Physiotherapeutic resources in vaginismus

Abstract

Vaginismus consists of involuntary spasms in the external musculature of the vagina, the etiology of which is still unknown, but there are cases of biopsychosocial factors such as sexual abuse, strict sex, education, emotional trauma, religious beliefs, low-quality sexual relations, fear of sex, or even changes of ostemioarticular origin, can lead to this condition, making vaginal penetration impossible during sexual intercourse, gynecological exams or use of tampons. Objective: To highlight as physical therapy practices, their validation for the treatment of vaginismus and to verify the effectiveness of the analyzed practices. Methods: Systematic literature review carried out through digital bibliographic research on scientific articles published in electronic and electronic journals, randomized clinical trials, with no period between the years 2010 to 2020, in the electronic databases PubMed, Bireme and PEDro. Results: There was no great variability in the resources used and the studies showed positive and similar results. Conclusion: Physical therapy proved to be beneficial for cases of vaginismus, with the use of functional electrical stimulation (FES) in an analogue way, pelvic floor muscle relaxation exercises, local desensitization performed with vaginal dilator and massage. However, more research is needed, considering the moderate methodological scores found in the studies analyzed.Keywords: vaginismus, physical therapy, rehabilitation.

The role of personal factors in quality of life among Iranian women with vaginismus: a path analysis

“…Women's sexual dysfunction has a major impact on HRQoL, sexual health and well-being [ 18 , 21 , 22 ]. Health-related quality of life is the health aspect of quality of life that focuses on people’s level of ability, daily functioning and ability to experience a fulfilling life [ 23 ].…”

A literature review on vaginal dilator use

“…Authors of these 32 papers also fell into three major categories. The categories were papers written by psychologists (10), papers written by physicians (15), and papers written by physical therapists (7). The majority of the physicians were gynecologists and several of these authors were practicing in the specialty of Gynecological Oncology.…”

“…reported in 20-73% of women around the world, including 21% of women under the age of thirty. 6,7 Since 1862, the use of dilator stretching in the field of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction has expanded greatly. Dilator stretching for vaginismus is defined as a technique using a medical device, usually smooth and cylindrical, to desensitize the vaginal canal and pelvic floor muscles, stretch the vaginal canal, promote muscle relaxation, and decrease symptoms of dyspareunia.…”

Knowledge and Prevalence of Vaginismus Among Women in Najran, Saudi Arabia

“…In Arab-Muslim civilizations, vaginismus is one of the most common causes of marriage non-conclusion and infertility. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be successful, although it is vital to remember the patient's cultural background when attending CBT for vaginismus [ 8 ]. In general, patients do not seek out a psychotherapist for this issue; instead, they are referred by gynecologists.…”