Men experience painful intercourse. And they don’t always want to have sex! Societal expectations will lead you to believe that men are tough, independent, and sex-driven. Therefore, men will steer clear of doctors and find a way to have sex no matter what.
However, 1 to 5% of men report pain with intercourse. While this is significantly less than the 75% of women who report painful sex during their lifetime, men’s pelvic health should not be overlooked or ignored.
You should report pain symptoms to your healthcare providers to rule out disease or infection. Your pain may be due to tight pelvic floor muscles, which you can fix with minimal side effects!!
Why do I hurt when I have sex?
Due to tightness or spasms from weak muscles, soft tissues begin to change and form scars and trigger points. If the pain continues, you can develop chronic pelvic pain or fibromyalgia.
Tight pelvic floor muscles are also called by other names besides a pain in the butt! You will hear it referred to as:
- Pelvic floor hypertonicity
- Pelvic floor muscle spasm
- Nonrelaxing pelvic floor
- Overactive pelvic floor
Low back, hip, and pelvic pain can refer to your pelvic floor, leading to pain during sex and causing erectile dysfunction (ED).
How do tight muscles lead to painful intercourse?
Weakness, tightness, stress, and trauma can cause the pelvic floor muscles to develop scar tissue and trigger points, or areas of extreme tenderness when touched. This is why men experience painful intercourse.
Your muscle has decreased blood flow, poor control, and lack of coordination, leading to pain. And pain leads to erectile dysfunction, which occurs in nearly 50% of males over the age of 40 for a variety of reasons – a tight pelvic floor is one of them.
Physical Therapy for Painful Intercourse
Pelvic floor physical therapists design treatment plans to return your muscles to their normal tone and function so you can have pain-free sex. You will get a personalized plan to build strength and endurance to improve the coordination and function of your pelvic floor muscles. As a result, your blood circulation will improve and reduce your pain.
There are several techniques a pelvic floor physical therapist can use to help you relax and take control of your pelvic floor muscles.
- Manual therapy
- Contract-relax training
- Biofeedback
- Electrical stimulation
Why should I report painful intercourse?
Pelvic floor muscle training can help you address painful intercourse by returning your pelvic floor muscles to a normal tone. You can then build strength and learn to coordinate your muscles pain-free. Pain-free sex improves your mental health and quality of life for you and your partner.