Pelvic Floor Symptom
Pain During Intercourse (Dyspareunia)
By Dr. Anthony J. Gordon, Doctor of Acupuncture | Last reviewed September 2026
Sex hurts. It might be sharp pain at the start, a deep ache with thrusting, or soreness that lingers for hours or days afterward. Over time, you may start to dread intimacy or avoid it altogether. Painful sex is common, it is not something you have to accept, and the pelvic floor is involved in most cases.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (516) 597-5400. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.
Overview
Understanding Painful Intercourse
Dyspareunia is the medical term for pain during or after intercourse. It is often divided into entry pain, felt at the opening, and deep pain, felt with deeper penetration. It affects women most often, but men and people of all genders can experience painful sex too.
Medical causes include infections, skin conditions, hormonal changes after childbirth or menopause, endometriosis and scar tissue, and your physician should evaluate them. The pelvic floor is involved in the majority of cases, either as the main cause or as a response to pain. When sex hurts, the pelvic floor learns to guard, and guarding makes the next time hurt more. Trigger points, nerve sensitivity and scar tissue add to the cycle.
Dr. Gordon treats the pelvic floor, nerve and scar tissue contributors, at a pace you control, and coordinates with your gynecologist, urologist or therapist.
Pain During Intercourse (Dyspareunia) at a Glance
Also called
Dyspareunia, painful sex
Types
Entry pain at the opening, deep pain with deeper penetration, or both
Who it affects
Women most often, but men and people of all genders too
Causes to rule out
Infection, skin conditions, hormonal changes, endometriosis
Main drivers
Pelvic floor guarding, trigger points, nerve sensitivity, scar tissue
The Gap in Care
What Tests Check, and What They Can Miss
A normal exam often leads to being told to relax or use more lubricant. Dr. Gordon assesses the pelvic floor response that drives most painful sex.
What routine testing is looking for
- Infections
- Skin conditions
- Hormonal tissue changes
- Endometriosis or structural findings
What often keeps symptoms going
- A pelvic floor that guards in anticipation of pain
- Trigger points that refer deep pain
- Sensitive scar tissue from childbirth or surgery
- Irritated pudendal nerve branches
- Hip and inner thigh tension
These are assessed gently and at your pace.
Signs & Symptoms
Does This Sound Like You?
Symptoms vary from person to person. These are the patterns Dr. Gordon sees most often.
Pain at entry
Sharp or burning pain at the start of penetration.
Deep pain
Aching or sharp pain with deeper penetration.
Pain after sex
Soreness, burning or aching that lingers afterward.
Tightness or blocking
A feeling that the muscles clamp down or block.
Pain with certain positions
Pain that changes with position.
Avoiding intimacy
Anxiety about pain that leads to avoiding sex.
Root Causes
The Four Drivers Dr. Gordon Looks For
Most people have more than one of these in play. Finding which one leads makes treatment more efficient.
Pelvic floor guarding
The pelvic floor tightens in anticipation of pain, making penetration more painful.
Trigger points
Trigger points in the pelvic floor and hips refer deep pain.
Scar tissue
Scars from childbirth, surgery or injury can be tender and stiff.
Nerve sensitivity
Irritated pudendal nerve branches cause burning and touch sensitivity.
Your First Visit
How Dr. Gordon Evaluates Painful Intercourse
The initial evaluation runs 60 to 75 minutes. You leave with a clear picture of what is driving your symptoms, a written plan, a realistic timeline, and in most cases your first treatment.
Records and history review
Dr. Gordon reviews your physician's findings, imaging, medications and past treatments so he knows what has been ruled out and what has already been tried.
External assessment
Gentle assessment of the abdomen, hips, inner thighs and perineum.
External pelvic floor assessment
The pelvic floor muscles are examined from the outside, with no internal exam. With you draped for comfort, gentle pressure around the perineum, sit bones, tailbone and inner thighs checks tone, tenderness and trigger points.
History and pattern review
Dr. Gordon reviews when pain happens, where it is felt and what makes it better or worse.
Plan and coordination
A clear plan, plus communication with your physician or pelvic floor PT when that helps your care.
When to see a physician first
- Fever or chills with pelvic or urinary symptoms
- Inability to urinate
- Visible blood in the urine or stool
- Sudden, severe pelvic or abdominal pain
- Unexplained weight loss
- New numbness in the saddle area or loss of bladder or bowel control
If you have any of these, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
Bring to your first visit
Records
Recent lab results, imaging reports and specialist notes. These can also be faxed ahead.
Treatment history
A short list of what you have tried and what did or did not help.
Clothing
Something comfortable and loose fitting.
Treatment
How Dr. Gordon Treats It
These are the tools Dr. Gordon uses most often for painful intercourse, chosen from your exam findings.
Primary approach
Intrapelvic & Extrapelvic Dry Needling
Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in both intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling. Treatment releases pelvic floor, hip and inner thigh tension and works gently on scar tissue that makes intercourse painful. The needles go in through the skin of the buttock, perineum or inner thigh, never through the vagina or rectum.
