Vaginal Pain

Vaginal pain: Don’t live with it.

Women have enough pain and discomfort in our lives – cramps, underwires and high heels just to name a few of the usual suspects. There’s no reason any woman should have to put up with vaginal pain on top of everything else she has to deal with every day! Vaginal pain can be ongoing and disruptive to daily life, affecting your intimate relationships, your pelvic and urinary health and your exercise routine. And yet, while women live a third of their lives after menopause, when this kind of pain is most commonly experienced, only about a quarter of women who have vaginal pain discuss it with their doctors.

Vaginal pain is not uncommon and is experienced by women of all ages and stages of life, from new mothers to cancer survivors to women in menopause and peri-menopause. Some women experience ongoing pain while others may have pain during intercourse.

Causes can range from easy-to-treat infections to hormonal imbalances to more rarely diagnosed conditions such as endometriosis. At Integrative Wellness, our medical staff will conduct a thorough assessment of your health and together we can work toward finding answers and relief.

Vaginal pain? You may have these symptoms, too.

Vaginal pain rarely shows up on its own. It usually brings a few other uncomfortable inconveniences along with it. By checking this list of co-occurring symptoms, you and your provider can narrow down the causes of your pain.

Pain may be accompanied by other symptoms such as:

• Vaginal dryness
• Vaginal burning
• Discharge
• Urinary incontinence
• Burning with urination
• Urgency with urination
• Urinary tract infections
• Bleeding after intercourse
• Lack of vaginal lubrication during sexual activity
• Dyspareunia (pain during intercourse)

Causes of vaginal pain

Lowered estrogen production is a common cause of vaginal pain. Without estrogen, the lining of the vagina can become thinner and less elastic. The vaginal canal can become smaller – shorter and narrower. Less estrogen also means less natural lubrication, making already sensitive vaginal walls more vulnerable to irritation or injury.

Childbirth can also result in lasting vaginal pain. After vaginal childbirth, the tissues of the vaginal canal along with the muscles, tendons and other pelvic structures can be stretched and damaged. This can lead to vaginal laxity, issues with urinary incontinence and daily discomfort or vaginal pain during intercourse.

Vaginal pain can also be caused by:

• Vaginal infections, yeast or bacterial
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Vaginal prolapse
• Endometriosis
• Weakened pelvic floor
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Vaginal atrophy
• A shorter and narrower vaginal structure

Treating vaginal pain

The treatment of vaginal pain starts with the diagnosis. Since vaginal pain can have a wide range of causes and symptoms, you and your provider will discuss the best options for your condition.

Depending on the underlying cause, treatment can include a simple course of antibiotics or antifungals, hormone therapy, use of a lubricant or surgical options for more severe issues.

Women suffering from vaginal atrophy caused by a lack of estrogen due to medical causes or menopause can find lasting relief with diVa® laser vaginal therapy. diVa® uses laser technology to stimulate resurfacing surface of the vaginal wall and heat the deeper tissue layers where collagen and elastin are generated to help strengthen the vaginal structure. The painless procedure can be performed in a doctor’s office and does not require any special preparations or recovery time. Women may need to have three to four treatments over the course of a few months to optimize the results.

No woman should have to live with vaginal pain and compromised intimate relationships when diVa® offers an easy, painless and convenient solution to so many vaginal health issues.

Call Stanislaus Integrative Wellness today for your consultation and let our expert team set up a treatment plan to heal your vaginal pain.