Sex can be difficult with RSI. It is quite normal to have a lowered sex-drive if suffering from RSI but it certainly doesn’t have to be the end of your sex life
One of our members suggested that sex helps. She says that while being in pain can cause you to not want to even be touched, taking the step to have sex or even being more intimate can help overcome some of the depression that often follows the development of an injury.
Here are some pointers to keep you sex life going:
- Make sure the room is warm – don’t restrict yourself to the bedroom if another room is warmer
- Communicate with your partner, he/she needs to know what you can and can’t do
- Be creative and experimental, you may not be able to use the positions you used before, so come up with some new ones where you do not have to place any pressure on your arms
- Find other ways to please each other, eg. use feathers or sex toys
- Buy a sex book, these offer tips and advice
- Sit up for foreplay (and sex), this way you maintain better circulation in your hands and arms
- Use your mouth, lips etc instead of your hands
- If you do have sex lying down, lie with your best hand and arm up – that’s the one you tend to use most
- Don’t lie in a position (during sex or sleeping) where the blood circulation is cut off to your arms or hands
- Try letting your natural desires and feelings take over for a while, rather than concentrating on your RSI
If you have not had sex for some time, it may be useful to try some other exercises first to work your way up to it slowly:
- Just touching each other’s bodies, concentrating on relaxation.
- Massage, even if it is too much to massage your partner, ask him/her to massage you, concentrating on relaxation at first and then more sexual feelings when you are ready
- Continue to build on your feelings until you are comfortable enough to take it to the next step. It can take time to feel comfortable enough to have sex again so be patient!
It is important not to rush these steps and to communicate how you are feeling to your partner so that you don’t feel pressured.
While you’re here…
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We’re a really small organisation doing a really big job. We give people with RSI across Australia the info they need to get the right treatments, navigate the worker’s compensation system and better manage daily life.
Every little bit helps – so make a donation here to help us as Australia’s only RSI support organisation.