Health-related quality of life refers to how a person feels in their daily life. It includes the body, the mind, emotions, daily activities, and relationships with other people. All of this depends on how each person perceives their own health. One of these problems is dyspareunia, which is pain during vaginal penetration. This condition affects many women worldwide, between 3% and 18% of the population. In Portugal, sexual dysfunctions may affect up to 70% of women. Dyspareunia is more common after vaginal childbirth that causes injuries to the intimate area. Many women feel embarrassed or afraid to talk about their sexual health. Because of this, they avoid discussing these issues with doctors and other health professionals. This difficulty in talking about the problem can cause the pain to continue and may also lead to anxiety and depression. Some habits and factors also increase the risk of these problems, such as lack of physical activity, poor sleep quality, sexual abuse, type of childbirth, and obesity. In the case of superficial dyspareunia, the pain may be related to tense muscles in the pelvic floor, which supports organs such as the bladder and the uterus. Although dyspareunia is a common problem, more studies are needed to identify the most effective treatments. One treatment option is fascial manipulation, a manual therapy technique used to treat muscle pain. Another technique is perineal massage, which is applied to the intimate area. So far, there are no studies that examine the effect of combining fascial manipulation with perineal massage for this type of pain. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess whether the combined use of fascial manipulation and perineal massage provides more benefits than perineal massage alone in women with superficial dyspareunia. The study will be conducted with Portuguese women receiving care at the GuimarĂ£es Health Center and at the Hospital of GuimarĂ£es. Research methods combining numerical data and participants' personal reports will be used. To evaluate the results, questionnaires will be used to measure sexual function, pain, emotional well-being (such as anxiety, depression, and stress), as well as physical activity levels and sleep quality. The participants will be divided into two groups: Group 1: will receive both treatments combined (fascial manipulation and perineal massage). Group 2: will receive only perineal massage. The treatments will take place once a week for five weeks. Evaluations will be carried out before the start of treatment, in the 6th week, and in the 12th week. In addition to the questionnaires, some women will take part in interviews, where they can describe how they felt during the treatment. This will help to better understand their experiences and the effects of the therapies.
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To assess and compare the sexual functionality of the participants.
Timeframe: All scales will be applied before starting treatment, and six and twelve weeks after the start of treatment.
To assess and compare psychological risk factors such as anxiety among the participants
Timeframe: It will be applied before the start of treatment and 6 and 12 weeks after the start of treatment.
Assess and compare pain perception of the participants.
Timeframe: It will be applied before the start of treatment and 6 and 12 weeks after the start of treatment.
To study and compare the physical activity levels of the participants.
Timeframe: It will be applied before the start of treatment and 6 and 12 weeks after the start of treatment.
To investigate and compare the sleep quality of the participants
Timeframe: It will be applied before the start of treatment and 6 and 12 weeks after the start of treatment.
To assess and compare the participants´ perception of pain.
Timeframe: This scale will be applied before the start of the intervention and 6 and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention.
Assess and compare psychological risk factors, such as depression, among the participants.
Timeframe: before the intervention, and at 6 and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention
Assess and compare psychological risk factors, such as stress, among the participants.
Timeframe: before the intervention, and at 6 and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention