Vulvar Pain Vulvodynia Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine

Dr. Allyson Shrikhande, Chief Medical Officer at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine, discusses vulvodynia, which is chronic vulvar pain that has typically been going on for over six months. Symptoms of vulvodynia include a sensation of throbbing or burning, or some patients say a rawness in the area. Learn more about symptoms, treatments, and vulvodynia and vulvar pain in this video.

At PRM, we focus solely on pelvic pain, and our goal is to understand and connect your symptoms to the nerve and muscle pain and dysfunction that you are experiencing. This helps us determine the treatment which will be most effective for you!

Topics discussed include:

When vulvar pain is considered to be chronic

Symptoms of vulvodynia

Issues that can cause vulvodynia

When and how vulvar pain can occur

How releasing tension and increase blood flow can help with vulvar pain

Dr. Shrikhande is the Chief Medical Officer of Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine. She distilled her global expertise into a minimally invasive, cutting-edge approach to the treatment of pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. With an extensive background in mainstream clinical medicine, she also makes use of many alternatives, holistic and homeopathic approaches. She has published peer-reviewed articles on the treatment of muscle pain in academic journals and works closely with renowned pelvic pain gynecologists and urologists.

At Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine, our pelvic pain specialists provide a functional, rehab approach to pelvic pain. When you visit one of our offices, you spend an hour with your doctor reviewing in detail your medical history and symptoms. Then, we perform an internal exam (no speculum) to evaluate your nerves and muscles. Together, we'll discuss an individual treatment plan that gets to the root cause of your pain and helps you to feel better. The best part: you can begin treatment the same day!

At PRM, our mission is to decrease the time patients are suffering from pelvic pain symptoms.


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Transcript:

Vulvodynia is vulvar pain. For vulvodynia to be labeled chronic, it has to be going on for over six months. Symptoms of vulvodynia include a sensation of throbbing or burning, or some patients say a rawness in the area, that can be heightened with intercourse specifically, or for some patients it's heightened with prolonged sitting. There could be an underlying hormonal imbalance that leads to vulvodynia. There could be an allergic reaction, it could be secondary to pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, there also could be a potential injury or damage to a nerve that innervates the vulva area. An additional cause of vulvodynia could be recurrent vaginal infections.

Vulvodynia can either be constant or intermittent. It can be described as provoked or unprovoked. Provoked meaning when you touch the area there's pain, but if you're not touching the area there is not pain. Vulvodynia can be generalized where the entire vulvar hurts a patient, or it could be localized to a specific area in the vulva. So the pelvic floor musculature, which is a sling of muscles, can have trigger points just like any other muscle in the body. It can benefit from a release of the trigger point. Sometimes it's myofascial release from a physical therapist and sometimes it can be from a trigger point injection performed by a physician, where you would like to break up the trigger point and release the tension, ultimately increasing blood flow to the area. And blood flow is healing and provides oxygenation and will overall make the muscles feel better.

[yadira]

I’ve had this for 3 years now. I can’t do anything or the pain gets worst. I only find relief when I lay down or use cold water. The worst part is that even my gynecologist said she couldn’t help me. And because she couldn’t find out whats wrong she said it was all in my head. 😢
Reading the comments makes me sad to find out that many women suffer from this condition and even more sad that teenage girls have it too. It breaks my heart.

[daniwnz]

THIS IS WHAT HELPED MY VULVODYNIA:
I've had the same Problem for a few months now. After doing a lot of research, I found pelvic floor release stretch videos on YouTube. After stretching twice a day and really focusing in relaxation downwards for two weeks, the pain is almost gone!!! Sex is finaly possible and the pain on the toilet went away!! What I didn't know is that my Vulvodynia was caused by a constant contracted pelvic floor (caused by stress/anxienty). You need to stretch your muscles and massage your trigger points (hurtful inflammed spots on the area of your vagina, butt, legs and anus caused by the constant contraction of your pelvic floor) a few times a day. Try it out, but be patient with your body. For me, the stretches were absolutely life changing!!

[michaelsalinas]

I was looking for the band, but glad to be educated!

[PinkiandCamslife]

Best explanation yet on this invasion on my body

[wethunyoni]

Please pray for yourselves. Prayer is the best tool to break any illness or pain in your body. Just believe with all your heart that God will heal you and it will be granted to you.

[mizedmm]

I think my mom has this. She says she feels like her vagina is on fire. She cant sit, stand for long. Shes just miserable. Crying for days because everything they give her does not work! Why im doing my own research. I stumbled across this and I am 100% convinced this is what she has. Its been years but the last few months have just been unbearable for her. All she does is cry and rocks and obviously beyond frustrated bc there seems to be no cure! I cant wait to show her and her doctor this! I think i may have found the soloution! Thanks! Ill be forwarding this to my mom

[AK-tilk]

i'm glad i found this, i was trying to figure our why its happening. guess i've been sitting way too much!

[aslater]

I cured mine by avoiding oxalates. It all started when I went on antibiotics. They got rid of my UTI but then I still had issues. Little did I know the antibiotics wiped out oxalate-digesting bacteria in my digestive tract as well. Without those bacteria, oxalate crystals can form in your blood and tissues, causing pain. I’m getting better now by avoiding high-oxalate foods, taking probiotics, and taking potassium citrate and lots of dairy, which binds with oxalates.

[cheesy]

God, I thought I was the only one. I'm glad I'm not alone.

[vilailor]

Sometimes I walk or run I get a stabbing pain in one side.

[eclecticmisfit]

I've been in pain for a few months

[iluuvash]

-I’ve been diagnosed with staph infection & BV. Im starting to get stabbing pains inside the middle of my vagina . But before that when the pandemic started due to prolong sitting & doing my homework & studying I’ve developed this pain . It feels like a ball is in the middle of my vagina hanging out & I can’t really sit normally. Today I just experience the pain from 4xs in a year (different months)

[sastra-ns]

Last time I had this for 3 years I get this first Vulvodynia at my age of 6 When I started puberty But it go away when I'm 9 and I don't use any treatments I also don't tell my family about it I think I experience this 3 or 5 times.

[cohleensfavoritecartoons..]

Mine is like throbbing pain on just the Right side of labia majora, I thought its because my underwear is maybe just tight, but even I changed for a more comfortable one still happening, pain comes and goes, but Im starting to get really worried.

[Okaykaykay]

Mines hurt too very bad and I’m very scared like I can’t breathe when I think about it

[I_Am_AK]

thanks habibi i didnt know it could be caused by my allergies too i was worry ight den time to get this 😽 checked out ✨✨✨☺️

[everleighangelo]

Today I went to toilet at 11AM fine, I walked around the house for bit then I sat down couple minutes later I get these very big virginal pain, right now I’m laying down the pain is going but slowly.. but it comes back again every couple of minutes, my doctors ain’t open until Thursday and I don’t know what to do. I’m 20 years old with big anxiety. I’m scared.

[alt]

After months of the TVT
SURGERY
I still have pain while urinating. The whole area hurts

[mushmock]

My labia majora is in pain after i walked fast after that i cant walk anymore. It felt like someone kicked or punched me on my nether region. Idk whats going on. There is no inflammation nor redness it just feel sore like muscle pain or something. Someone have experience like me?

[Okaykaykay]

Mines hurt bad when I sit or lay down atp I don’t know what to do anymore