Vulvodynia is defined as chronic vulvar pain lasting at least 3 months without an identifiable infectious, dermatological, or structural cause. The pain may be burning, stinging, irritation-like, or raw in nature and can be either localised or spreading to deep in pelvis.
Epidemiological studies estimate that it affects approximately 8–16% of women at some point in their lifetime. The exact cause of vulvodynia is multifactorial and often involves overlapping biological, neurological, hormonal, and psychosocial factors.
Management of vulvodynia is multidisciplinary and focuses on symptom control, functional improvement, and addressing contributing factors. Along with medical management and physiotherapy, I offer following interventions tailored to individual need and requirement that can be complimentary to other treatment modalities, aiming towards reducing pain and improvement in quality of life-
- Pudendal nerve blocks
- Local trigger point injections into pelvic floor muscles
- Botulinum toxin injections for refractory pelvic floor spasm
- Neuromodulation techniques (Spinal cord, Dorsal root ganglion Stimulator) in selected chronic cases where all other treatment modality have proven unsuccessful
You can request your GP to arrange a named consultant referral to the Barts neuromodulation service to access these advanced treatment options if they are not available in your area.