Abstract
Vaginismus consists of involuntary spasms in the external musculature of the vagina, the etiology of which is still unknown, but there are cases of biopsychosocial factors such as sexual abuse, strict sex, education, emotional trauma, religious beliefs, low-quality sexual relations, fear of sex, or even changes of ostemioarticular origin, can lead to this condition, making vaginal penetration impossible during sexual intercourse, gynecological exams or use of tampons. Objective: To highlight as physical therapy practices, their validation for the treatment of vaginismus and to verify the effectiveness of the analyzed practices. Methods: Systematic literature review carried out through digital bibliographic research on scientific articles published in electronic and electronic journals, randomized clinical trials, with no period between the years 2010 to 2020, in the electronic databases PubMed, Bireme and PEDro. Results: There was no great variability in the resources used and the studies showed positive and similar results. Conclusion: Physical therapy proved to be beneficial for cases of vaginismus, with the use of functional electrical stimulation (FES) in an analogue way, pelvic floor muscle relaxation exercises, local desensitization performed with vaginal dilator and massage. However, more research is needed, considering the moderate methodological scores found in the studies analyzed.Keywords: vaginismus, physical therapy, rehabilitation.
Highlights
Female sexual dysfunctions (FSD) are conditions resulting from several biological, psychological, social and cultural factors and it is estimated that they are present in about 20 to 73% of women in the world
Among FSD, vaginismus is classified as a painful sexual disorder, with a prevalence of 5 to 17% of the female population with an active sex life [3]
The same reviewers independently evaluated the complete studies and made the selection according to the eligibility criteria, that is, the use of a publication that involved the performance of physical therapy in cases of vaginismus in the research
Summary
Female sexual dysfunctions (FSD) are conditions resulting from several biological, psychological, social and cultural factors and it is estimated that they are present in about 20 to 73% of women in the world. They encompass both disturbances of desire, as well as psychoanatomophysiological changes that characterize the sexual response, causing distress and interpersonal difficulties [1]. Among FSD, vaginismus is classified as a painful sexual disorder, with a prevalence of 5 to 17% of the female population with an active sex life [3]. The provided data may change, considering the profile of the accommodations, which may show shame and embarrassment due to the condition and, end up not seeking professional help or omitting their information [3,4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
