Vaginal dilation is a form of treatment that allows individuals to reduce pain, gain a better connection with their body, address urinary, bowel, or sexual dysfunction, improve pelvic organ support, and much more!
To put it simply, it is the process of using tools called dilators to gently stretch the tissues of the vaginal canal, which improves tissue mobility, decreases sensitivity, and increases bodily awareness.
Dilation can offer a ton of really awesome benefits for the body and mind, but first, let’s look at who can benefit from dilation and what conditions this treatment is suitable for…
Who Can Benefit From Vaginal Dilation?
The dilation process may seem simple, but it is actually very suitable for many different conditions, meaning practically anyone can benefit from it!
Many people mistakenly think that dilation is inherently sexual, but this is entirely false. While dilation can indeed be used to address sexual dysfunctions, it is not really designed for pleasure; and is actually helpful for a variety of needs, such as:
- Relieving many different kinds of pain
- Encouraging painless use of menstrual products
- Managing menopause
- Managing postpartum symptoms
- Managing conditions (endometriosis, PMOS, PGAD, pelvic congestion syndrome, vaginismus, and more)
- Dyspareunia (pain with sex)
- Urinary incontinence
- Constipation
- Preparing for labor
- Providing care after cancer treatment
- Nerve issues
- Skin issues (atrophy, vestibulitis, etc.)
- Period pain
- Vaginal stenosis
- Vaginal atrophy
- And more!
For some, vaginal dilation can be helpful for recovery after pelvic surgeries and supporting function after cancer treatments. For example, some individuals may use dilation to prevent vaginal stenosis after conventional cancer treatments that affect the pelvis.
Vaginal dilation can also be an essential part of the healing period after genital reconstruction surgery. Without dilation, the healing period of this type of surgery would be ineffective!
As you can see from all these examples, dilation can be used for many different needs.
Sometimes it can be hard to know if vaginal dilation is right for you—so if you’d rather speak to someone about your experience with or interest in dilation, go ahead and make an appointment with me! A thorough consultation is the best way to truly decide on a course of treatment.
What Is Vaginal Dilation Like?
Vaginal dilation is not a single-session treatment. It is a process that is performed multiple times per week (or in some cases, per day) for many weeks or months, depending on your individual needs.
To begin dilation, you’d typically start with a smaller dilator size and slowly work your way up over time. Some individuals can handle a starting dilator the size of a tampon, whereas others may need to start at the smallest size (which is equivalent to the size of a pinky finger).
Everyone’s starting point is different! When in doubt, begin with the smallest size.
You’ll work with your starting dilator size, inserting it multiple times per week every week. You’ll continue to do this until you are completely comfortable and confident with that dilator size. Then, you’ll move on to the next size up, and continue the process.
For many people, this can mean starting with size one and working towards a small goal first, such as dilating with this size for 5 minutes.
You’ll keep practicing multiple times a week for many weeks until you can dilate comfortably for a longer amount of time, usually around 15 minutes. After you reach this point, you’ll typically be able to move up in size.
As you progressively move up to larger dilators, you should see a reduction in your symptoms and will eventually meet your personal dilation goal.
However, if you struggle to see results after some time, you should consult with a pelvic floor therapist to ensure you are dilating correctly and according to your unique needs.
Vaginal dilation may offer many benefits, but it is not a magical treatment that can solve anything. For many individuals, the symptoms and conditions discussed previously are closely tied with pelvic floor dysfunction—which can contribute to things like pelvic pain, dysfunction, and more.
Pelvic floor dysfunction typically requires a more holistic and comprehensive treatment approach that integrates vaginal dilation among other treatment methods.
In many cases, pelvic floor physical therapy will be necessary not just to thoroughly address your symptoms and condition, but also as a form of guidance for performing dilation therapy at home.
Learn more about how a pelvic floor therapist can provide professional guidance for vaginal dilation here.
About Vaginal Dilators
We’ve talked a lot about the process and benefits of dilation, but not so much the actual dilators! Vaginal dilators are tools made especially for dilation.
They are tube-shaped with a tapered end for easy insertion. They vary by length and circumference, and come in a wide range of sizes!
Vaginal dilators also come in various materials and types. Silicone, plastic, vibrating, and much more. The type of dilator you should use depends on your unique needs!
You can learn more about all the different types of dilators here:
Types of Dilators and How to Choose What’s Best for You
Many different brands and online resources sell dilators, and they are sometimes available in pharmacies, too. They can be bought in sets (which vary greatly) or individually. If you’re unsure of which dilator could work best for you, it may help to receive a recommendation from your physical therapist.
It may also be helpful to know that some dilators qualify for HSA and FSA usage, too!
