Get Vulvar Pain Questionnaire

Because the pain of vulvodynia seems to be neuropathic, many medications that have been used effectively in the treatment of other neuropathic disorders have been used in patients with vulvodynia. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) often are used as a first-line therapy.

There is no special test for vulvodynia – only tests to prove the pain is not caused by other conditions. Your doctor will usually do a physical exam and may take and test samples of your vagina and vulva to rule out other irritations like thrush or eczema.

Touch the inner thigh in a few places with a plain Q-tip, using light touch and ask if there is tenderness anywhere. “This is a zero for pain, right?” If touch on the thigh is painful, obtain quantification of the amount of pain or other symptoms, with 10 the worst pain, itching, burning and so forth.

To diagnose vulvodynia,1 a health care provider will take a detailed medical history, including pain characteristics and any accompanying bowel, bladder, or sexual problems. The provider may recommend that a woman have blood drawn to assess levels of estrogen, progesterone, and .

Symptoms of vulvodynia burning, stinging, throbbing or sore. triggered by touch, such as during sex or when inserting a tampon. constantly in the background. worse when sitting down. limited to part of the vulva, such as the opening of the vagina.

The Vulvar Pain Functional Questionnaire (V-Q) is provided to help patients quantify the extent that pelvic pain is affecting their lives and helps the practitioner devise a treatment strategy based on the patient's account of her symptoms.

Vulvodynia tends to be diagnosed only when other causes of vulvar pain, such as infection or skin diseases, have been ruled out. To diagnose vulvodynia,1 a health care provider will take a detailed medical history, including pain characteristics and any accompanying bowel, bladder, or sexual problems.