Physical therapy for vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: a retrospective study

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Department of Sexology,

Université du Québec à Montréal, C. P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal,

Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8. bergeron.sophie@...

This retrospective study

evaluated the effectiveness of physical therapy in relieving painful

intercourse and improving sexual function in women diagnosed with vulvar

vestibulitis. This syndrome is a frequent cause of premenopausal dyspareunia

and is characterized by a sharp, burning pain located within and limited to the

vulvar vestibule (vaginal entry) and elicited primarily via pressure applied to

the area. Participants were 35 women with vulvar vestibulitis who took part in

physical therapy treatment for an average of 7 sessions. We conducted telephone

interviews to assess whether physical therapy or other subsequent treatments

impacted on pain during intercourse and sexual functioning. Length of treatment

follow up ranged from 2 to 44 months, with a mean of 16 months. Physical

therapy yielded a complete or great improvement for 51.4% of participants, a

moderate improvement for 20.0% of participants, and little to no improvement

for the other 28.6%. Treatment resulted in a significant decrease in pain

experienced both during intercourse and gynecological examinations; it also

resulted in a significant increase in intercourse frequency and levels of

sexual desire and arousal. Successful patients were significantly less educated

than nonsuccessful patients. Findings demonstrate that physical therapy is a

promising treatment modality for dyspareunia associated with vulvar vestibulitis.

PMID: 11995597 [PubMed -

indexed for MEDLINE

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