Vaginal Relaxation

　　一般说来，造成阴道壁松弛的原因是先天性构造松弛、女性流产或分娩之后，阴道经过扩张而肌肉弹性减弱，长期慢性腹部高压造成的脱垂如长期提重物或慢性咳嗽等。

　　1、中国外医学院专家研究指出：阴道的弹性是由“弹性纤维”决定的。阴道松弛症患者“弹性纤维”断裂、使阴道弹力纤维网破损，是导致阴道松弛的最主要原因。

　　“弹性纤维”像“弹簧”一样支撑着“阴道弹力网”，像“水库”堤坝一样锁住水分。阴道的弹性、水润、光滑都取决于阴道细胞中的弹性纤维，它是女人的“紧窄元素”。当你成为女人后，阴道壁发生撕裂性或经常的剧烈性运动，在性交、分娩、过频性生活、人流、药流中，阴道弹性纤维被一次次“拉伤”，“阴道弹力网”发生断裂，阴道被撑大后无力回缩，出现“阴道松弛”——阴道无力“紧握”阴茎、性快感和性高潮丧失，性冷淡、阴吹，阴道不能锁水而干涩，松弛的阴道让病菌毒素残留，引发阴道炎、宫颈炎、宫颈糜烂，甚至上行感染至子宫内膜炎、附件炎等难以治愈的妇科疾病。

　　2、妊娠和分娩，分娩的时候由于胎头进入骨盆，压迫了盆底的肌肉和筋膜以及相关的支持结构，以及支持子宫各个韧带也受到了非常大的牵拉，特别是在产程进展缓慢、不顺利的情况下，由于胎头长时间的压迫，加上产钳或者胎头吸引器的助产等等，往往造成了盆底的肌肉和筋膜的撕裂，相关支持的韧带变得松弛。而对于自然分娩的妈妈，因为胎儿是经过阴道娩出，一般出生的婴儿头部的直径约有10厘米，即分娩时阴道要扩张到10厘米（正常阴道直径为2.5厘米），经过出生孩子的挤压，阴道扩张明显，肌肉和处女膜痕受到彻底破坏，弹性明显下降。但尽管从阴道分娩胎儿的妈妈阴道发生了变化，会出现不同程度的阴道松弛现象。但并不代表自然分娩就是导致阴道松弛的罪魁祸首，因为妈妈在临产时盆腔的肌肉和韧带都会充分延伸，为宝宝的出生做好产道准备。所以即使进行剖宫产的妈妈，其阴道也会有松弛现象。

　　4. People who have chronic diseases for a long time, are physically weak, and thin, their muscles, fascia, and ligaments are also loose, which further aggravates vaginal relaxation.

　　3. As people age, women's estrogen levels decrease, causing muscles, fascia, ligaments, and related supporting structures to degenerate, reducing muscle tension, thinning fascia, and at the same time, the vaginal mucosa appears to atrophy, which further aggravates vaginal relaxation.

　　Complications after vaginal relaxation surgery:

　　1. Infection

　　Causes: There are many reasons for postoperative infection, such as insufficient preoperative preparation, contamination of stools before and after surgery; not changing the dressing in time; postoperative cold, fever, decreased resistance, and failure to use antibiotics reasonably.

　　Countermeasures: If the patient's body temperature remains above 38℃ three days after surgery, and the patient feels the wound jumping pain, and the vaginal discharge has an unpleasant odor, it should be treated with high attention. Change the perineal dressing in time, clean the wound area, and perform local bacterial culture and drug sensitivity test.

　　2. Abdominal bloating

　　Causes: Due to prolonged bed rest and the use of medications to control bowel movements after surgery, which slows down intestinal peristalsis, or due to the intake of a large amount of gas while tolerating wound pain.

　　Countermeasures: Painkillers should be administered promptly after surgery, and patients are advised to eat less fermented and gas-producing foods, such as milk powder, milk, and sugar, especially before the patient has passed gas through the anus.

　　3. Bleeding

　　Causes: Incomplete hemostasis during vaginal reconstruction, rough dressing change after surgery, and clumsy touching of the vaginal wound area.

　　Countermeasures: Change the dressing in time when bleeding is found, and report to the doctor for treatment. Because bleeding can cause hematoma, which may affect the survival of the reconstructed vaginal mucosal tissue and is prone to infection. Mild bleeding in patients with vaginal relaxation can be relieved after pressing to stop the bleeding.

