Symptoms of Clitoral Pain
The symptoms of clitoral pain can range from mild to severe and include one or more of the following:
- Persistent throbbing or aching
- Sharp, stabbing pain
- Burning sensation
- Pain during or after pressure
- Itching around the clitoris
- Sensitivity to touch
- Rawness or irritation
- Pain during urination
- Discomfort with tight clothing
- Increased pain during sexual activity
Our team can help reduce your clitoral pain and restore your sexual health.
What are Causes of Clitoral Pain?
Clitoral pain, known medically as clitorodynia, can stem from various causes. Here’s a breakdown of some common culprits:
Skin conditions:
- Lichen sclerosus: This autoimmune condition causes white, itchy patches on the vulva, potentially affecting the clitoris and causing pain.
- Lichen planus: Similar to lichen sclerosus, lichen planus manifests as purple, itchy bumps on the vulva, sometimes involving the clitoris and leading to pain.
- Vulvar dermatitis: This general term refers to inflamed, irritated vulvar skin. It can be caused by various irritants like soaps, detergents, or even tight clothing, leading to clitoral discomfort.
Infections:
- Yeast infections: These common fungal infections can cause vulvar burning, itching, and irritation, potentially affecting the clitoris.
- Bacterial infections: Bacterial vaginosis or other bacterial infections can irritate the vulva and cause clitoral pain.
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Certain STIs, like herpes, chlamydia, or gonorrhea, can cause vulvar discomfort and potentially clitoral pain.
Other causes:
- Keratin pearls: These are harmless, small, white bumps that can form on the clitoris. In some cases, they might obstruct the clitoral hood and cause irritation or pain.
- Injury: Injury to the clitoris from sexual activity, tight clothing, or childbirth can cause pain.
- Vulvodynia: This chronic condition involves vulvar pain, and the clitoris may be included.
- Nerve compression: When nerves around the clitoris are compressed or irritated, it can lead to clitoral pain.
- Underlying health conditions: Certain medical conditions like diabetes can affect nerves and potentially cause clitoral pain.
Remember: This list is not exhaustive, and it’s important to see a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. They can determine the cause of your clitoral pain and recommend the most appropriate course of action.
What Does the Pelvic Floor Have To Do With Clitoral Pain?
The pelvic floor is a crucial group of muscles located between the tailbone and the pubic bone – similar to the area in contact with a seat when riding a bicycle. These muscles are essential for supporting pelvic organs, aiding in urinary and bowel functions, and facilitating sexual response by contracting and relaxing during sexual activities.
Clitoral pain can often cause problems with the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles in the lower part of your pelvis). If these muscles aren’t functioning properly, they can put pressure on nearby areas, such as the pudendal nerve, leading to irritation of the clitoris and pain.
Causes of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
There can be many different causes of pelvic floor dysfunction. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but below are some of the more common causes:
- Psychological Stress
- Hip Injury/Pathology
- Gynecological Disorders (i.e. endometriosis)
- Childbirth (including both vaginal childbirth and C-sections)
- Low Back Injury/Pain
- Poor Posture
- Core Weakness
- Constipation
- Abdominal Surgery
Benefits of Working with a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist For Clitoral Pain
Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist offers numerous benefits for individuals experiencing clitoral pain:
- Alleviate clitoral and surrounding area pain
- Loosen tight muscles, reducing discomfort
- Enhance mobility and function through personalized exercises
- Rebalance the muscle dynamics of the pelvic floor
- Boost blood flow to facilitate healing
- Achieve better overall pelvic health and quality of life
- Improve sexual arousal
At Beyond Basics, we’re committed to restoring your comfort and improving your pelvic health through expert, empathetic care. Whether you’re dealing with persistent pain or seeking preventive care, our team is here to support your journey toward recovery and well-being.
What To Expect
During Your Initial Appointment
During your first appointment, our team at Beyond Basics will begin by asking questions in order to learn more about you and provide us with the context we need to understand any symptoms you are experiencing, including any related to clitoral pain.
