Who Needs Vaginal Dilation?

If you’ve made your way to this blog, you’re probably wondering if vaginal dilation is a good option for your needs.

The quick answer is that practically anyone can benefit from dilation, and that’s not an exaggeration!

Vaginal dilation improves tissue function, flexibility, and mobility. It also aids in improving your bodily awareness and muscle control. It supports nervous system regulation, blood circulation, pelvic floor function, and even encourages a healthier mind-body connection!

With all these benefits, vaginal dilation can truly be helpful for a very wide range of needs—many of which we’ll discuss more below! However, even if you don’t see the symptom or condition you currently struggle with listed below, that’s okay.

Always speak with a provider to see if vaginal dilation can be a good fit for your individual situation.

So, let’s get started! Feel free to use these jump links to skip to any topics you’re most interested in…

If you’re interested in dilation, you may have heard of the pelvic floor. Understanding the pelvic floor can help you better understand who needs vaginal dilation and if it can address your own condition or symptoms!

The pelvic floor is the group of muscles in your pelvis that provide continence for your bladder and bowels, hold your pelvic organs, allow for sexual appreciation and function, and more.

These muscles support you each and every day, even if you don’t realize it!

When these muscles become too tight, weak, inflexible, or uncoordinated, it is referred to as pelvic floor dysfunction. 

Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause a variety of uncomfortable or painful symptoms, including incontinence, constipation, pelvic organ prolapse, and much more.  

In fact, all of the other conditions and scenarios we’ll be discussing in this blog—menopause, pregnancy, surgery, difficult bowel movements, troubles with urination, or painful sex—are all related to the pelvic floor. They either cause or are caused by pelvic floor dysfunction. 

Luckily, pelvic floor physical therapy (which includes vaginal dilation) can provide significant relief from pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms. If you experience symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, go ahead and book a free discovery call with me! With this free call, we can discuss any questions you may have about vaginal dilation, appointments, and more.

We’ll discuss a bit more about how vaginal dilation can directly support many different forms of pelvic floor dysfunction and its related symptoms below!

As mentioned before, the pelvic floor directly affects your bladder function. This means that your ability to urinate effectively (being able to start a urine stream and fully empty the bladder without pain or struggle) is reliant on your pelvic floor health! 

While it may seem strange to dilate vaginally for urinary problems, it actually makes a lot of sense when you consider how closely interconnected the pelvic floor is with your urethra and bladder!

Due to this interconnectedness, pelvic floor dysfunction can result in symptoms like UTIs, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, incontinence, and more.

So how can vaginal dilation help?

Dilation reduces tension from tight pelvic floor muscles and other nearby tissues through gentle stretching. Reduced tension translates to less symptoms. It also allows you to become more familiar with how these muscles work!

Having better control over your pelvic floor will allow you to have control over your bladder, too.

Similarly to urinary function, the pelvic floor also controls bowel function!

If you struggle with bowel movements in any way, this can be a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction. Some examples include:

• Incomplete bowel movements
• Painful bowel movements
• Too frequent or infrequent bowel movements
• Constipation
• Incontinence
• And more

Being unable to coordinate your pelvic floor can make bowel movements difficult. Additionally, tension in the pelvic floor can significantly impact your ability to relax for a bowel movement, and often results in straining or pain.

Vaginal dilation can help significantly in situations like these. Just as we discussed with urinary dysfunction, the pelvic floor affects many areas in the pelvis, including your digestive tract and rectal canal.

However, in some cases of bowel dysfunction, you may be more suited to rectal dilation. You can read all about that form of dilation here:

What Is Rectal Dilation?

Vaginal dilation can be very beneficial for those experiencing trouble with insertion, whether it is related to sexual activity or other forms of insertion (exams, menstrual products, etc.).

You may have guessed it already, but the main culprit of these problems is pelvic floor dysfunction! Tight pelvic floor muscles can make these activities painful, unenjoyable, or even impossible. 

Vaginal dilation is a very important form of treatment for these types of struggles, as it not only helps stretch the vaginal tissues, but also allows individuals to create a safe and healthy association with touch and the expectation of penetration. 

Conditions like dyspareunia, vaginismus, difficulties with arousal or orgasm, and more can benefit from vaginal dilation and other pelvic floor treatments.

For conditions like these, vaginal dilation is incredibly useful for not just reducing pain, but also regaining confidence, reducing fear, and encouraging better control during sex, with internal menstrual products, or pelvic exams. 

If you struggle with any level of pain or discomfort when it comes to insertion, be sure to ask your provider about vaginal dilation (I’m also available for consultations or evaluations).

Pelvic pain can be a result of many different things, including: changes during pregnancy, chronic conditions (endometriosis, IBD, IBS, etc.), and pelvic floor dysfunction. In any of these cases, dilation can be a great supportive treatment to reduce tension and improve comfort.

Pelvic pain can be felt in many areas. You may feel pelvic pain towards the front or back of your pelvis, in your tailbone, in your pelvic girdle, or just in the general pelvic area. Pain in your lower back, hips, or abdominals can also be a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction, and may occur alongside other pelvic pain.

Due to the fact that pelvic pain can have a wide range of root causes, it is best to seek a pelvic floor physical therapist to better identify your needs.

