• Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
Press "Enter" to search
Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
  • Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Health Centers
  4. Women

Relieving Women's Genital Pain?

I have just been diagnosed with vulvodynia. What treatment do you recommend?

Andrew Weil, M.D. | September 16, 2004

Beautiful young woman lying on bed and holding hands on her stomach.
2 min

Vulvodynia is a painful condition that affects the vulva, an area around the opening of the vagina. The pain can be so severe that women may be unable to have intercourse or even sit comfortably. It may feel like burning, itching, soreness, stinging, rawness or throbbing; it may come and go or remain constant. Sometimes, the pain disappears as suddenly and mysteriously as it began, or it can last for years.

Vulvodynia is a nonspecific diagnosis that can have many causes, some serious, some minor. A thorough diagnostic work-up should be done to rule out treatable underlying diseases. New research from the University of Michigan suggests that affected women are abnormally sensitive to any type of pain. In a small study involving only 17 women with vulvodynia, the Michigan researchers found that all of the women were more sensitive to pain from pressure applied at unrelated body sites including the deltoid muscle, the shin and thumb. The findings were published in the July 2004 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In 2003, researchers at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that the prevalence of vulvodynia has been significantly underestimated. In a Boston-area survey, the researchers found that approximately 16 percent of the respondents reported a history of chronic vulvar pain lasting at least three months or longer and that nearly seven percent of the respondents were experiencing the pain at the time of the survey. Based on their results, the researchers estimated that approximately five percent of all women will experience vulvodynia before the age of 25 and that more than 14 million women may suffer from the problem during their lifetime. The survey results also suggested that women who experienced pain the first time they tried to use a tampon were seven to eight times more likely than other women to suffer from vulvodynia later in life.

If women with vulvodynia are more than normally sensitive to any type of pain as the Michigan study found, researchers there suggested that treatment with antidepressants known to reduce chronic pain (such as amitriptyline, aka “Elavil”) might be more helpful than therapies aimed at the vulvar area such as topical anesthetics (e.g. viscous xylocaine or lidocaine). Other treatments that have been successfully used include biofeedback, which can help you to relax and lessen pain, and aerobic exercise, but avoid bicycling which can put pressure on the vulva. Recently, I have heard promising reports about eliminating oxalates from the diet while supplementing with calcium citrate. Oxalates are acidic crystals excreted in urine. They can be very irritating to the mucous membranes in the vulva. Common oxalate-containing foods include all beans, beer, beets, berries, celery, chard, chocolate, eggplant, some grapes, green peppers, peanuts, rutabaga, spinach, squash and tofu.

Unfortunately, no single treatment works for everyone so you may have to experiment before you find one that helps you. For more information on vulvodynia, log onto the Web site of the National Vulvodynia Association (www.nva.org). And definitely explore the mind/body connection by trying hypnotherapy or guided imagery.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

Guided Imagery Therapy | Wellness Therapies | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Wellness Therapies

Guided Imagery Therapy

Advertisement
Related Weil Products

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for Women's Health Issues

If you are going through menopause, a support group can be helpful. The Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging online guide has a vibrant, active community of supportive members, and a dedicated moderator to help guide you along. Start your 14-day free trial now!
Get Started
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

A Healthy Valentine's Day? | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Women

A Healthy Valentine's Day?

A Mug Of Mugwort Tea? | Women | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Women

A Mug Of Mugwort Tea?

Mature Woman Experiencing Hot Flush From Menopause
Women

A New Treatment for Hot Flashes?

a test for ovarian cancer
Cancer

A Test for Ovarian Cancer?

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Dr. Weil's Signature

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

© Copyright 2025 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com