ARTS & CULTURE

it is a mixture of physical and emotional response. Where dilators may physically train the body to accept objects inside, the mindbody block may cause the body to tense up and many folks describe a severe loss of libido. This will also cause painful sex. It becomes a cyclical battle between mind and body.

“One of my committee members joked that the physical therapists were the ‘heroes’ of my dissertation. And they were right!” says Labuski. Styles and treatments range for people with painful sex, but most people do well when physical therapy includes cognitive therapy.

Claire began seeking physical therapy, where she would go to downtown Chicago once a week to have specialists vaginally release tensions and tightness. Occasionally, anal releases were also done since it is tied to the pelvic floor. Many suggestions from PTs are pelvic floor exercises and stretches that are linked to yoga. Additionally, she began using silicone dilators (tube-shaped devices that are inserted into the vagina) and a vibrating wand every other night. Slowly, patients should work up in dilator sizes to retrain the vagina to accept foreign objects. Eventually, a phallic object can be introduced.

Since pelvic pain awareness has been budding at a grassroots level, penis bumpers like the OhNut ($65) have also hit the market. The device slides onto a person’s shaft, or a toy, and shortens the length, and serves as a bumper, to eliminate deep pain inside of a person.

“Hot baths with CBD/THC bath bombs are magic when it comes to relaxing your pelvic floor. I make sure to do a bath with CBD/THC at least every other week,” says Claire.

While Claire is still recovering, she says she is more hopeful. “I know what my body needs to help stay relaxed, and I feel confident with the tool kit that my PT taught me. I don’t feel ashamed or anxious anymore that sex has not been a part of my relationship lately, because I realized that we had developed intimacy in other ways that are also important to a healthy relationship,” she explains.

She still has an emotional block when it comes to intimacy, impacting her ability to orgasm. She says, “When I am ready for sex, I want to be able to enjoy it fully. I am currently working on learning how to be intimate with myself and what my body needs now that we have gone through this together.”