Dilators!
Take Home Messages and Nuggets
Learn about dilators
What are they used for?
How can they be helpful?
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Dilators tend to be an integrative part of my treatment for patients - especially patients who have painful intercourse. Dilators come in all different sizes which you can see in the picture displayed above. What are they used for?
Vaginal dilators are tube-shaped devices designed to stretch the muscles in the vagina and help to restore function.
They come in different sizes because each person is different and unique - and should always be treated as so.
They are used to treat many different types of pelvic floor diagnoses including:
painful intercourse
vaginismus
vaginal stenosis
vulvodynia
vestibulodynia
menopause
pelvic pain
gender affirmation
DISCLAIMER: ***the ones listed are not the ONLY diagnoses that can be treated.
If used correctly, they can play a huge role in getting your pelvic floor muscles to contract, lengthen and relax in a functional way!
They release tension within the pelvic floor by targeting trigger points and any areas that may be holding lots of stress.
I teach my patients how to use a dilator on their own in order to create independence in their rehab. I do plenty of manual work (or massage therapy) to the pelvic floor and it’s important to teach and explain what I am doing that way a patient can perform this on their own and understand what’s going on!
Who do I use dilators for? First off, they should only be used for anyone who is comfortable using them. Unfortunately, dilators can sometimes be mistaken as too much of a sexual object (fun disclaimer: I definitely tell my patients to use them with their partner as foreplay to loosen up the pelvic floor). So sometimes it may not be for everyone, but they are certainly helpful for my patients to gain some independence in their rehab and not solely rely on their therapist for manual work. I also love the fact that my patients can travel with their dilators and use them on the go if they need to! Those are some fun facts about dilators to mull over for the weekend. Any questions?
Please feel free to contact me or follow me on Instagram and DM @the_pelvicfloorplaybook!
Pictured: Intimate Rose dilators (I totally love this brand!)
Signing off for now. With love always,