Benefits of Vaginal Dilation
Vaginal dilation can provide a ton of benefits. The process not only physically benefits the tissues of the vaginal canal and pelvic floor, but also supports relaxation, better body-mind connection, and bodily awareness. Let’s talk about how!
Physical Benefits of Vaginal Dilation
To understand the physical benefits of vaginal dilation, it may help to understand that the vaginal canal is very interconnected with the pelvic floor, a group of muscles found within the pelvis. This group of muscles may go unnoticed by many, but it is an essential part of daily life.
Your pelvic floor allows you to use the restroom, lift items, play sports, support a pregnancy, have balance and stability, prevent prolapse, and more. It also interconnects with your hips, abdominals, lower back, and other structures to support posture and movement.
As you can see, the pelvic floor is like a hidden hero—helping you live life normally each day without you even realizing!
Unfortunately, this also means that the pelvic floor is prone to dysfunction, which then leads to painful or inconvenient symptoms. Things like hip pain, core weakness, tailbone pain, or constipation may seem unconnected, but they can all be caused by pelvic floor dysfunction.
Additionally, there are many different things that can cause or worsen pelvic floor dysfunction and its related symptoms—menopause, pregnancy, surgery, injury, poor posture, poor restroom habits, chronic conditions like IBS or endometriosis, and more.
Luckily, pelvic floor dysfunction can be treated! Pelvic floor physical therapy is a great way to address your symptoms and support a healthy, functioning pelvic floor. There are many different pelvic floor related treatments out there, but the one we’re focusing on for this blog is vaginal dilation.
Vaginal dilation gently stretches the tissues of the vaginal canal as well as the muscles around the canal, which is the pelvic floor. Engaging in dilation encourages better tissue flexibility and mobility, reduces sensitivity, and even improves your control over your pelvic floor muscles!
Learning to control these muscles will allow you to engage in strengthening exercises as well as relaxation exercises, which will help further address symptoms caused by pelvic floor tension or weakness (both of which are types of dysfunction).
Similarly, rectal dilation can also be a very beneficial form of treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction. You can read more about that type of dilation below:
Psychological Benefits of Vaginal Dilation
Having better control of your pelvic floor can provide non-physical benefits, too! This is because the mind and the body are deeply connected.
While you may not realize it, things like stress and anxiety can actually affect your pelvic floor. Psychological factors can create tension in the pelvic floor and worsen your symptoms (pain, constipation, incontinence, and more).
For example, having past negative or painful experiences with exams, menstrual products, or sexual activity—whether physical or emotional—can cause hesitancy or fear with those things in the future (and with dilation).
However, dilation can actually be a very helpful process for managing those feelings and creating a new, healthy association with this area of your body.
Dilation is naturally a slow, careful process where you are completely in control. This means you can use dilators to slowly get comfortable with even just the sensation of touch, and then slowly progress to insertion.
Vaginal dilation allows individuals to take things at their own pace and slowly get used to the sensation while simultaneously training their tissues for better comfort.
While practicing dilation, you can also engage in deep breathing exercises. This will help not only calm your mind, but also physically relax your pelvic floor. As you learn to relax your mind and body during dilation, you will improve your relationship with insertion and your control over your pelvic floor!
While dilation can play a significant role in both physical and psychological aspects of health, it is not a replacement for other types of therapies.
Those struggling with significant psychological struggles may want to also consider seeking mental health professionals or other forms of counseling for the best treatment experience.
Get Started With Effective Dilation
Vaginal dilation can seem like a simple and straightforward process to some, but the reality is that it can be done incorrectly or inefficiently. Not to mention, this process often needs to be tailored to your needs. Therefore, the best way to safely engage in effective dilation is by working with a pelvic floor therapist—like me!
I’m here to answer all your questions, clear any misunderstandings, and properly guide you through dilation. Many individuals try dilation at home on their own, and get frustrated when they don’t see progress as quickly as they’d hoped.
It’s very unfortunate, because dilation can be very helpful when done correctly and according to your needs!
With my extensive training, experience, and knowledge about the pelvic floor and the dilation process, I can help you with practically every aspect of it—including:
- Choosing a dilator type
- Identifying a starting size
- Deciding how frequently and how long to dilate
- Tracking your progress properly
- Teaching you how to dilate effectively
- Encouraging better pelvic floor health and control
- Integrating deep breathing exercises into dilation
- And much more!
Most importantly, I can provide other treatments that will support your dilation journey. In many cases, dilation alone is not a magical solution to all your needs or symptoms.
With a comprehensive and individualized plan of care, you’re much more likely to see effective, lasting results and a lower risk of relapse.
Get started by making an appointment with me. I accept patients of all ages and gender identities, so don’t hesitate to book!
If you’re still on the fence, learn more about how a pelvic floor therapist can provide support during your dilation journey here:
Dilation: How Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Provide Guidance & Support
