Vulvodynia is an intense pain in the vulvar region that affects many women around the world. Unfortunately most doctors including gynecologists have no experience with the condition, or are totally unaware of the condition and how to diagnose it let alone how to treat it. As a result, many women go to multiple doctors without getting a correct diagnosis, or finding relief.
The pain or burning associated with vulvodynia can occur at the opening of the vagina known as the vestibule or surrounding lips known as the labia. It is described as an intense almost unbearable pain that is often unrelenting, making intercourse as well as common everyday activities very difficult. In addition to burning, related symptoms include throbbing, rawness, soreness, or stinging.
Vulvodynia affects women of different ages and ethnicities, and even teenagers are not exempt. The pain can often impact quality of life, because it reduces a woman’s ability to take part in routine activities such as sitting at work, or riding a bike as well as intimate sexual activities.
The condition can be diagnosed by the medical history alone on account that visual inspection of the vulva and vagina in women with this condition is invariably normal. This can add to the frustration for women with the condition because they are often told that “nothing looks wrong.”
The location of the pain can be confirmed by a cotton tip applicator test. The evaluating physician point tests each area of anatomy a for provoking effect.
Dr. R. Stuart Fowler of the Fowler Gyn International, who has conducted a lot of research into vaginal disorders, believes that vulvodynia can be successfully diagnosed and treated.
Dr. Fowler uses advanced diagnostic tools to confirm the presence of the condition, and has varying treatment protocols. Testimonials from women that have utilized these treatment procedures indicate that they have helped them gain relief from vulvodynia.