| Tara Langdale
How Your Pelvic Floor Condition Can Be Improved with a Vaginal Dilator
Painful experiences with vaginal penetration don’t have to be something you deal with forever. There are ways to help address your pelvic floor condition. Vaginal dilators are a proven way to recover from some or all of the symptoms associated with your condition, when used properly.
Check out our helpful guide to improving your condition with a vaginal dilator.
What Is a Vaginal Dilator?
Vaginal dilators, also known vaginal spacers or trainers, are tube shaped tools designed to expand or restore the musculature and tissues in the vaginal opening.
They are often used to keep the vaginal tissues healthy and pliable by gently stretching them over time, and for pelvic floor rehabilitation therapy to ensure the canal is functional for a patient’s preferences, without invasive surgery.
Vaginal dilators are typically made out of body-safe silicone, rubber, or plastic. They range in sizes from small to large and often come in sets. Pelvic health physical therapists can help women find the right sizes that are comfortable for them.
8 Conditions That Can Be Improved with a Vaginal Dilator
Here are some common pelvic conditions that can be improved with the use of a vaginal dilator.
Vaginismus
Vaginismus is a condition that causes the vaginal muscles to involuntarily tighten and spasm during penetration. This often makes sexual intercourse, tampon insertion, and gynecological exams uncomfortable, painful, or even impossible.
This condition can result from medical or emotional factors, sometimes both. If vaginismus is left untreated, it may get worse.
Vulvodynia
Vulvodynia is a chronic pain condition that causes pain to one or multiple areas of the vulva. Many women report a burning sensation, while others report pain symptoms consistent with stabbing pains.
Any activities that apply pressure to the vulva may cause pain, including prolonged sitting and/or sexual intercourse.
Vulvar Vestibulitis
Vulvar vestibulitis or provoked vestibulodynia is a cognition that causes increased sensitivity to pain at the opening of the vagina with even a gentle touch or stimulation. This means that touches that are normally mild cause pain.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse is a pelvic floor condition that is caused by the muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor giving way and no longer supporting the pelvic organs and their typical position. The pelvic organs (bladder, vagina, uterus, cervix, rectum,and urethra prolapse. This may happen due to factors related to childbirth, genetic predisposition, connective tissue disorder, and other conditions.
Some of the symptoms of this condition include pelvic pain or discomfort, pressure, urine leakage, sexual difficulties, and protruding tissues or organs.
Vaginal Fibrosis
Vaginal fibrosis is a condition that makes it painful for women to engage in sexualintercourse. It is often the result of radiation therapy or cancer, which causes adhesions to grow on the fibrous tissues in the vagina.
Vaginal Agenesis
Vaginal agenesis is a rare condition that occurs at birth when the vagina and womb don’t develop or they develop partially. This condition can be approved through the process of self-dilation.
Vaginal Stenosis
Vaginal stenosis is when fibrous tissue forms in the vagina causing it to become narrower and shorter. This often leads to sexual dysfunction, painful pelvic exams, and other complications.
Dyspareunia
Dyspareunia refers to painful intercourse. Patients generally report having a sharp or painful sensation in the genital area or the pelvic area during intercourse. This condition often causes interpersonal conflict and distress.
There are other pelvic floor conditions that didn’t make our list that may require a vaginal dilator. We recommend consulting a physician or a pelvic floor physical therapist if you believe you have one of these conditions that has not yet been diagnosed to ensure you get the proper
How Your Pelvic Floor Condition Can Be Improved with a Vaginal Dilator
Your pelvic floor condition can be treated and lead to a more comfortable and enjoyable experience. Vaginal dilators have been used for over 50 years to help women achieve symptom recovery in conjunction with their pelvic floor therapy.
Vaginal dilators are a natural and effective treatment option frequently prescribed by medical professionals to help women decrease pain and improve their sex lives. They help to improve pelvic floor conditions by slowly widening and lengthening the vagina and sending blood flow to the localized area.
The best part about this treatment option is that you can undergo vaginal dilator therapy at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home, on your terms.
Use dilators as much or as little as you need.
Here are some of the medical and emotional symptoms that vaginal dilators help to alleviate:
- Fear of intercourse/intimacy
- Reduces pain caused by sexual activity
- Relaxes pelvic floor muscles
- Lessens discomfort during pelvic exams
- Improves vaginal atrophy caused by radiation cancer treatments/menopause
With different movements and time, vaginal dilators really do improve your tolerance for penetration. Learn more about how to properly use a vaginal dilator here.
Tips for Using a Vaginal Dilator
If you already have a vaginal dilator and need some help to guide you on your way to relief, here are five helpful tips:
- Relax before you begin. Put on some soothing music or take some deep breaths before you begin.
- Start the dilation process slowly. There’s no need to rush your therapy. Make sure you don’t take on too much at once and you follow your therapist or doctor’s recommendation. Feeling better is a marathon not a sprint.
- Become aware of physical sensations. Think about your body and what it’s doing when you insert the dilator to avoid getting caught up in your thoughts or emotions.
- Try different positions. Most often, a modified happy baby pose is suggested to new dilator users for comfort. If you begin getting used to dilator insertion, try switching your position to side-lying. Prop a pillow between your knees to help relax the hip and leg muscles further.
- Use as much lubricant as you want. Don’t feel like you have to use lubricant sparingly. If you are afraid of making a mess on the surface where you are inserting the dilator, then cover the surface with a towel. Sometimes the more lubricant you use, the easier it is to insert the dilator.
Start your pelvic floor therapy process today and order one of Vuvatech’s vaginal dilators or dilator kits.
VuVa Helpful Links:
How do Neodymium Vaginal Dilators work?
7 Reasons for a Tight Vagina and How to Loosen
How to Relax Vaginal Muscles, Vaginismus & Sex
Vaginal Stretching - Keeping in Shape with Dilators
Do Dilators Really Work? Yes, and They can Improve Your Sex Life!
