Milli Blog

Vaginismus Overview


Do you dread going to the gynecologist because of traumatic pap smears? Does painful sex prevent you from achieving healthy intimacy with your partner? Do you find it impossible to insert a tampon? Or maybe you’ve been told you have an “overactive” or “tight” pelvic floor.  If any of this resonates, you may be suffering …

Power of Questions in Your Vaginismus Journey


Three questions you need to ask your doctor One-in-Five women in the United States experience sexual pain! There are many reasons for painful sex, but vaginismus-related pain (pain related to involuntary vaginal tightening) by far has the most success rate with treatments1. In a study in 2017, nearly 73% women suffering with vaginismus were able …

Does Vaginismus Last Forever?


Painful sex is unfortunately quite common, even if it isn’t regularly discussed.  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimate that, at some point in their lives, 3 in 4 women will experience painful sex1.  One cause is a genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder called vaginismus.  Vaginismus is characterized by the uncontrolled tightening of the muscles at …

Drop It To The Floor: Pelvic Floor 101


When it comes to muscles, we all know the heavy hitters. Most people can point to their biceps, abs, and hamstrings, and probably even demonstrate a few exercises that target each one. But how many times have you heard someone talk about strengthening their coccygeus (kok-sij-ee-uhs)? Do you remember ever learning about your levator ani …

How to Relax Your Pelvic Floor


If anyone’s ever told you, “Just relax!” in response to stress, you know how, well, stressful those instructions can be. Indeed, figuring out how to “relax” when we are in a tense state can feel impossible, unless explicit instructions are given. Now, imagine you are told to relax muscles you didn’t even know existed. This …

Dismissed Symptoms: When Your Doctor Isn’t Listening


If you think it’s all in your head that your doctor isn’t listening to you when you ask for help with symptoms and health issues, it’s not. Three years ago, TODAY did a study about how women felt doctors didn’t truly hear them or listen to them in office visits and emergency rooms. The survey’s …

Misunderstanding Women’s Pain


It seems ironic that while we have access to more information than ever before, some doctors seem to listen to us less and dismiss us more. Even though it was many years ago, I have strong memories of doctors dismissing my pain. My first ovarian cyst ruptured when I was just 14 years old. The …