We’ll then conduct a physical exam, which is a hands-on evaluation from head to toe, based on your symptoms. This might involve evaluating external and internal pelvic floor muscles, with the purpose being to trace your issue to its source(s) in order to alleviate pain and discomfort.
These internal manual techniques are applied to the structures of the pelvis. This includes the pelvic floor muscles, nerves, and bones. We want you to be as comfortable as possible during the session – you have the right to refuse any treatment at any time without explanation.
Your PT will also provide you with exercises to begin at home to address your symptoms and ease your pain. These at-home exercises are customized specifically based on your needs.
During Your Additional Appointments
Each pelvic floor physical therapy appointment is one hour long. Your physical therapist might spend that time performing manual therapy, teaching you movement techniques and exercises, discussing your progress, answering questions, providing patient education, and reviewing your at-home program.
Most individuals notice an improvement in symptoms within 8 weeks (or sooner).
How Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Can Help with Clitoral Pain
Pelvic floor PT can help treat the underlying root causes of your symptoms for long-term relief. Physical therapists who practice pelvic floor physical therapy are highly trained to treat the muscles of the pelvic floor as well as other structures like your abdominal viscera and the muscles and joints of your spine and hips, which also play a role in pelvic floor dysfunction.
A well-trained physical therapist is competent in navigating the treatment of such sensitive and personal structures and will go to great lengths to ensure that you feel comfortable, safe, and confident in your course of treatment.
Reduce your clitoral pain today.
Client Testimonials
Sexual Pain Conditions We Treat
In addition to clitoral pain, other sexual pain conditions we treat for people with female anatomy include:
- Pelvic Pain
- Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD)
- Menopause and Postmenopause-related Sexual Pain and Dysfunction
- Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
- Pudendal Neuralgia
- Dyspareunia
- Painful sex after giving birth
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Lichens Sclerosis
- Lichens Planus
- Endometriosis
- Vaginismus
- Vulvodynia/Clitorodynia/Vestibulodynia
- Perineum Pain
- Decreased Arousal
- Difficulty Achieving Orgasm
- Pain with Arousal
- Groin Pain, Coccyx Pain, Back Pain, Hip Pain
- Anismus
- Pain with Anal Penetration
- Painful intercourse/sexual intercourse
- Pain at the vaginal opening/throughout the vaginal muscles
- Vaginal dryness
- Recurring pain/chronic pain
- Deep intercourse pain
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Peyronie’s Disease
- Chronic Prostatitis (also known as Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome or Prostadynia)
- Decreased Ejaculation Strength
- Pain with Ejaculation
- Premature Ejaculation
- Anismus
- Pain with Anal Penetration
- Varicocele
- Testicular or Penile Pain
- Perineum Pain
- Decreased Arousal
- Groin Pain, Coccyx Pain, Back Pain, Hip Pain
- Pain during sex
- Recurring pain
- Deep intercourse pain
Beyond Basics: We Can Help
At Beyond Basics, we are committed to treating pelvic floor issues with sensitivity to each individual’s needs, regardless of sex, race, identity, age, or orientation – we treat the whole person with a comprehensive, caring biopsychosocial approach.
Since 2003, Beyond Basics has been a place of hope and healing for our patients. We believe skilled and compassionate healing can restore your body’s harmony and balance. Founder, Amy Stein, and co-founder, Corey Hazama are renowned experts and leaders in pelvic floor PT.
The skilled physical therapists at Beyond Basics receive extensive training to qualify them to be the world’s leaders in pelvic floor rehabilitation. All of our therapists have been carefully selected to work at Beyond Basics because they possess the right expertise, kindness, and empathy to allow them to excel at our practice. Our therapists have completed hundreds of additional hours outside of their doctorates both internally and externally through institutes such as Herman and Wallace and the American Physical Therapy Association, to help hone their practice and provide exceptional treatment efficiently and compassionately. In addition to being the world’s first and foremost experts in pelvic floor dysfunction, our individual therapists have cultivated additional skills unique to their own personal interests. Read more about each one of our therapists here.
