New Hope for Vulvar Pain
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TUESDAY, July 8 (HealthDayNews) -- There's a promising new treatment for women who suffer with the sometimes devatating V zone problem known as vulvar vestibulitis.
In studies published in the July issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, doctors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found an ointment laced with 5 percent lidocaine -- a pain relief medication similar to what is used for dental work -- is effective in reducing V zone pain by a significant margin.
Vulvar vestibulitis can cause intense and sometimes unrelenting vulvar pain. It frequently occurs in conjunction with intimate relations, but it can also be triggered by something as simple as a pair of tight jeans, riding a bicycle or even sitting on a hard chair.
In the past, women were often told the problem was "all in their head" -- and it wasn't. In fact, it wasn't until 1987 that the clinical diagnosis of vulvar vestibulitis was entered into the official physician's diagnostic manual as a definitive disorder.
At the start of the study, researchers used a scientific response scale to assess and record the women's vulvar pain threshold. The women then embarked on a seven-week treatment phase, during which they applied a topical dose of an ointment containing 5 percent lidocaine each night. After seven weeks, the women were re-evaluated using the scientific pain scale.
The result: 76 percent reported they were able to have intimate relations compared to just 36 percent before treatment. Plus, discomfort related to intercourse decreased some 39.11 points on the pain scale.
While doctors consider the treatment a success, they caution that women least likely to benefit are those with interstitial cystitis (a urinary related condition) or other vulvar conditions.
More information
To learn more about vulvar vestibulitis, visit The University of Iowa Health Care.
-- Colette Bouchez
SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology, news release, July 2003
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