Vulvar Vestibulitis
What is Vulvar Vestibulitis?
Vulvar vestibulitis is a component of dysesthetic vulvodynia, a complex condition that requires careful assessment and individualized management. However, despite its complexity, there is a cure — it requires finding the right clinician who will be patient enough and knowledgeable enough to spend the time it may take to get to the root of the problem and offer the treatment/intervention that will work best.
The explanation: a vestibule is “an entrance to,” such as the entrance to your house, or in medical terms, it may be the entrance to the ear (auricular vestibule), the mouth (oral vestibule), the nose (nasal vestibule), etc. The vulvar vestibule is that area of the female vulva (genitals) that is within the inner lips (labia minora) where the entrance to the urethra (the tube that leads to the bladder) and the vagina can be found.
Definition of Vulvar Vestibulitis
Vulvar vestibulitis is defined as abnormal (dysesthesia) sensation in the vulvar vestibule. That sensation may be characterized as any or all of the following:
Tenderness
The sensation of burning, “hot”, stinging, rawness, swelling, itching, dryness
A sensation of “being cut at the bottom”
Pain upon contact with clothes, especially tight-fitting
Urinary frequency
Severe pain to touch / attempted vaginal penetration
Diagnosing Vulvar Vestibulitis
The diagnosis is often given when, in reality, the woman has vaginismus. Read Monica’s story.
Learn about our proprietary treatment, the DiRoss Methodologysm
There are many hypotheses as to the cause of this condition, none firmly conclusive. Consequently, there are many avenues of intervention, including topical medications (i.e. cromolyn, lidocaine, estrogen, capsaicin), anti-depressant medication (i.e. amitriptyline, amoxapine, clomipramine, imipramine), cognitive-behavioral therapy, biofeedback, vestibulectomy (surgery), laser surgery, Botox injections, etc.
Our extensive clinical experience suggests that
It is a localized provocation with an associated stress response by the body
The dysesthesia (abnormal sensation) is the result, not the cause
The condition has many potential causes, each requiring careful investigation
The manifestations disrupt the quality of life and lead to emotional crises
Once the cause is identified and intervention is implemented, there should be timely improvements
Prognosis and treatment duration are subjective – each woman will have her own “journey”
We find that the primary causes for vulvar vestibulitis include:
Insufficient hydration
Insufficient lubrication
Emotional stress
Allergy/substance sensitivity
Sexual practice causes
Mechanical, chemical, hormonal, structural, environmental causes
However, not everyone can be helped by addressing these primary causes, supporting the recent hypothesis (the research is ongoing) that there may be physiological factors, such as increased neural density in the vulva and/or immunologic changes that cause the pain and discomfort of vulvar vestibulitis.
Treating Vulvar Vestibulitis
As with vulvodynia, the treatment process must be that of a body-mind approach because both the body and the mind are affected!
Contact us for more information, or to schedule a consultation.