Women who experience severe, inexplicable pain in the vulva region, which is unresponsive to traditional treatment, may be suffering from vulvodynia. Vulvodynia is a condition that is often misdiagnosed, as many primary care physicians and even gynecologists are not very familiar with it. Even the few doctors who specialize in vulvovaginal disorders, even know how to successfully treat vulvodynia.
Symptoms
Vulvodynia is characterized by burning, rawness or stinging that is sometimes intermittent and sometimes constant, but often searing and painful. It may also be accompanied by a lesser degree of itching and irritation. The pain can be localized or generalized. Also stimulation at the level of the urethral meatus may be involved causing a sensation of urinary urgency and frequency which can mimic a bladder infection or interstitial cystitis.
Women often have exacerbation of pain with intercourse, placing/removing tampons, wearing tight jeans, sitting on narrow seats, presence of perspiration on the skin, wiping after urination and even when doing simple activities such as prolonged sitting or exercising.
Why vulvodynia is often missed
This condition was first described in the medical literature in the 1870‘s then virtually no cases retorted for 100 years until it was formally recognized by the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD) in the 1970‘s. The condition has not been formally taught in medical schools and it affects only a small percentage of the population. Women with the condition rarely know of a personal friend who also has the condition. Women experiencing pain and burning that cannot be attributed to any other condition, may have vulvodynia, and should visit a specialist in vulvovaginal disorders.
Use of advanced diagnostic equipment and treatment
At Fowler Gyn International lead by board certified gynecologist, R. Stuart Fowler, M.D., they utilize advanced diagnostic equipment to evaluate vulvodynia. Because of this, they are able to precisely determine associated underlying factors with vulvodynia and prescribe therapy based on those findings. This has lead to treatment protocols that have been used with success by thousands of women. Results will take time, up to 8-12 months in some cases, but many of the women that have opted to participate in the program, confirm that they have found relief after years of pain.