Depending on your unique case, vaginal dilation may be suggested as a way to reduce muscle tension, improve tissue flexibility, and regain control over your pelvic floor.

During perimenopause and menopause, the body produces less estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These hormones become variable and fluctuate during perimenopause, and eventually will have declined significantly once you reach full menopause. 

These hormones are not necessarily nonexistent at this point, but the changes in the levels of these hormones can cause many different symptoms.

For example, the vaginal tissues may become thinner and less elastic. The vaginal canal may become narrower, shorter, and less lubricated. These tissues may become weakened, and can even shrink. These symptoms are known as vaginal atrophy, and they can make sexual intercourse or routine medical exams painful. 

Vaginal dilation can be very helpful for both perimenopause and menopause! It can support long-term vaginal health by preventing the narrowing of the vaginal canal and increasing mobility of the tissues. This process can help those in menopause continue to enjoy sex and engage in routine exams without pain.

Pregnant and postpartum individuals can significantly benefit from vaginal dilation, especially when paired with other pelvic floor therapy strategies. 

This is because both pregnancy and childbirth directly involve the pelvic floor! The pelvic floor not only supports the weight of the baby during pregnancy, but it is directly impacted by childbirth. 

Both pregnancy and childbirth can cause significant strain and trauma to the pelvic floor (regardless of whether you deliver vaginally or via cesarean), and are therefore very common causes of pelvic floor dysfunction.

Pelvic floor dysfunction during pregnancy can look like bodily pains, urinary incontinence, bowel dysfunction, sexual dysfunctions, and much more. Dilation can not only help reduce these symptoms, but it can help support perineal stretching and bodily awareness while learning pushing mechanics.

After childbirth, these symptoms can persist into postpartum, and may be long-lasting even after your body has had time to recover. Those who experience urinary, bowel, or sexual dysfunction postpartum can significantly benefit from dilation.

Vaginal dilation can provide support for a variety of symptoms, such as perineal trauma, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, and more.

Vaginal Stenosis

Vaginal stenosis is the narrowing and shortening of the vaginal canal due to scar tissue. Scar tissue can be caused by things like pelvic surgeries (hysterectomy, pelvic organ prolapse surgery), radiation therapy, childbirth, tissue trauma, and more. 

Vaginal stenosis can make sexual activity uncomfortable and painful. The use of insertable items (menstrual products, sexual aids) as well as pelvic exams may become painful or difficult. 

This is because scar tissue is tight and restricting, and can cause painful pulling during movement. It can also make the vaginal canal narrower and shorter. Because of these effects, vaginal dilation can be very necessary for individuals at risk of vaginal stenosis, and it may even be recommended by your doctor after certain procedures.

Vaginal dilation will help stretch the vaginal tissues, protect the length of the vaginal canal, reduce tension, and encourage better function overall. Be sure to ask your provider about dilation if you are going to have or have already had a pelvic surgery (it’s never too late to get started)!

Genital Reconstruction Surgery

As the name suggests, genital reconstruction is a procedure that alters the genitals of a person’s body. There are actually many reasons why someone may choose to undergo this type of treatment. Some examples include:

• To regain function and appearance after trauma, injury, cancer, congenital anomalies, or other conditions.
• To conform to one type of genitalia if born intersex.
• To match one’s physical characteristics to their gender identity.
• Cosmetic or aesthetic reasons.

No matter your needs or reasoning for choosing genital reconstruction, both dilation and pelvic floor therapy will play a massive role in treatment and maintenance. Learn more on the genital reconstruction surgery page!

Some individuals are born with a rare genetic condition that can affect the development of their vaginal canal. Underdevelopment of the vaginal canal is known as vaginal atresia, which can result in a shorter vaginal canal, a missing vaginal canal, or blockage of the vaginal opening. 

These genetic conditions can vary from person to person, and may cause a variety of symptoms. It may negatively affect menstruation at an early age, and in the long run can affect one’s ability to use menstrual products, enjoy sexual aids, or engage in penetrative sex.

Vaginal dilation can be very useful in maintaining sexual health and function in the long run. Those with vaginal atresia may also need to engage in vaginal dilation to maintain tissue integrity post-surgery (if they choose to engage in surgery for their condition).

Vaginal dilation is an incredibly useful treatment that can address symptoms for many different conditions—even some that we didn’t discuss in this blog! However, no matter what you use it for, dilation requires consistency, dedication, self accountability, and a tailored plan for your needs. 

Vaginal dilation is not as simple as inserting a dilator occasionally and hoping that it’ll solve all your problems. You have to understand what your needs are, how to actually dilate effectively, what your goal or desired end result from dilation is, and how to track your progress towards that goal.

Additionally, dilation often involves multiple other techniques, rather than just simply inserting—such as activating your pelvic floor, deep breathing, and stretching or moving during dilation. 

In other words, everyone has varying needs, and so the same basic approach to vaginal dilation may not always yield effective, timely results. The best way to avoid frustration and set yourself up for a hassle-free dilation experience is to work with a professional!

Book an appointment with me to get started with a comprehensive treatment plan, including vaginal dilation! Or, if you have a few questions about treatment or appointments, try out a free discovery call.