A treatment traditionally used for overactive bladder has markedly improved the sex life of women in difficulty on this level. Explanations.
Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) affects 40-45% of women, especially as they age. Although clinicians try to help them by prescribing sildenafil (better known as Viagra), hormones or flibanserin, these medications are not always effective and may have unwanted side effects.
To find better solutions, researchers have tested neuromodulation treatment, traditionally used for overactive bladder, a disorder characterized by the occurrence of a sudden, irrepressible urge to urinate. “In this particular treatment, the patient receives nerve stimulation therapy once a week to improve neural signaling and the functioning of the muscles that control the bladder,” says Tim Bruns, a professor at the University of Michigan and director of the study. “The nerves that control the pelvic organs start at the same place in the spinal cord and branch out,” he says.
15 to 30 minutes of electrodes
Female sexual dysfunctions are defined as orgasmic dysfunctions, dysfunctions related to sexual interest and sexual arousal, genito-pelvic pain and penetration dysfunction.
In a first study on rats, published last year, Tim Bruns’ team stimulated the animals’ nerves located in the genital area and around the ankle. After 15 to 30 minutes of electrodes, a large increase in vaginal blood flow was observed in rodents.
12 sessions
Then, working with obstetrician-gynecologist Mitchell Berger and urologist surgeon Priyanka Gupta, the researchers recruited nine women with sexual dysfunction (without bladder problems). Each woman underwent 12 half-hour sessions of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, during which the participants had electrodes placed either in the genital area or on the ankle. “A strange sensation of vibration under pressure”, describes one of the patients. “But after a few minutes you get used to it. Then you sit quietly for 30 minutes. I even brought a book during my sessions.”
Surprise: the results turned out to be very promising. Eight of the nine women treated reported having better arousal, better lubrication and achievingOrgasm easier. “This study presents an alternative method to treat female sexual dysfunction that is non-pharmacological and non-invasive. Through studies like this, we can better understand female sexual arousal and offer treatments for a disorder that has very little drug options,” says Priyanka Gupta.
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