issues of her past patients, enabling her to fine tune her own system. I'm so thankful to have found her, and I'm especially grateful for the quick recovery I've achieved, after years of distress. If you cannot afford her, I recommend you purchase her book. Although it may not be Heather in person, it can still help you to get on the right path to recovery!

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While pregnant with my twins, Heather took care with keeping me on my feet and pain free. She saved my back, my sanity and the holidays! I would recommend her to every “mom” looking to stay on her feet during pregnancy and post-partum.

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Testimonial by Jamie M.

I have been going to see Heather for a while now, and I can't tell you enough how much she has improved my quality of life. Heather specializes in issues like pelvic floor, but I see her for other orthopedic issues.

I have a lot of chronic joint pain and dysfunction issues (back, hips, neck) that require that have ongoing physical therapy maintenance. The effects of my problem joints/areas overlap and interconnect with each other in complex ways, so helping me requires really having a complete understanding of the entire skeletal and muscular system. Pain does not always appear where the problem actually is, the human body is a twisty, many-layered puzzle. I have an exercise program I do at home and I am very functional, but there are just something things I need a PT to help me out with.

Read more: Testimonial by Jamie M.

Testimonial by Y.L. (mom of 2)

After having my second baby via C-section I searched for months to try to find help for my lower back pain and separated abdominal muscles. I finally came across Heather Jeffcoat via a mommy blog. I reached out to her via email and set my first appointment. My first appointment went amazing … she listened to what my symptoms, check my separation and explained to me in detail what the next steps would be. Not only did my abdominal separation go from 3 to about 1 -1/2 but my back has pain has significantly reduced. I’m personally recommending all my mommy friends to Heather!

Y.L. (mom of 2)

Testimonial by S.H., age 24

I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me for the past 19 months. I literally could not have reached my goals without you and your practice. You gave me the courage to keep moving forth with my treatment no matter how afraid and anxious I was. You were always there to answer questions and made this whole process so much easier than I expected it to be.

It's because of you that my marriage is on the right track, that I can get pregnant and that this part of my life is finally over. I really feel that Fusion Wellness is a team of people you can call family and are there to root for you and cheer you on until you reach your goals. There is nothing better than knowing I accomplished this with you guys by my side and as calmly and patiently as I needed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being there and helping me reach my goals.

S.H., age 24

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