My dear friend and gifted physical therapist, Dr. Summer Reynolds, and I have partnered to create a handout to help you have pain-free penetrative sex and more pleasure in your sex life.
In her work as a physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor health, Dr. Summer knows from experience that so many of her patients struggle with the physical pain in their body but also the intimate pain of difficult or painful penetrative sex. Sex should NEVER be painful, and we want you to have tips and practices to help your sex be easier and more pleasurable. There is also a lot more to sex than penetration: learning to build intimate connection and find new ways to play is one of the gifts I offer my clients.
We created this free download so that you can find a more pleasurable path towards pain-free penetrative sex. In this handout, you’ll learn how to start having important conversations about sex with your partner and you get techniques and tips from Dr. Summer about making your body feel better and helping you enjoy sex more. You deserve so much pleasure and ease in your sexual relationships. đź’•
Are You Having Painful Sex?
Pain is very real, and there could be many reasons for your physical pain. Again, painful sex is not normal, and if you cannot figure out how to have pain-free sex, please reach out. Physical symptoms could be hormone related (whether you’re in your ovulatory phase of life or pre-perimenopausal, or post-menopausal). The vulva goes through many changes during our lifetime, and it’s worth talking to your doctor or PT about it.
Physical pain might also be related to an injury (new or old), childbirth, muscle or joint issues, and/or tissue damage. So many of these things can be healed. Please be proactive and tend to your physical well-being. So many of these challenges can be healed if you are proactive (do not wait until it’s unbearable—you deserve to care for yourself and you deserve pleasure).
You may have heard of your kegel muscles, or perhaps your pubococcygeus muscle/PC muscle? The pelvic floor is a collection of muscles and fascia that support our reproductive organs, bladder, and bowels—everything between your pubic bone to your tailbone. Like all the other muscles in our body, the pelvic floor muscles can become weakened over time—they can become too tight, or lose elasticity—all of which can lead to complications throughout the lifespan. Maintaining pelvic floor health is healing of current issues and can be preventative as we age.
Emotional Pain can Lead to Physical Pain
Pain can also manifest because of emotional difficulties. Sometimes our body works to protect itself, and physical pain might be a mode of self-protection. Additionally, many of us have shameful or harmful feelings about sex that might hold us back from pleasure, and many of us struggle to ask for what we need (in life, at work, in our relationships). Working with a therapist or coach might help with some of these challenges, and help you better understand your needs and values in relationship.
If you’re struggling with sex and intimacy in your relationship, here are some articles that might be helpful for you as you try to get to the root of your challenges.
- Sex & The Mental Load
- Sex & Connection: the Importance of Intimacy
- Myths about Sex that Hold us Back
- Attachment Style & Connected Relationships
- 3 Things you Need to Know about Consent
Best Practices for Pain-Free Sex from a Coach and a Physical Therapist
A guide from a Sex Coach + a pelvic floor Physical Therapist to help you have pain-free sex with tools, practices & tips for more pleasure in your body.