Surprising things that work for Vulvar Vestibulitis, or make it worse

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

We’re excited to announce the very first results of our ongoing study of Vulvar Vestibulitis (pain and burning in a particular area of the vulva, which I lived with for a decade). At CureTogether, 480 women who experience Vulvar Vestibulitis came together to rate 30 treatments.

By far the most effective treatment as rated by patients is physical therapy (see the top of the green part of the chart). Some other treatments, such as Witch Hazel pads and corticosteroid cream, are rated to actually make the condition worse. (see the red part of the chart above.)

The top 10 overall treatments reported for Vulvar Vestibulitis are, as a list:

1. Pelvic physical therapy
2. Reverse kegels
3. Chlorine-free sanitary pads
4. Baking soda bath
5. No underwear
6. Yeast/Candida detox diet
7. Rinse with water after urination
8. Sitz bath
9. Stop oral contraceptives
10. Yoga

––

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments (including Physical therapy and not wearing underwear)

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about (including reverse kegels and chlorine-free sanitary pads)

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective (including cranberry juice and Elavil)

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective (including witch hazel pads and corticosteroid cream)

––

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Vulvar Vestibulitis. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Vulvar Vestibulitis. Thank you!

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.