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When Dilators Are a Necessary Tool | Femina Physical Therapy Newsletter Issue 206
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Why Dilators Are a Necessary Tool For Managing Hypertonic Pelvic Floor Muscles
After my post on dilators last week got some traction on instagram, I've been getting a ton of messages from people connecting to them as 'life savers' and private messages from women feeling alone in their community seeking more answers. We've recommended various types of dilators consistently in our practice for over 20 years and truly believe they are a necessary tool for managing hypertonic pelvic floor muscles. Many types of chronic pelvic pain, sexual pain, pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence are worsened when a hypertonic pelvic floor is present.
We're highlighting an endometriosis and painful sex article in our last May issue to wind down Pelvic Pain Awareness Month. Endometriosis is one of those pelvic floor conditions where we almost universally find a hypertonic pelvic floor, and can reproduce our patients pain through specific palpation of these muscles. Dilators are an essential component of most of our endo patients home program, with the goals of reducing pain and restoring sexual function.
I've also had several recent features in the media on how to use dilators, and you can get all the details in my book Sex Without Pain: A Self Treatment Guide to the Sex Life You Deserve. We're even offering a special newsletter subscriber discount of 30% using code FEMINANEWS30.
As always thank you so much for being a subscriber to our newsletter, and remember that you can also stay in touch by following us on InstaGram at @feminapt and @dr.heatherjeffcoat.
That's it for now, see you next week!
Heather
Featured Content from the Femina PT Website
Endometriosis and Painful Sex
The Common Links Between Endometriosis and Painful Sex
Pain, fatigue, and other symptoms associated with endometriosis can affect quality of life, including sexual health and happiness. In fact, a study published last year found that patients with endometriosis have more than twice the sexual dysfunction as compared to women without the disease (Fairbanks, Abdo, Baracat & Podgaec, 2017). Below is a list of common sexual health problems associated with endo and some strategies to help:
Diminished sexual desire
Some people with endometriosis report that pain and fatigue can be better or worse at certain times of the month. Keeping a diary can help identify patterns of pain associated with the cycle. Estrogen levels peak during ovulation, usually day 12-15 of the cycle, leading to higher pain levels for some with endometriosis. Knowing how your body feels during different parts of the cycle can help you make decisions about when to engage or avoid in sex to manage your pain.
Read More
Well and Good | Vaginal Dilators To Treat Pelvic Pain and Painful Sex
Heather Jeffcoat, DPT
Unless you have a medical kink or are role-playing nurse and patient, the doctor’s office and bedroom probably function as separate, non-interacting entities. But for some people who experience pelvic or sexual pain, vaginal dilators blend the experience of the two.
Below, two pelvic-floor therapists explain the purpose of these medical tools, as well as how to determine if they may be useful for your personal pelvic-floor issues or sexual pain.
Read More
What Our Patients Say
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!
Products We Love
Soul Source Vaginal Dilators
High-quality, safe dilators that are 100% made in the USA
We highly recommend Soul Source products. Their dialators and kits come in a variety of sizes and designs to accomodate everyone's individual therapeutic needs. As a subscriber to our newsletter you can use the discount code 'FEMINA' to get a 5% discount!
Soul Source Therapeutic Devices is a company specializing in the production of high quality vaginal dilators. Our products are manufactured in the US, using materials manufactured and purchased in the US.
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