Some of the most complex medical issues are those that affect both the body and the mind. Vaginismus is a clinical syndrome that integrates physical, emotional, and neurological factors in an overall effect that can damage your sexual life and your self-esteem if left unaddressed and treated.
Living with vaginismus is certainly difficult. Any attempt to stimulate or dilate your vagina will trigger an involuntary response that tightens the vaginal walls near the entrance. The vaginal muscles contract and spasm, making any penetration attempt difficult, if not downright impossible. The intensity of your sensations could range from a mildly uncomfortable feeling to unbearable pain.
Vaginismus symptoms can also be independent from sexual activity. Some people report vaginal contractions triggered by any penetration, even non-sexual ones. Some people on the other hand, feel some degree of discomfort only during penetrative sex or with specific partners.
Is There a Cure for Vaginismus?
Now for the good news: vaginismus is very treatable. Since it has both emotional and physical connections, adequate treatment must address and encompass both aspects of the body and mind.
When you go through psychosexual therapy and counseling, you'll learn about how your body works, explore your vision of sexuality, and understand your feelings towards it. Gathering a detailed overview of yourself and your relationship with sex will help you overcome your obstacles.
Going to your therapy sessions with your partner will help you develop a healthy approach to your future interactions. There are many non-penetrative sexual activities that you can explore together, like oral sex, mutual masturbation, or erotic massages.
Some relaxation techniques might also help you. You can use mindfulness and breathing exercises in combination with Kegel exercises to condition your pelvic muscles. For Kegel exercises, you squeeze the muscles you use to stop urinating for a few seconds before letting go. Repeat this action 20 times in a row, and do as many of these as you like throughout the day.
An effective way of treating vaginismus is the use of vaginal dilators. Although they may look like sex toys at first glance, dilators are an invaluable tool for training the elasticity of the muscles of the entrance of your vagina.
They are a set of tube-shaped devices of different widths, ranging from thin to thick, the thinnest one of around half an inch (1.5 cm), while the thickest one may achieve one and a half inches (3.8 cm). Dilators can come in plastic or silicone. You can choose the hard plastic ones for a more controlled dilation or the silicone models for softer pressure.
Some sets, like She-ology, come in conic curved shapes so you can control the dilation with the penetration depth.
What is the Best Lube for Vaginismus?
While training with your dilator set or engaging in careful sexual activities with your partner or a toy, lubrication will become an integral participant. Your choice of an adequate lube for vaginismus will help determine your degree of success in your dilator training and posterior sexual activities.
Be careful to choose hypoallergenic lubes without any flavoring or scent, added parabens or glycerine. Also, try to find lubes that have a long-lasting effect since your exercises may take some time, and you will need protection from vaginal dryness.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose from three different lube types: oil-based, silicone-based, and water-based.
Oil-based lubes are very dense and long-lasting. These will not run out in the shower or a bathtub. However, this same waterproof ability makes it quite difficult to wash from your clothes and sheets.
If you choose an oil-based lube, be sure to protect them with a well-placed towel and do not use it with latex condoms or diaphragms.
Silicone-based lubricants give your skin a soft, gliding feeling. They are also long-lasting and waterproof, so you need to protect your clothes and sheets from stains, too. While silicone-based lubes are safe to use with latex condoms and rigid plastic dilators, they can damage your silicone toys and dilators.
The silky texture of Sliquid is perfect for your dilator training or an erotic massage from your partner. Just remember to protect your silicone devices with a condom before lubing them up.
Water-based lubes are probably the best lubes for Vaginismus. They are safe to use with any sexual aid, latex condoms, and silicone dilators. Moreover, water-based lubes are easy to clean from your skin, clothes, and sheets.
However, since they are soluble in water, they may wash away quickly if you use them in the shower or bathtub. We recommend using GoLove Intimate Serum to help keep the delicate labial and perineal skin soft and moist so that chaffing is not a concern. The hyaluronic serum in GoLove will glide over your skin, nourishing it and keeping it soft, with the bonus of organic CBD
What is better than working with nature to treat Vaginismus? Do not let Vaginismus deprive you of a happy, sensual, and erotic life. Grab your lube and recover the pleasure you want and deserve!