Vaginal Relaxation

Women’s pelvic organs often undergo changes due to pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. These changes can include stretching and thinning of the vaginal walls, a condition known as vaginal relaxation.

Vaginal relaxation most commonly creates a sensation of pressure in the vagina. Other symptoms can include stress incontinence, difficulties urinating or having a bowel movement, vaginal wall prolapse, and others.

To learn more about vaginal relaxation and our Urogynecologists can offer a treatment plan to improve your quality of life.

Questions and Answers

What is vaginal relaxation?

Vaginal relaxation is a condition that describes a stretching in the walls of your vagina. This condition also includes loose and lax vaginal tissue. You may experience vaginal relaxation during childbirth when vaginal walls stretch too far or if you’re having hormonal changes due to menopause.

If you have a chronic condition, like a cough or constipation that causes you to strain during bowel movements, the walls of your vagina may stretch too far.

What are the symptoms of vaginal relaxation?

When you have vaginal relaxation, you may feel vaginal pressure that gets worse throughout the day. You may also experience:

Stress incontinence
Vaginal wall prolapse
Bulging of your vagina
Difficulty emptying your bladder
Difficulty having a bowel movement

Loss of sexual sensations during intercourse is also a common side effect of vaginal relaxation.

Can a vagina be tightened?

To address vaginal relaxation that interferes with your quality of life, Dr. Moore & Dr. Brown offer several solutions.

You may be a candidate for nonsurgical laser and heat treatments that boost your natural collagen production to strengthen your vaginal walls. The team uses advanced technologies like MonaLisa Touch® and ThermiVa® to tighten vaginal tissues.

You may also benefit from surgery to remove excess tissue and reconstruct and tighten your vagina.

If these treatments aren’t enough to treat vaginal support loss due to vaginal relaxation, we can customize a treatment plan to your needs.

What procedures can treat vaginal support loss?

Surgical treatment of vaginal support loss is available at Urogynecology Associates and we offer procedures like:

Cystocele repair: Cystocele repair surgery involves reattaching herniated tissue that develops when your bladder bulges into your vagina.

Rectocele repair: Rectocele repair reattaches herniated tissue that occurs when your rectum bulges into your vagina.

Vaginal vault suspension: Vaginal vault suspension reattaches the top of a prolapsed vagina to the tissues in your pelvis to correct bulging in the top of your vagina.

Uterine prolapse: When your uterus falls into your vaginal canal, you may need a hysterectomy to remove your uterus.

Your physician can perform many of these vaginal procedures on an outpatient basis to better support your pelvic floor structures and ensure a fast recovery. The team can also place a supportive device to hold your uterus and other structures in place.

If you’re unhappy with your vaginal health due to vaginal relaxation, don’t hesitate to contact us to make an appointment.

If you’re suffering from a disorder of the pelvic floor, visit our sister practice, Alabama Urogyn, to learn more and schedule an appointment for diagnosis and treatment.