Lifestyle and Selected Issues Related to Sexual Health - The Importance of Specialist Care in Balneology, Dietetics, and Physiotherapy

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by awa

Sexual health is shaped by lifestyle factors alongside biomedical determinants. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on physiotherapy, balneology/peloidotherapy, and diet therapy as preventive and therapeutic adjuncts for female sexual dysfunctions and related gynaecological conditions. Reviewers searched PubMed and Google Scholar (June–July 2025) using predefined English and Polish keywords; 47 studies met inclusion criteria after exclusions. Results link pelvic floor training, manual therapy, neuromuscular stimulation, and radiofrequency with improved pain and urinary symptoms, while balneological and dietary measures support analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and endocrine–metabolic benefits. Broader clinical trials are needed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background/Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Introduction

Sexual health as a multidimensional concept

Review Lifestyle and Selected Issues Related to Sexual Health: The Importance of Specialist Care in Balneology, Dietetics, and Physiotherapy Agata Puszcz 1, *, Paulina Kozłowska 1, Justyna Wójcik 1, Anna Morawska 1, Małgorzata Wójcik 2, Katarzyna Plagens-Rotman 3, Monika Englert-Golon 4, Jakub Mroczyk 3, Małgorzata Mizgier 5, Ewa Jakubek 6,7, Magdalena Pisarska-Krawczyk 8, Stefan Sajdak 3, Klaudyna Madziar 3, Witold K˛edzia 3 and Grayna Jarza˛bek-Bielecka 3 Academic Editor: AngelL. Montejo Received: 12 November 2025 Revised: 17 December 2025 Accepted: 24 December 2025 Published: 31 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Sexology and Clinical Psychology Student Research Group, Pozna ´n University of Medical Sciences, 70 Bukowska Street, 60-812 Pozna ´n, Poland; [86056@student.ump.edu.pl](86056@student.ump.edu.pl) (P.K.); [83469@student.ump.edu.pl](83469@student.ump.edu.pl) (J.W.); [85772@student.ump.edu.pl](85772@student.ump.edu.pl) (A.M.) 2 Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physical Culture in Gorzow Wielkopolski, Pozna ´n University of Physical Education, 13 Ewaryst Estkowski Street, 66-400 Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland; [malgo_wojcik@interia.pl](malgo_wojcik@interia.pl) 3 Clinic of Gynecology, Pozna ´n University of Medical Sciences, 33 Polna Street, 60-535 Pozna ´n, Poland; [kpr.pielegniarstwopolskie@interia.eu](kpr.pielegniarstwopolskie@interia.eu) (K.P.-R.); [jakub.mroczyk@gmail.com](jakub.mroczyk@gmail.com) (J.M.); [ssajdak@ump.edu.pl](ssajdak@ump.edu.pl) (S.S.); [klaudyna.madziar@gmail.com](klaudyna.madziar@gmail.com) (K.M.); [witold.kedzia@ump.edu.pl](witold.kedzia@ump.edu.pl) (W.K.); [grajarz@tlen.pl](grajarz@tlen.pl) (G.J.-B.) 4 Division of Gynaecological Oncology, Department of Gynaecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33, 60-535 Pozna ´n, Poland; [mgolon@ump.edu.pl](mgolon@ump.edu.pl) 5 Department of Sports Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pozna ´n University of Physical Education, 27/39 Queen Jadwiga Street, 61-871 Pozna ´n, Poland; [mizgier@awf.poznan.pl](mizgier@awf.poznan.pl) 6 Faculty of Health Sciences, Pozna ´n University of Medical Sciences, 70 Bukowska Street, 60-812 Pozna ´n, Poland; [ejakubek.x@gmail.com](ejakubek.x@gmail.com) 7 Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Calisia University, 62-800 Kalisz, Poland 8 Nursing Department, Calisia University, 62-800 Kalisz, Poland; [magmp@op.pl](magmp@op.pl) * Correspondence: [agata.puszcz@yahoo.com](agata.puszcz@yahoo.com); Tel.: +48-795-499-764 Abstract Background/Objectives: Sexual health is shaped by lifestyle factors alongside biomedical determinants. This review synthesises evidence on physiotherapy, balneology/peloidotherapy, and diet therapy as preventive and therapeutic adjuncts for female sexual dysfunctionsand related gynaecological conditions. Methods: A structured narrative review of PubMed and Google Scholar (June–July 2025) was conducted by three independent reviewers using predefined keywords in English and Polish. Case reports, preprints, and studies before 2015 were excluded. From 7322 records, 47 studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis. Results: Physiotherapy—particularly pelvic floor muscle training, multimodal manual therapy, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (including PTNS), magnetostimulation, short-wave diathermy, and capacitive–resistive monopolar radiofrequency—was consistently associated with reductions in dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and urinary symptoms, with parallel improvements in sexual function and quality of life. Balneological procedures (brine baths/irrigations, crenotherapy, selected radon/sulphide/iodine–bromine applications) and peloidotherapy demonstrated analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and perfusion-e

FAQs

What does the review focus on regarding female sexual dysfunctions?

It focuses on lifestyle–medicine adjuncts for female sexual dysfunctions, specifically physiotherapy, balneology/peloidotherapy, and diet therapy, and their links to related gynaecological conditions.

Which physiotherapy modalities were associated with beneficial outcomes?

The review highlights pelvic floor muscle training, multimodal manual therapy, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (including PTNS), magnetostimulation, short-wave diathermy, and capacitive–resistive monopolar radiofrequency, associated with reductions in dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain plus improvements in sexual function and quality of life.

What dietary and balneological approaches showed positive signals?

Higher fruit intake (especially citrus), adequate vitamin D, targeted omega-3 use in PCOS, a Mediterranean dietary pattern, and prudent red-meat limitation were associated with favorable endocrine–metabolic profiles. Balneological procedures and peloidotherapy showed analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and perfusion-enhancing effects with signals of benefit in conditions such as vulvodynia and endometriosis.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by awa