Hypnotic Relaxation Therapy Improves The Sex Lives Of Postmenopausal Women, Study Says

Hypnotic relaxation therapy can help the sex lives of postmenopausal women who are experiencing moderate to severe hot flashes, according to a new study.

The findings demonstrate yet another benefit to hypnotic relaxation therapy, shown in other studies to reduce anxiety, relieve stress and help with insomnia. With hypnosis, a person is drawn into a deeply relaxed state, with the suspension of their critical faculties.

For the study, conducted by Baylor University researchers, 187 women were randomly assigned to receive either 5 weekly sessions of hypnotic relaxation therapy or supportive counseling, said lead researcher Aimee Johnson, a doctoral student in psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, in a press release.

Those in the hypnotic relaxation therapy group were hypnotized, and heard suggestions for relaxation, coolness and mental imagery. Those who received counseling talked about their symptoms with a therapist but did not receive hypnosis.

The women were asked to complete questionnaires at the start of the study, at the end of treatment and at a 12-week follow-up. They were asked about everything from their hot flashes to their ability to experience sexual intimacy.

�The most common complaints are being too tired, anxiety, depression, hot flashes and the fear of close contact,� said Dr. Gary Elkins, director of Baylor's Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, in a press release. Because warmth that comes from closeness can trigger a hot flash, some women begin to fear intimacy, he said.

Elkins noted that, as a result of the study, women might have an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, which has a risk of cancer and heart disease.

At the end of treatment, women who had received hypnotic relaxation therapy reported significantly greater sexual satisfaction and pleasure, as well as less discomfort. This improvement also was evident at the 12-week follow-up assessment.

�Women's sexual health improved, whether because of sleeping better, less stress or fewer hot flashes, or perhaps other unknown mechanisms,� Elkins said.

Researchers noted that many factors besides hot flashes can impact postmenopausal sexual health including fatigue, self-esteem and a lack of interest.

For many women -- such as those who have had breast cancer -- hormone replacement therapy is not an option for menopause-related symptoms. Estrogen, for example, has been associated with more rapid growth of breast cancer.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

A previous study, also by Baylor University, found that hypnotic relaxation therapy can reduce hot flashes by 80 percent.

Article was originally published at - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/16/hypnotic-relaxation-therapy_n_3767361.html

Improved Sex for Couples after Menopause: Here's the Secret

According to a recent study published in the journal Menopause, many women and their sex partners suffer needlessly from a lack of sex following menopause. The chief reason behind this lack of sex is due to a condition called �vulvovaginal atrophy� (VVA)--the drying and thinning of vaginal tissue resulting from hormonal changes initiated by menopause. However, before menopause, hormonal changes do just the opposite and make women more sexually receptive.

Vulvovaginal atrophy is a well-studied medical condition that is typically remedied in some cases with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but more often with vaginal lubricants and moisturizers. In some cases women also use a female Viagra pill to increase blood flow to their vaginal tissue. Loss of feelings of intimacy and loss of libido are typically associated with discomfort or pain during sex due to the vulvovaginal atrophy.

However, what is less studied is the emotional and physical impact of vaginal atrophy on postmenopausal women and their male sex partners�a quality of life issue that may adversely affect many marriages as well as feelings of esteem and self-worth.

In the study, researchers commissioned by Novo Nordisk--the maker of a vaginal estrogen products--created a survey titled �Clarifying Vaginal Atrophy's Impact on Sex and Relationships� (CLOSER). The goal of the survey was to gather information from both postmenopausal women and their sex partners about how they personally felt vaginal atrophy affected their sex lives and whether or not they found improvement following the use of a vaginal estrogen treatment.

The study participants consisted of 1,000 married or cohabiting North American postmenopausal women aged 55 to 65 years and 1,000 male partners of postmenopausal women aged 55 to 65 years. The participants completed questionnaires about their sex lives both before and after the female participants underwent vaginal estrogen treatment.

Before Vaginal Estrogen Treatment

For the women what the study showed was that:
� 58% of the women attributed vaginal discomfort to their avoidance of intimacy with their partners.
� 64% reported experiencing a loss of libido.
� 64% reported experiencing pain associated with sex.

For the men what the study showed was that:

� 78% believed that vaginal discomfort caused their partners to avoid intimacy.
� 52% believed that vaginal discomfort accounted for loss of libido
� 59% believed that their partner found sex painful

After Vaginal Estrogen Treatment

� 56% of the female participants who used local estrogen therapy to treat their vaginal discomfort reported less pain, more satisfying sex (41%), and an improved sex life (29%).

� 57% of the male participants reported looking forward to having sex because of their partner's use of local estrogen therapy.

The authors of the study concluded that the use of vaginal estrogen therapy improves the sex lives of postmenopausal women and their male sex partners, and that education and awareness efforts about the symptoms of and available treatments for vaginal atrophy will benefit many couples seeking an improved sex life.

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Reference: �Clarifying Vaginal Atrophy's Impact on Sex and Relationships (CLOSER) survey: emotional and physical impact of vaginal discomfort on North American postmenopausal women and their partners� Menopause Published Ahead-of-Print 3 June, 2013; Simon, James A. MD, CCD, NCMP, FACOG; Nappi, Rossella E. MD, PhD; Kingsberg, Sheryl A. PhD; Maamari, Ricardo MD, NCMP; Brown, Vivien MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP, NCMP.