Did you know that pain is greatly informed by the brain and less so the site of the felt pain?

Imagine phantom limb syndrome where an amputated limb still aches days, weeks, months after being removed. If pain originates solely from the body part, there shouldn’t be pain where there isn’t a limb. But thanks to the homunculus, the part of the brain that maps awareness of the body, slower-to-update body maps hold onto the “mental image” of limbs and, therefore, the associated pain. 

The same could be true for pain during sex. 

Up until recently, the model of pain treatment was biomedical, meaning if there was pain there must be tissue damage so treat the tissue damage with surgery or medications (which certainly are useful and very appropriate in certain situations). 

But we know that tissue damage is not always, definitely the only reason for pain. Again, no leg = no pain. 

These days, treatment of chronic pain is moving into a biopsychosocial model of treatment, the combined assessment and consideration of not just function, but also thoughts, emotions, behaviors, daily life, family dynamics, culture, and general support. 

Consider the last night you got less sleep than you wanted or were just grumpier than usual. Wasn’t stubbing your toe that much more annoying? Or what about when you’re hungry? How fun is that music coming from your neighbor or the request from your nephew to play?  

What if the same sorts of things could be true for pain and your enjoyment of sex?

If chronic pain treatment is becoming more holistic, shouldn’t treatment for pain during sex be more holistic too? If this interests you, reach out to learn more about how therapy can help pain in the body.