What is Vulvodynia?
Vulvodynia is the term for pelvic pain experienced as a raw or possibly burning, scratching, itching sensation in your vulva without a specific cause. It can impact personal relationships, especially if sex is a trigger for the symptoms. The pain can be constant = unprovoked vulvodynia or only with touch = provoked vulvodynia.
We can help to manage or fix your vulvodynia along with the rest of your healthcare team which may involve your GP, psychologist, gynaecologist, pain specialist and sexual therapist.
Signs and symptoms?
- Do you experience a burning, stinging, scratching or itching pain in your vulva?
- Is the pain in your vagina feel like sandpaper or a raw or tearing type of pain?
- Are your vulval symptoms present all the time? = unprovoked vulvodynia
- Are your vulval symptoms pain only present with touch or intimacy? = provoked vulvodynia
- Are your vulva symptoms aggravated by heat, touch pressure, possibly stress and sustained sitting.
Contributing factors of Vulvodynia?
There is a wide range of triggers that can cause the vulval tissue to become extra-sensitive and provoke vulval pain with common ones being:
- an infection or skin condition such as thrush or a urinary tract infection,
- an acute episode of trauma to the local tissue around the vulva; such as childbirth, insertion of a tampon or painful sex
- the pain may also seem to come out of the blue with no clear cause
It is important to remember that this type of chronic pain does not necessarily mean there is an active infection it may just be that the nerves are on high alert and extra-sensitive
How can we help?
Physiotherapy for vulvodynia?
Treatment for vulvodynia requires a holistic team approach and will usually incorporate your GP, gynaecologist and physiotherapist working together. Physiotherapist treatment may include:
- Touch Desensitisation
- The use of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) machines for nerve management
- Advice on lubricants or moisturisers
- Pelvic floor relaxation techniques, massage, dry needling and exercises
- Vaginal dilators and or vibrators
Other Pelvic Pain conditions
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