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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffMore research is needed, but promising alternatives to traditional therapies for improving sexual satisfaction include these Eastern approaches:
- Mindfulness. This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment. You focus on what you experience during meditation, such as the flow of your breath. You can observe your thoughts and emotions but let them pass without judgment. Some research shows that mindfulness practiced during the course of group therapy improved many aspects of sexual response and reduced personal distress in women with desire and arousal disorders.
- Acupuncture. Acupuncture involves the insertion of extremely thin needles in your skin at strategic points on your body. Traditional Chinese theory explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as qi or chi (chee) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will rebalance. Acupuncture may have positive effects on women with sexual pain disorders. Another possible therapy is acupuncture to improve libido in women with low desire, although this area has yet to be rigorously studied.
- Yoga. During yoga, you perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. Certain subsets of yoga aim to channel the body's sexual energy and improve sexual functioning. Very little data exist on the benefits of yoga on sexual functioning. However, the practice of yoga is associated with improved psychological well-being and overall health.
References
- McVary KT. Sexual dysfunction. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2866618. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Brotto LA, et al. Women's sexual desire and arousal disorders. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2010;7:586.
- Shifren JL, et al. Sexual problems and distress in United States women. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2008;112:970.
- Frank JE, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of female sexual dysfunction. American Family Physician. 2008;77:635.
- Basson R. Women's sexuality and sexual dysfunction. In: Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:742.
- Shifren JL. Sexual dysfunction in women: Epidemiology, risk factors, and evaluation. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Shifren JL. Sexual dysfunction in women: Management. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Basson R, et al. Efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate in women with sexual dysfunction associated with female arousal disorder. Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine. 2002;11:367.
- Nurnberg HG, et al. Sildenafil treatment of women with antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:395.
- Nijland EA, et al. Tibolone and transdermal E2/NETA for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction in naturally menopausal women. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:646.
- Kammerer-Doak D, et al. Female sexual function and dysfunction. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:169.
- Brotto LA, et al. A mindfulness-based group psychoeducational intervention targeting sexual arousal disorder in women. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:1646.
- Brotto LA, et al. Eastern approaches for enhancing women's sexuality: Mindfulness, acupuncture, and yoga. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:2741.
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