Sexuality
Chronic Body Pain & Sex
7 Tips to Feel Your Best While Having Sex Plus Bonus Recipe for Golden Milk
I personally have had chronic pain for over half of my life and sometimes pain flare ups can make sexual encounters challenging. Pain can also get in the way of confidence and satisfaction. Here is my list of things that have helped me throughout the years.
· The chronic pain that I have is greatly affected by cold weather plus I also get cold very easily. So, I like to keep and assortment of throw blankets on hand, either next to the bed or at the end of the bed. Then if I get cold during sex, I can just grab a blanket.
· I also like to keep an assortment of different size pillows on hand because there are certain positions that are just more comfortable with pillows.
· Another thing that helps me out a lot while I am having sex is frequently changing position, so if something gets uncomfortable or painful change it up, try a different position. Just be sure to let your partner know ahead a time that this will be happening so that they are prepared for it. Also, when you have a new partner it is probably a good idea to let them know that you have chronic pain a head of time and how it may affect things sexually (just casually mentioning...hey, I have chronic pain may not be enough, some more pertinent details may be necessary).
· If you have a bathtub you can prepare a bath for you and your lover before you have sex. Keep some Epsom salts and herbs or essentials oils on hand to put in the bath. I will go into more details about herbs and essential oils below.
· When I first started developing my chronic pain I was in my 20’s I would take baths in juniper berries that I would pulverize and grind up with a mortar and pestle along with Valerian root. You only need a couple of tablespoons of the herb combination. After grinding just tie them up in a small bit of cotton cloth with a string. Toss it into the tub. The juniper berries help with pain and the Valerian root helps to relax the muscles.
· If you don’t want to use herbs, essential oils work well too, juniper is nice combined with lavender which is good for relaxing the senses or with orange. Orange is anti-inflammatory and is also considered an aphrodisiac. Just be sure to add the essential oils to a carrier oil or to some shampoo first before putting it into the bath. Here are some examples of carrier oils: jojoba or almond oil. (1 tablespoon of carrier along with 3 or 4 drops of essential oil will be all you need).
· My final suggestion is to make some golden milk for you and your partner to sip on before you have sex. It contains coconut milk and raw honey which are both libido enhancers plus it is anti-inflammatory from the turmeric, black pepper and coconut milk (so it helps to soothe sore joints and muscles). So along with being good for you it is super delicious also. Here is the bonus recipe:
Serves 2
· 1 cup of organic coconut milk (buy organic full-fat coconut milk in a bpa-free can)
· 1 cup of your favorite plant-based milk or cow’s milk
· 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
· big pinch of freshly ground black pepper
· 1 small (1/4 inch) piece of ginger root (peeled and grated)
· big pinch of ground cardamom
· 1 teaspoon raw honey added off the heat or more to taste
· Sprinkle of cinnamon on top
Method: Whisk/blend all ingredients then warm on the stove. Simmer (do not boil) for a full 15 minutes. You can whisk/blend the ingredients manually by hand or in a high-speed blender for a frothier drink.
These are all the suggestions that I have for right now but if I come up with more along the way I will surely add them to the list. I hope you enjoyed this article and I also hope that some of these ideas will help you get some relief from the aches and pains that you may have during sex.
