Vaginismus is a condition characterized by significant pain in the vagina generally during sexual intercourse. This pain occurs on penetration due to the contraction of the vaginal muscles.

Causes

The exact cause of Vaginismus is not exactly known to the doctors. But some researchers suggests that the pain might result from severe anxiety or illogical fears before sex.

Vaginismus can be primary or secondary depending on the concerned woman s previous sexual experiences. Vaginismus can be linked to an earlier sexually painful experience, sexual trauma or psychological factors. In some cases, the pain tends to exist without any direct physical cause. The causes of the pain might vary from women to women and might occur in some cases with only one specific partner and not with others.

Sometimes the pain might stem from underlying infections or any other underlying complications.

The symptoms of Vaginismus are as follows:

Severe pain during intercourse.

Severe pain during insertion of tampons or during any medical check-ups.

The following treatments can be useful to treat Vaginismus:

If the pain arises due to anxiety or fear, counselling sessions can help you to a remedy.

If the pain arises whenever something penetrates the vaginal walls, progressive desensitization can be useful to treat the pain. The process aims to loosen the vaginal muscles so that you don t experience any pain during sexual intercourse.

Kegel exercises (at least 20 of them) can help in the initial stage to relax the vaginal muscles. After you exercise for a few days, you should try inserting one finger inside your vagina while doing the exercises. Try doing it gently and if it still hurts, try doing it with a lubricating jelly. This continuous procedure will help in the contraction of the vaginal muscles which eventually relax.

Vaginismus - Things You Should Be Aware of 

Problems with the arteries and veins present in the hands or legs can lead to vascular disorders. The arteries carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body in order to deliver nutrients and oxygen. The veins carry the blood back to the heart, after the nutrients have been used up. If these blood vessels of the arteries or veins become blocked or narrowed, it can lead to a vascular blockage.

A vascular blockage that occurs in the hands or legs comes under the category of Peripheral Artery Disease or PAD. These type of disorders are less common in the upper extremities of the arms or hands than in the lower extremities of legs. Few of the signs for the same are:

Pain and difficulty in movement due to decreased blood flow
Numbness or weakness of leg or fingertips
Sores on the toes or feet
If the blockage is deep, symptoms of redness, swelling, extreme pain or cramping can be experienced
Abnormal color changes in the fingertips
Ulcers or wounds that don t heal
Skin sensitivity problems when in cold temperatures
How can it be diagnosed?
The blockage can be detected by various methods namely-

Physical Examination   Your doctor may find decreased pulse at armpit, wrist or fingers, full veins, masses, wounds or gangrene.
Doppler or Ultrasound examination to determine the blood flow in the arteries and veins
MRI Scan of the affected area to pay special attention to the blood vessels
Cold Stress Test
Arteriography to show clear blood vessel details
Angiography to map blockages and narrowing of the arteries
What are the Risk Factors for Peripheral Artery Disease?
An individual is at risk for developing vascular blockages in the hands or legs if one or more of the following factors are present:

Smoking
Diabetes
Heredity Factors   A personal or family history of blood vessel disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Aging   People aged above 50 years and older are more prone to vascular blockage
Can it be treated?
Treatments for vascular blockage can vary depending on the age, cause of the blockage, intensity and overall well-being.

Treatments can include:

Self-care   Reducing risk factors and making lifestyle changes to quit smoking, sedentary life or diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol management can reverse symptoms of vascular disease.
Medications   A variety of drugs can be prescribed to lower the risk and progression of narrowing blood vessels or prevent blood clotting.
Interventional Procedures   Minimally invasive surgery like saloon angioplasty, stenting or removal of artery plaque build-up.
Surgery   If the blockage is severe, surgery may be performed to lessen the vessel narrowing, reconstruct the artery or tie it off, depending on the circumstances.

Pain in the Hands or Legs!

Lower back pain can be one of the most physically debilitating things that can affect you and limit your mobility. Even if the pain isn t that acute, it could still signal something deteriorating in your lower back. While oral medications, topical creams or sprays can help in reducing pain, there are other effective remedies you can try on your own. These will be handy when you have no medications at hand. One of these is the hot and cold therapy.

Heat therapy for lower back pain

Heat works well with lower back pain as it can dilate blood vessels and improve circulation within the tissue. This will help in circulation and also result in lowering the pain. Heat therapy will also loosen up other muscles in the area and help soothe sore areas which have been taking the burden along with the lower back muscles. Some of the techniques that can be applied are:

1. All day heat wraps: These are specially manufactured belts or wraps which wrap around your abdomen and keep tightness and pressure on your lower back as well as supplying heat.

2. Electric heating pads: These are mechanized heating pads which generate heat with electricity. You can place them under you back and then either sit or sleep with it positioned behind you. However, ensure that you don t keep these for too long as they could burn your skin.

3. Hot Compress with towels or hot water bags: Use a clean towel and heat it over a conductive surface and apply it on your lower back. You can also use hot water bags for the same purpose.

Cold therapy for lower back pain

Cold therapy uses the principle of constriction of blood vessels as well as slowing circulation. This will help numb the area and thus help relieve the pain. Some of the ways these can be administered are mentioned below.

1. Ice towel: In this method, soak a towel in ice cold water, wring it to dry it and then apply on your lower back. This will numb the pain without transferring the sting of the cold or damaging your skin.

2. Ice packs: Put about half a kg of ice in a plastic Ziploc bag and pour water over the ice to just about cover it. Push out the air out of the bag and then lock it. Use this ice pack with a towel to ensure that you back doesn't get wet.

3. Ice gel packs: These are ready made packs, which can be bought from medical stores and kept frozen to be used whenever you need it in order to relieve lower back pain.

Treating Lower Back Pain Using Hot and Cold Therapy

A pain in the neck, both in the metaphorical and the literal sense of the term can be quite discomforting. If we look at it from a medical point of view, the pain in the neck could be a serious sign of something being amiss and so, keeping in mind the causes of such a pain is just so important!

Recognizing the Type of Neck Pain

A pain in the neck can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Also, it need not also follow the textbook definition of the term. As a matter of fact, tingling, tenderness or numbness can also be significant symptoms of neck pain. Another major symptom can be having difficulty while swallowing. This could be much more crucial than just a problem with the digestive system.

Many cases that doctors come across when a patient comes to consult about a pain in the neck are regarding an issue with the spinal cord. At in certain cases, it could be related to an issue with the muscles which are located in the area.

When a person has neck pain, he or she should think back and try to remember if he or she was in an incident where the neck could have possibly been the recipient of some sort of impact. This could be a possible explanation of the pain. Also, if there is a pain in the neck after an incident, it is better not to delay a visit to the doctor as the person is likely to be uncomfortable. The neglect is this condition can also lead to the problem getting progressively worse.

In some cases, a pain in the neck can even be congenital. A very good example of this is wry neck, or torticollis. When a pain in the neck is diagnosed by the doctor, figuring out what the likely cause is quite an important thing to do and should be the first thing which is done by him or her as the various ways to treat a pain in the neck vary according to the cause of it.

The problem of neck pain is very common as two third of the population suffers from it at some point in their lives. This does not mean that it needs to affect a person's quality of life. The right precautions and proper medication can make sure that his or her neck is not on the line!

Causes of Neck Pain and Diagnosis

Vulvodynia is a condition which causes severe pain in the opening (vulva) of the vagina without any apparent reason. The pain might be chronic in nature and can go on for years. Vulvodynia might affect your emotional health in the long-term and cause anxiety, depression and disrupted sleep patterns, if not treated immediately.

Doctors are still unsure regarding the exact causes of Vulvodynia. But there are few factors, which can increase your risks of suffering from this disorder:

    If you have a sensitive skin or have any past history of previous vaginal infections, you might be susceptible to vulvodynia.
    Vulvodynia might also be caused due to past injuries around the vulva.
    Sometimes, hormonal changes might also cause Vulvodynia.
    This disorder can also occur in women who have previously suffered from recurrent instances of sexual abuse.

The symptoms of Vulvodynia can be acute or chronic in nature with the pain being confined to one particular area or around the entire region.
The treatments for Vulvodynia aim at regulation of the symptoms. The most common treatments for Vulvodynia are:

    Your doctor might prescribe a specific dosage of steroids or antidepressants to get rid of the pain. Prescribed dosage of antihistamines might help to cure the itching sensation.
    You can apply a regulated amount of  Lidocaine  ointment around the vulvar regions thirty minutes before sexual intercourse.
    You can also opt for pelvic floor therapies as they might provide relief from significant pain in the pelvic floor muscles resulting from vulvodynia.
    If the pain is centralized around a particular area, you might opt for vestibulectomy to remove the affected tissues and get rid of the pain.

Can Sensitive Skin Be the Reason Behind Pain in the Opening of Vagina

Panchakarma is an ayurvedic technique which is used to detoxify the body, boost the immune system and restore the balance in the body. Due to lack of exercise and a poor diet, the waste material generated by the body is not effectively discharged. This causes accumulation of toxins in the body that can result in diseases.

Panchakarma can be used to treat and heal the pain in the joints and the spine. There are specific treatments in panchakarma that targets these regions, they are:

1. Abhyanga - Abhyanga is a technique where warm oil is used to cover the entire body. The oil is then gently massaged so that it can penetrate the underlying tissues. It is used to lubricate the joints, muscle toning and to increase blood supply around nerve endings.

 2. Pindasweda - In this technique hot cotton bags consisting of herbs, rice, and sand or medical powder are used to massage the body. This rejuvenating therapy induces perspiration in the body by which the herbs and the heat penetrates into the body. It is used to treat problems of the joints such as gout, arthritis, and sciatica.

 3. Upanaha - A combination of herbal medicine is applied to the affected part and then covered with medicinal leaves. The herbs help in easing the muscles and tendons of the affected part. It relieves pain, reduces swellings and improves mobility in the joint.

 4. Kati vista - In this treatment, medicated oil is pooled into a collar made from dough and then placed on the lower back for a specific amount of time. It strengthens the lower back, lubricates the spine and acts as a muscle pain reliever.

Soothe Your Joint and Spine Pain with Ayurvedic Panchakarma

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