Learn about pelvic floor treatmentNerve focus
Neuro-Functional Acupuncture
Gentle electro-acupuncture along the pudendal nerve pathways to calm burning and touch sensitivity.
See servicesBetween visits
Comfort Plan & Team Coordination
Guidance on pacing, comfort and flare control, coordinated with your gynecologist, urologist or therapist.
Referring provider? Contact the clinicWhat to Expect
A Typical Recovery Arc
Visits 1 to 3
Find the main driver
Dr. Gordon confirms which muscles and nerves are behind your symptoms and starts calming the most reactive areas. Many people notice early changes between visits.
Visits 4 to 8
Lower the baseline
Day-to-day symptoms ease, flares become shorter and less frequent, and normal routines start to feel more manageable.
Visits 9 to 12 and beyond
Build resilience
Visits are spaced out as improvement holds. You leave with a maintenance and early-flare plan.
Most patients are seen weekly or every other week during active care. Individual results vary with how long symptoms have been present and how reactive they are. Progress is reassessed at every visit.
Not sure how to describe it? Put your pain or discomfort into words before your visit
"I had never done acupuncture and was very nervous to try it out. Dr. G eased my nerves as soon as I walked in by thoroughly explaining the process and answering all of my questions. He is really concerned about your health and genuinely wants to help you feel better."
Kaitlin Erikson, Google Review
Pain During Intercourse (Dyspareunia) Questions
Answers About Painful Intercourse
Still unsure whether this is the right fit? Reach out before you book and Dr. Gordon will talk through your history with you.
It is common, and it is treatable. Most causes are treatable.
No. The pelvic floor muscles are examined externally, with no internal exam. Everything is explained before it happens, and you set the pace.
Yes. Men can have pain with sex from pelvic floor tension, nerve irritation or other causes.
Yes, if that helps you feel comfortable.
Many people improve within eight to twelve sessions.
Dr. Gordon discusses what feels right for you. Many people pause penetration while tension settles, then return gradually.
Before You Book
General Questions
The clinic is an out-of-network practice. The initial evaluation is $300 and follow-up visits are $250. After each visit you receive a detailed superbill to submit to your PPO plan for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are accepted, and the clinic can run a complimentary benefits check before your first appointment. The check is a courtesy, so please confirm your coverage with your plan. See Insurance & Fees for details.
The first evaluation is 60 to 75 minutes and usually includes treatment. Follow-up visits run 45 to 60 minutes.
Yes. Call (516) 597-5400 or send a message through the contact page. This is especially helpful if your case is complex and you want to understand the approach before committing to a full evaluation.
1508 Union Turnpike, Suite 133, North New Hyde Park, NY 11040, with free parking on site. The clinic is an easy drive from Manhasset, Great Neck, Garden City, Lake Success, Floral Park and Mineola. Early morning, evening and weekend hours are available.
Most people feel a quick muscle twitch or a deep ache that lasts a few seconds. That twitch is a normal sign the trigger point is releasing. Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours afterward, similar to a hard workout, is common. Depth, angle and stimulation are adjusted to your comfort.
Both use the same fine, sterile, single-use needles. Dry needling targets specific trigger points and tight bands in muscle based on your exam. Neuro-functional acupuncture targets nerve pathways, often with gentle electrical stimulation, to calm nerve sensitivity. For painful intercourse, Dr. Gordon commonly uses both.
When performed by a trained, licensed provider with detailed knowledge of anatomy, it has a strong safety record. Tell Dr. Gordon if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are pregnant or have a weakened immune system so he can plan accordingly.
It is a technique that reaches the internal pelvic floor muscles, including the levator ani, obturator internus and coccygeus, to release trigger points and restore normal muscle function. Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in this technique, which few practitioners in New York have.
Yes. Your privacy and comfort come first. When undressing is needed for the area being treated, you are fully draped, and nothing internal is done without your clear consent. You can pause or stop at any time.
Yes. Painful intercourse can affect people of every gender, and Dr. Gordon treats adults of all genders and identities.
It helps to have had a medical workup so serious causes have been checked. If you have not seen a physician for your pelvic symptoms yet, call the clinic to talk through the best order of steps.
About Dr. Anthony J. Gordon
Dr. Anthony J. Gordon is a Doctor of Acupuncture licensed in New York and board certified. He holds ASE certification in intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling, along with advanced certifications in Functional Dry Needling and Neuro-Functional Acupuncture. With more than 18 years of clinical experience and over 3,000 complex cases treated, he focuses on pelvic, spinal and orthopedic conditions that have not responded to standard care, and works closely with each patient's physicians and physical therapists.
Read Dr. Gordon's full bioFurther Reading
Pain During Sex: Why the Pelvic Floor Is Often Part of the Story
From the blog: Painful sex needs a medical check first. Once infection, skin and hormonal causes are ruled out, guarding pelvic floor muscles are often part of the pain.
Book an Evaluation for Pain During Intercourse
Book a full evaluation with Dr. Gordon. Care moves at your pace, and every step is explained first.
Early morning, evening and weekend appointments available. Free on-site parking.
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