Pelvic Floor Therapy for Painful Sex

Pelvic Floor Therapy: Noninvasive Treatment for Painful Sex

Painful sex is far more common than most people realize – and far more treatable than many women are ever told. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that nearly three out of four women experience pain during intercourse at some point in their lives, yet the majority never receive a clear diagnosis or an effective treatment plan. For many women, pelvic floor therapy is the missing piece – a highly specialized, completely noninvasive approach that addresses the underlying physical causes of painful sex with lasting results.

At Santa Fe Pelvic Therapy, licensed physical therapist and certified pelvic floor therapy specialist Jacqueline Maestas, DPT provides individualized pelvic therapy programs that help women in Santa Fe, NM reclaim comfort, confidence, and intimacy.

What Causes Painful Sex?

Pain during sexual intercourse – medically referred to as dyspareunia – can have multiple overlapping causes, most of which involve the muscles, connective tissue, and nerves of the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and supporting structures that span the base of the pelvis, playing a central role in bladder and bowel control, postural stability, and sexual function. When these muscles become overly tight, develop trigger points, or lose the ability to lengthen and relax properly, penetration and intercourse can become genuinely painful.

Vaginismus – a condition in which the vaginal muscles involuntarily contract in anticipation of or during penetration – is among the most common pelvic floor contributors to painful sex. Vulvodynia, provoked vestibulodynia, hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause that thin and dry vaginal tissues, scar tissue from childbirth or surgery, and conditions such as endometriosis and interstitial cystitis can all contribute to or compound pelvic pain during intimacy. Understanding which factors are at play for each individual patient is the foundation of effective pelvic floor therapy for painful sex.

What Is Pelvic Floor Therapy?

Pelvic floor therapy is a specialized branch of physical therapy focused entirely on the assessment and treatment of the muscles, nerves, fascia, and connective tissue of the pelvic region. While most people are familiar with physical therapy for back pain or sports injuries, pelvic floor therapy applies the same evidence-based principles of manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and neuromuscular rehabilitation to one of the body’s most important and most neglected muscle groups.

A certified pelvic floor therapy specialist like Jacqueline Maestas, DPT at Santa Fe Pelvic Therapy conducts a thorough internal and external assessment of the pelvic floor to identify specific areas of tension, weakness, scar tissue restriction, or altered neuromuscular coordination that are contributing to a patient’s symptoms. Treatment is always conducted with the utmost sensitivity and respect, and the pace and nature of each session are fully guided by the patient’s comfort and consent at every step.

Pelvic floor therapy is grounded in substantial clinical evidence. A systematic review published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that pelvic floor physical therapy produced significant reductions in pain with intercourse across multiple studies, making it one of the most well-supported first-line treatment options for dyspareunia and related pelvic floor disorders. In Santa Fe, NM, Jacqueline Maestas brings advanced training and genuine clinical expertise to every patient relationship, offering a level of specialized care that is not available in a general physical therapy setting.

How Pelvic Therapy Treats Painful Sex

Pelvic floor therapy addresses painful sex through a combination of hands-on manual techniques and individualized therapeutic exercise. Internal and external myofascial release targets specific areas of muscle tension and trigger points within the pelvic floor that generate pain with touch or penetration. Scar tissue mobilization softens and releases adhesions from childbirth tears, episiotomies, or surgical incisions that restrict tissue mobility and cause pain during intercourse. Neuromuscular re-education teaches the pelvic floor muscles to relax on demand – a skill that many women with vaginismus or chronic pelvic tension have lost and need to systematically relearn.

Dilator therapy, introduced gradually and entirely at the patient’s pace, helps desensitize the vaginal tissues and restore tolerance to progressive levels of pressure. Breathing and coordination exercises address the relationship between the diaphragm, core muscles, and pelvic floor, because tension in one area of this integrated system almost always affects the others. Jacqueline Maestas at Santa Fe Pelvic Therapy develops a fully individualized pelvic therapy treatment plan for each patient based on the specific physical findings of their assessment, ensuring that every session is purposeful and progressing toward genuine relief.

Other Ways Pelvic Floor Therapy Improves Intimacy

The benefits of pelvic floor therapy for intimate health extend well beyond pain reduction alone. Many women discover through the course of treatment that they experience improved arousal and sensation as pelvic floor tension is released and healthy blood flow to the pelvic tissues is restored. Pelvic floor therapy also addresses urinary leakage during intercourse – a source of embarrassment and avoidance for many women – by strengthening and coordinating the muscles responsible for urinary control. For women recovering from childbirth, pelvic therapy helps restore the tissue integrity and muscle function that support comfortable, satisfying intimacy after delivery.

Women navigating the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause, which can significantly affect pelvic tissue health and sexual comfort, benefit from pelvic floor therapy’s ability to address the physical dimension of these changes directly. The overall impact of effective pelvic floor therapy on a woman’s relationship with her own body – and with her partner – is frequently described by patients as genuinely life-changing. At Santa Fe Pelvic Therapy, Jacqueline Maestas, DPT creates a compassionate, judgment-free environment in which every woman can address these deeply personal concerns with confidence and receive the skilled, expert care they deserve.

Pelvic Floor Therapy for Painful  Sex | Santa Fe, NM

Schedule Your Pelvic Therapy & Treat Painful Sex

Painful sex is not something you have to accept or work around – it is a treatable physical condition, and pelvic floor therapy offers one of the most effective and evidence-supported paths to lasting relief. If you are in the greater Santa Fe, NM area and are ready to address painful sex with a specialist who combines genuine clinical expertise with warmth and sensitivity, schedule an appointment with Jacqueline Maestas, DPT at Santa Fe Pelvic Therapy today. Comfortable, confident intimacy is an achievable goal, and expert pelvic therapy is the path to get there.

Santa Fe Pelvic Floor Therapy for Painful Sex: 505-988-4922