　　4. Wound opening

　　Causes: Excessive tissue excision leads to excessive wound tension, poor wound edge approximation, early intense activity, constipation and wound infection after surgery for vaginal relaxation, and other factors.

　　Countermeasures: Re-suture immediately, strengthen anti-infection treatment, and rest in bed.

　　5. Damage to surrounding organs

　　Causes: Poor understanding of anatomical layers by the surgeon, rough surgical manipulation, excessive tissue clamping, and deep suturing, which may lead to bladder, rectal, or urethral injury.

　　Countermeasures: If damage is found during surgery, repair surgery should be performed immediately. For those who discover the condition after a period of time following the surgery for vaginal relaxation, scheduled repair should be arranged.

　　6. Narrow vagina

　　Causes: Inappropriate surgical design, excessive excision of mucosal area, or contraction of the wound after infection.

　　Countermeasures: Experts in treating vaginal relaxation suggest using vaginal dilators for mild cases and performing relaxation surgery or skin grafting for severe cases.

　　Some women may experience a series of problems such as vaginal relaxation, uterine prolapse, and reproductive system infections after childbirth. Moreover, these issues often occur simultaneously. Therefore, when treating vaginal relaxation, it is best to choose a vaginal tightening product that can also be used to treat uterine prolapse and reproductive system infections.

　　The occurrence of uterine prolapse is related to factors such as straining during delivery, qi deficiency and downward sinking, irregular sexual activity, downward flow of damp-heat, etc. Clinically, the occurrence of this disease is mainly due to spleen deficiency and qi weakness, and kidney qi deficiency as the main etiology; if overwork, constipation, straining during childbirth, downward flow of damp-heat, etc., all belong to predisposing factors.

　　Therefore, if there is no constitution of deficiency in the spleen and kidney qi, then even with the above factors, it will not lead to the onset of the disease.

　　For the treatment of this disease, attention is paid to both the spleen and kidney. Because the spleen is responsible for ascending and lifting, and also for the muscles, deficiency of the spleen qi leads to the inability to lift, loss of control, and malnourishment of the muscles, losing the power to tie the uterus; the kidney is the root of the Chong and Ren channels, and deficiency of the kidney leads to the insufficient strength of the Chong and Ren channels, the belt channel loses its restriction, the lower part loses its power, and cannot support the uterus. When encountering other factors, it can lead to uterine prolapse. This is consistent with the theory of Western medicine that pelvic floor muscle relaxation and weakened support of the uterine ligaments are prone to uterine prolapse.

　　For those with clinical symptoms of spleen deficiency, it is advisable to invigorate the body and elevate the deficiency, complement the kidney, and use the Modified Bu Zhong Yi Qi Decoction; for those with kidney deficiency as the main symptom, it is advisable to warm the yang and reinforce the kidney, complement the qi and blood, and use the Modified Da Bu Yuan Decoction; if caused by downward flow of damp-heat, it is also advisable to complement the spleen and kidney, and at the same time, clear and relieve damp-heat. In summary, this disease should focus on deficiency and complementation to enhance the physique and strengthen the supporting role of the pelvic floor tissues as the principle.

　　Therefore, if there is vaginal tightening after childbirth and the patient also has symptoms of uterine prolapse, it is recommended to assist with traditional Chinese medicine decoction while tightening the vagina.

　　1. Exercise Therapy

　　1. Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise

　　It is helpful to exercise the contraction strength of the vaginal, anal sphincter, and pelvic floor muscles. It is recommended to do two to three times a day after childbirth, with each session lasting for 15 minutes. Specific method: take a deep breath, tighten the anus for 10 to 15 seconds, then take a deep breath out, relax the anus, and repeat.

　　2. Supine Exercise

　　(1) Lie on the edge of the bed, with the buttocks on the edge and the legs straight out and suspended in the air, not touching the ground. Hold the edge of the bed with both hands to prevent sliding down. Bring the legs together and slowly lift them upwards towards the body, keeping the knees straight. When the legs are lifted above the body, support the legs with both hands to bring them towards the abdomen, keeping the knees straight. Then, slowly lower the legs to their original position.

　　(2) Lie on the bed, gently insert a finger into the vagina, and try to relax your body as much as possible at this time. Then actively contract the muscles to tightly hold the finger. Inhale while contracting the muscles, and you will feel the wrapping force of the muscles around the finger. When relaxing the muscles, exhale, and repeat several times. Each muscle contraction should last for 3 seconds, followed by relaxation for 3 seconds. Now you can take out your finger and continue to practice relaxing and contracting the muscles. Focus on feeling the contraction and relaxation of the muscles. Gradually increase from 5 seconds of muscle contraction to 10 seconds, which may take several weeks to achieve. To practice Kegel exercises, it is recommended to continue for at least 6 weeks. During the practice, if you can contract and relax freely, you can practice rapid transitions from contraction to relaxation, achieving one contraction and relaxation per second.

