Awareness And Knowledge Among Physical Therapists and Doctors About the Role of Physical Therapy in Vaginismus: An Observational Study

Background: Vaginismus is a common female sexual disorder that requires multidisciplinary management, with effective collaboration among team members who understand the contribution of each discipline. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of physical therapists, gynecologists, and psychiatrists regarding the role of physical therapy in managing vaginismus. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 404 clinicians (256 physical therapists, 148 physicians) from various health institutes in Cairo Governorate. Participants completed the Vaginismus Awareness Questionnaire (VAQ), a validated tool assessing awareness and knowledge of physical therapy in vaginismus, distributed both in person and via online platforms. Results: Awareness of the role of physical therapy in vaginismus was fair among physicians (mean 4/6) and excellent among physical therapists (6/6). Knowledge of specific physiotherapy modalities was lower, with physicians showing poor knowledge (3/8) and physical therapists showed fair knowledge (4/8). Although most respondents agreed that physiotherapy is an essential component of multidisciplinary care, referral scores were low (1/3) and barrier-related scores (low access 1/4, high barriers 3/4) indicated weak referral pathways and substantial obstacles to patients receiving physiotherapy. Conclusion: Despite reasonable overall awareness, inadequate physician knowledge of physiotherapy modalities and weak referral systems substantially limited women’s access to physiotherapy for vaginismus, underscoring the need for targeted educational and system-level interventions.