Link Between Vulvodynia and Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition associated with muscle pain and fatigue. It can affect the entire body or just certain parts. While it’s a condition that physicians recognize, it’s not easily measured and therefore many sufferers often feel invalidated even though they undoubtedly have chronic pain. Vulvodynia is kind of like the fibromyalgia of vaginal disorders, and in fact, patients with one condition often also suffer from the other. Vulvodynia is chronic pain of the vulva that can have an intense impact on a person’s life. Treating vulvodynia symptoms from fibromyalgia is possible, however.

 

Vulvodynia is Not a Symptom of Fibromyalgia

One thing that needs to be set straight is that vulvodynia is not a symptom of fibromyalgia. It requires its own diagnosis and its own treatment. It’s just very common for fibromyalgia sufferers to also have vulvodynia. What’s tough is that the pain and discomfort don’t come from an obvious source. The tissues appear healthy. Symptoms include a raw feeling, itching, throbbing, overall soreness, or a burning or stinging sensation. This condition can cause pain during everyday activities, such as sitting, exercise, and sexual intercourse. When there is difficulty with sex, that can have a huge impact on your relationship and may cause shame or embarrassment, which in turn makes it difficult to talk about. Like with fibromyalgia, some people don’t believe it’s real, which adds to the difficulty of living with this condition while trying to maintain an intimate relationship. Your sexual partner may feel rejected while you may feel isolated and afraid of the pain. Like other chronic illnesses, vulvodynia can lead to depression, so don’t ignore any symptoms. There are treatment options available to you.

 

Vulvodynia Treatments

One approach to treating vulvodynia symptoms from fibromyalgia is to not only provide localized relief but also to help train the brain. Science is consistently demonstrating that working in conjunction with the nervous system can be very effective in healing chronic pain. Vaginal dilators are often used by clinicians to help train the brain to not fear vaginal touch. By nourishing the parasympathetic nervous system with regular dilator stimulation, the brain soon learns there is nothing to fear and can relax with more ease during sexual intercourse.

What are vaginal dilators? Vaginal dilators are plastic or silicone cylinders that come in several sizes that were designed to physically stretch the vaginal tissues and pelvic floor muscles. Results can definitely take time, so patience is key. Sometimes, dilator therapies can be moved to the bedroom, where you can eventually bring your partner into the action. Don’t rush this, however, because you don’t want to add pressure to yourself and sabotage the treatment. Remember that it’s not just the physical discomfort, especially if you’ve dealt with the pain for a long time. Your brain has learned a guarding response and the dilator therapy is trying to deprogram that response. It needs time to learn that insertion does not have to equal pain. Little by little, as you increase dilator size, and your brain remembers each time that there is no pain, you’ll find yourself feeling a lot better about yourself.

Remember that there is nothing to be embarrassed about and no reason to feel ashamed. Treating vulvodynia symptoms from fibromyalgia requires a little patience and some work, but most of all it requires that you take it upon yourself to get better. If it’s been at least 6 weeks and you aren’t really starting to feel normal, talk to your doctor. Chronic pain is real, even when some people are skeptical. You deserve a satisfying sex life, and you deserve to live without pain. Get started with a BioMoi antimicrobial vaginal dilator and begin improving today!