　　(3) In addition, practicing the outward and downward push of vaginal muscles also has a certain significance. When starting to practice, you can lie on the bed, relax your body, and focus on the action of anal contraction. It is especially important to note that the legs, buttocks, and abdominal muscles should not be exerted; after feeling the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, focus the contraction on the vagina and urethra, and continuously repeat the frequency of contraction and relaxation. Do the pelvic floor muscle exercise 1 to 2 times a day, each time for 10 minutes. After about 6 to 8 weeks of continuous practice, not only will the vaginal muscles present a more tense state, but the sensitivity of the vagina will also be improved. After becoming proficient, you can do this exercise at any time and place, whether sitting, standing, or lying down.

　　2. Self-treatment methods

　　1. 'Retract anus and lift Qi' method

　　How should women with vaginal relaxation practice pelvic floor muscle exercises? The traditional Chinese health preservation practice of 'retracting anus and lifting Qi' can effectively exercise the pelvic floor muscles. The method is: every morning and evening in a place with fresh air, after taking a deep breath, hold your breath. At the same time, as if holding in urine, contract the anus, repeat this 100 times or more. After getting used to it, you can do this exercise in your daily life whenever you have time, not depending on the number of times, but on when you have time to do the exercise. After a certain period of training, the tension of the pelvic floor muscles will be greatly improved, the muscles around the vagina will become full and strong, and vaginal relaxation can be cured without medicine.

　　2. 'Urination interruption' method

　　Foreign 'urination interruption' training can also improve the muscle tension around the vagina. The method is: during urination, perform urination interruption exercises, hold urine halfway and stop urination, wait for a while and then continue urinating. Repeat this process. After a period of exercise, the muscle tension around the vagina increases, and the vagina becomes narrower.

　　3. Walking training method

　　By the way, ancient Chinese women with 'small feet' and those walking with a 'water snake step' or what is known as 'Marilyn Monroe' or 'cat step' gait, since they need to tense the muscles on the inner side of the big foot and perineum while walking, their muscles are often exercised, and they are often easy to get satisfactory experiences in sexual life.

　　The relationship between the female vulva structure and sexual life, a recent special report concludes that the female vulva structure has little to do with female sexual function, which is mainly determined by psychological factors rather than physiological structure.

　　The issue of whether a woman's vagina can match a man's penis is also a concern for many unmarried women. Normally, a woman's vagina is 7-12 centimeters long and can accommodate two fingers. The vaginal wall has many transverse folds, with great extensibility and elasticity. When excited, the depth of the vagina increases by one-third, and the width also increases, so it is generally not a problem of organ mismatch. We often see tall husbands with petite, graceful wives, and their sexual life is also harmonious; people of many different races can also marry and give birth; a fetus's head with a diameter of ten centimeters can also pass through the vagina during childbirth, all of which make us imagine the great capacity of the female vagina, so there is no need to worry about this. The pain that women experience on their wedding night is mostly due to psychological tension, lack of experience, and other factors, and is generally not directly related to the organs themselves.

　　Eating foods rich in vitamins is important for preventing vaginal relaxation and maintaining the delicacy and moisture of vaginal muscles. For example, vitamin E plays an important role in vaginal anti-aging because it can destroy the chemical activity of free radicals, thereby inhibiting aging and maintaining the elasticity of vaginal muscles. Foods rich in vitamin E include cabbage, sunflower seed oil, rapeseed oil, etc. Similarly, vitamin A and B2 are also essential substances for smooth, delicate, and elastic skin. Foods rich in vitamin A include animal liver, cod liver oil, milk, butter, eggs, and orange-colored vegetables and fruits; foods rich in vitamin B2 include liver, kidney, heart, eggs, and milk.

　　Currently, there are many drugs on the Chinese market for treating vaginal relaxation, which are generally divided into two categories: drug-induced vaginal tightening, some external vaginal tightening products have appeared on the market, which work by placing the drug inside the vagina to repair elastic fibers, causing the contraction of vaginal tissue, especially those with quick effects and are not easy to rebound. There are also some oral vaginal tightening products, which have a slower effect. At present, Meizhiyin is widely used in clinical practice with good effects.