Physical Therapy For Low Libido During Menopause

Your body experiences a lot of changes during menopause.

Along with the shifts in your hormone levels and moods, you may also notice that your sex drive is lower than it used to be.

This is called low libido, and it can be common in those going through menopause.

If you’re distressed by your low libido, there are interventions out there that can help you get your sex life back.

In particular, pelvic floor physical therapy treatments can help with your low libido.

But what is it about menopause specifically affects low libido?

To break that down, let’s start with what libido means in the first place.

What Is Low Libido?

It’s normal for your sexual desires to ebb and flow during your life, especially as you age and your body changes.

However, if your lack of interest in sex persists, you may be dealing with a low libido.

While it is normal for your sex life to not always sync up with your partner’s, there are some signs that you may be struggling with a larger issue, especially if you yourself are disappointed in your sex drive.

Libido is sometimes considered the mental part of sex, or the part that desire comes from.

While low libido can be a sign of a condition called sexual arousal or interest disorder, you do not need to have a condition to know you are struggling with your libido.

Whether you have a medical diagnosis or not, we provide physical therapy in Washington DC and the surrounding area to help treat your low libido and work toward having a happy, healthy sex life again.

What Are The Symptoms Of Low Libido?

Sex drive varies among all people and over time, so changes in your sex drive do not necessarily mean you have a low libido.

However, there are a few signs that may signify you would want to seek treatment.

Having no interest in sexual activity, including masturbation, is one symptom of a low sex drive.

If you have stopped having sexual thoughts or fantasies, that is also a common sign.

Of course, the ultimate signifier is if you are concerned about the change in your sex drive.

No one knows you and your sexual needs better than yourself.

A low libido can be caused by many things.

Sexual problems like anorgasmia, medical diseases, lifestyle changes, and fatigue can all contribute to a lower sex drive.

Of course, hormone changes, like the ones you experience during menopause, can also alter your libido.

How Does Menopause Affect Libido?

During menopause, your estrogen levels drop.

Lower estrogen can cause less interest in sexual activity.

It can also cause your vaginal tissue to dry out, which can make sexual activity more uncomfortable for you.

Vaginal and vulvar skin may become thinner and more sensitive while at the same time producing less natural lubrication.

Menopause symptoms can also affect libido because of the way they may interact with sexual desire.

For example, depression, mood swings, weight gain, and hot flashes are all symptoms of menopause, and are all known to affect libido.

Stress, distractions, your general level of health, and previous experience can feed into these symptoms during menopause, causing the changes to your libido you may be noticing.

How Can A Physical Therapist Help?

That are many ways a physical therapist can help with your low libido during menopause.

One of the main ways a physical therapist can help is by assisting you in conditioning your pelvic floor muscles.

If you have a strong pelvic floor, you will feel more connected to your body, and be able to feel more comfortable with your sexuality.

A weak pelvic floor or weak abdominal strength can make it harder for you to have a good sexual experience.

The pelvic floor contains multiple muscles like any other that can develop knots, adhesions, and trigger points that can cause chronic pain.

Trigger point dry needling can help manage your pelvic floor issues in some circumstances.

It’s common for your pelvic floor to be impacted by pregnancy, which is why both prenatal physical therapy and post partum physical therapy addresses pelvic floor health.

Sometimes this pain can even radiate down the back or into the hip.

A physical therapist can also help you increase your general flexibility, which will help with positioning in the bedroom and give you increased ownership over your body.

Pain is a significant contributor to lower sex drive.

If you’ve been experiencing pain, whether or not it is related to menopause, a physical therapist can help you address that so you can be more comfortable.

As you age, you may also experience ligaments that are at a different tension from what you were used to in the past.

A physical therapist can help you rebalance from this with strengthening and conditioning exercises, to help you prevent injuries.

With all of these skills together, physical therapy can help provide solutions for your menopausal low libido.

Book Your Appointment With Capitol Physical Therapy Today

Does physical therapy seem like it will be a good fit for you as you navigate menopause?

Are you struggling with a low libido and hoping to make a comeback so you can be more comfortable in your sexuality?

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today.