A case report published on January 15, 2015, in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research documents chiropractic care helping a woman with vulvodynia. Vulvodynia, the study authors explain, refers to unprovoked pain in the area of a female’s vagina. This can be a soreness at any time with no known cause or pain with sexual intercourse.
Because many women do not discuss this issue with their doctor, the number of women that suffer with vulvodynia vary with study estimates from 200,000 to six million women in the USA. The authors suggest that between 9 to 12% of women suffer from vulvodynia.
Common treatments for this condition include avoidance of all possible irritants like soap, perfumes, and deodorants. Additionally, recommendations also include wearing cotton underwear in the day time and none at night. Medical treatments can include medication either applied topically, or taken orally or administered by injection. Additional approaches can include biofeedback, physical therapy, diet, or even surgery.
This case reports on a 50-year-old female who went to the chiropractor for complaints of internal and external vaginal pain and discomfort. Her pain had radiating sensations to her low back. Her history reports that she has never had any sexually transmitted disease. She did not take any medications, nor did she have any allergies. Prior to her chiropractic care, the woman had seen a number of medical professionals and been subject to a battery of tests, all of which came back negative.
The authors noted that due to the area of the woman’s complaint, no physical exam was performed by the chiropractor in that region. This is because it is out of the scope of chiropractic practice. The chiropractor informed the woman that he would be assessing her for vertebral subluxations.
A chiropractic spinal examination and x-rays were performed. It was concluded that the woman did indeed have subluxations affecting her nervous system with a possible correlation to her issues. Chiropractic adjustments to address her subluxations were initiated.
The study reported that, “Since her initial consultation at the chiropractic office, she has since been asymptomatic of all her vaginal pain and has a healthy sexual relationship with her husband. She is extremely happy with the results and wants other women to know her story.”
In their conclusion the study authors state, “Chiropractors have the ability to provide beneficial, noninvasive care to the public with low risk. They treat patients in an integrated manner regardless of the cause of their condition. In this case study; chiropractic treatment was successful in removing subluxation indicators as well as providing vaginal pain relief to the patient.”
