Vulvodynia

There are many ways to the vulvodynia treatment. However, it depends from patient to patient along with the severity of the case. 

Let’s have a look at treatment options for vulvodynia.

1. Volvodynia Home Remedies

Certain lifestyle modifications can help you in preventing and relieving the symptoms of vulvodynia. These are:

• Use a detergent that is dermatologically approved
• Avoid fabric softener on your panties.
• Use white, soft, and unscented toilet paper 
• Wear underwear that is 100% white cotton
• Use white and 100% cotton tampons and menstrual pads
• Avoid wearing scented soaps, creams, tampons, pads, spermicides, or contraceptive creams
• Avoid pools with a lot of chlorine and hot tubs
• Rinse your vulva with cool water after peeing and having intercourse. 
• Avoid any food that makes your urine more irritating. This includes beans, greens, chocolate, berries, and nuts
• Wear loose-fitting skirts or pants
• Avoid wearing pantyhose
• Remove wet or damp suits as soon as you can
• Keep your vulva dry and clean
• After bathing, you need to gently pat your vulva dry and apply plant-based or vegetable oil to protect it. 

Ease the Pressure

You can also opt for some activities that can help you in easing the pain of your vulva. To get relief from the pain you can:

• Use a lubricant that is water-soluble during intercourse (sex)
• Sit on a doughnut-like foam
• Avoid riding a bicycle or horse as it put pressure directly on the vulva

Get Relieved from Pain

The following steps can help you with the vulvar pain

• Try using a heating pad
• Soak yourself in a lukewarm or cool sitz bath
• Try any relaxing technique
• After intercourse or sex apply a frozen gel pack or ice wrapped in a clean towel on the affected area

Medical Vulvodynia Treatments

The vulvodynia treatment takes time. Finding the right treatment or combination of treatments to help you in relieving pain from vulvar pain involves error and trial. It might also be possible that treatment may not look like working at the start but show positive results at the end. 

Let’s have a look at these treatments

1. Topical Medications

Your doctor would recommend ointments or creams that can help you either stabilize the nerves or numb your vulva. The doctor might also prescribe such topical creams that contain only estrogen or a mixture of both progesterone and estrogen.

2. Oral Medication

Anticonvulsants and antidepressants may also be recommended by the doctor. These are taken orally to relieve nerve pain.

3. Nerve Blocker

The doctor may also recommend a nerve-blocking injection. It would prevent the pain signals from traveling from the nerve to your brain.

4. Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can help your pelvic floor muscles by releasing tension. It can also help in reducing the muscle spasm of the pelvic floor. In vulvodynia the muscle spasm is common. Physical therapy in this case would involve stretching, strengthening, and lengthening the weak muscles of the pelvic floor. 

5. Surgery

Vestibulectomy surgery is also recommended for patients who suffer from localized vulvodynia. This surgery is done in such patients whose condition and pain do not improve with conservative treatment in case of localized vulvodynia. In this treatment, the doctor removed the pain-causing tissue in your vulva. 

6. Counseling

You can also visit a counselor for individual counseling or couple counseling or sexual health therapy. It can help you improve your mental health, especially your sexual relationship with your partner that has been affected by vulvodynia.

Acupuncture can also help in reducing pain due to vulvodynia and improve sexual dysfunction as well. However, more research is needed on this.

In case of any concerning signs and symptoms, you can easily reach out to the best gynecologists via Healthwire.