Vaginismus treatment. Hypnotherapy versus behavior therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for women with lifelong vaginismus: a randomized waiting-list controlled trial of efficacy. [Treatment of vaginismus with the Paula Garburg sphincter muscle exercises]. Therapy for vaginismus: in vivo versus in vitro desensitization.
To investigate the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in the treatment of vaginismus compared to behavior therapy.
                A consecutive sample of 36 women with vaginismus (DSM-IV criteria) referred to the out-patient psychiatry clinic at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Riyadh between 1999-2003 were divided into 2 groups for either treatment on a random basis. A female psychologist independently and carefully assessed patients before and after treatment. Patients were treated until they achieved satisfactory sexual intercourse.
                Although both behavior therapy and hypnotherapy were successful in treating vaginismus, hypnotherapy performed better than behavior therapy in reducing the level of the wife`s sex-related anxiety and in improving the husband`s sexual satisfaction score. Success tended to occur faster in women treated with hypnotherapy as they received fewer treatment sessions. Women with vaginismus can be successfully treated by hypnotherapy without simultaneous treatment of their husbands.
                Hypnotherapy can provide an acceptable time and cost effective therapeutic tool that helps resolve vaginismus and improves sexual satisfaction in both spouses. Women with lifelong vaginismus (N=117) were randomly assigned to cognitive-behavioral group therapy, cognitive-behavioral bibliotherapy, or a waiting list. Manualized treatment comprised sexual education, relaxation exercises, gradual exposure, cognitive therapy, and sensate focus therapy. Group therapy consisted of ten 2-hr sessions with 6 to 9 participants per group. Assistance with minimal-contact bibliotherapy consisted of 6 biweekly, 15-min telephone contacts. Twenty-one percent of the participants left the study before posttreatment assessment. Intent-to-treat analysis revealed that successful intercourse at posttreatment was reported by 14% of the treated participants compared with none of the participants in the control condition. At the 12-month follow-up 21% of the group therapy participants and 15% of the bibliotherapy participants, respectively, reported successful intercourse. Cognitive-behavioral treatment of lifelong vaginismus was thus found to be efficacious, but the small effect size of the treatment warrants future efforts to improve the treatment.
                Copyright (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved. To prospectively assess and compare a novel approach to the treatment of vaginismus based on Paula Garburg's sphincter muscle exercises to the traditional approach based on Masters & Johnson.
                The study population included 60 consecutive patients with vaginismus who were referred to our sex therapy clinic. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups. The study group (30 patients) underwent a step-by-step program consisting of the performance of the Paula Garburg sphincter muscle exercises to achieve pelvic muscle relaxation combined with the active introduction of Young vaginal dilators of graduated size. A control group (30 patients) underwent a behavioral treatment based on Masters and Johnson's desensitization approach that was combined with the active introduction of Young vaginal dilators of graduated size.
                All patients completed the program, all with a successful outcome, as defined by the achievement of full intercourse or the introduction of a number 6 Young vaginal dilator. The mean number of treatment sessions required for successful outcome was shorter in the study as compared to the control group (4.9 +/- 1.4 vs. 7.4 +/- 3.5, respectively. P < 0.001). Furthermore, while the percentage of patients undergoing up to 5 sessions until successful outcome was significantly higher in the study as compared to the control group (p < 0.05), the percentage of patients undergoing > 10 sessions was significantly lower.
                Paula Garburg's sphincter muscle exercises together with the use of Young vaginal dilators is a simple, easy and very effective treatment for vaginismus. The outcome matched or even surpassed that of the traditional behavioral approaches. To verify the effectiveness of desensitization exercises with dilators in the treatment of vaginismus, while comparing 2 therapeutic variations with differing instruction procedures ("in vivo" versus "in vitro") during the desensitization exercises.
                A consecutive random sample of 44 female outpatients in sexual therapy were divided into groups for either treatment on a random basis. All patients were treated until the symptoms abated on the basis of a structured therapy program. The stability of the therapeutic success was verified through follow-up interviews.
                Forty-three (97.2%) of the patients were able to have sexual intercourse after an average of 6.3 therapeutic sessions. One-third reported an increase in their sexual desire. Thirty-four of 39 patients (87.2%) would be prepared to repeat the therapy. There were no significant differences in the success and the required number of consultations for the cure between the 2 groups investigated.
                Desensitization through exercises with dilators is an effective method for treating vaginismus. The choice of instruction procedure can be left to the patient.
A clinically relevant effect of systematic desensitisation when compared with any of the control interventions cannot be ruled out. None of the included trials compared other behaviour therapies (e.g. cognitive behaviour therapy, sex therapy) to pharmacological interventions. The findings are limited by the evidence available and as such conclusions about the efficacy of interventions for the treatment of vaginismus should be drawn cautiously.