Stabbing Pain In Vulva – What Is It & What Should I Do Next?

“Vaginal pain can limit your daily activities & impair your ability to exercise, socialize, & have sex. A National Institutes of Health study showed that most women with sharp vaginal pain, feel out of control, & unable to have sex, & fully enjoy life. If you feel this way due to vaginal pain, seek a Pain Consultant” [1]

Sharp Pain in the Vagina

Generally speaking, vaginal pain generates a sharp and painful, sporadic or continual sensation in: the vulva, vaginal opening, clitoris, and labia. In 50% to 80% of patients, it is due to: “an underlying medical condition that may or may not have any direct connection with the female genitalia” [1].

These conditions include: injury to a nerve as a result of an infection or trauma to the vulva (which can result in a sharp stabbing pain; a yeast infection close to the vagina; genetic factors (which could mean long-term inflammation, due to the vulva not working optimally); aggressive intercourse; muscle spasms (which can generate a sharp pain in/around the genitalia); trauma or infection (which makes the cells in the vulva behave abnormally); hormonal changes; polyps, cysts or cancer growths near the vagina; or rarely, genital surgery.

Symptoms

The prime symptom is pain in the genital region. However, it may also involve:
• Stinging
• A sensation of burning
• Painful penetrative sex
• Itching
• Irritation at the surface of the skin
• A cutting sharp pain in the vulva (including the vagina opening and labia) [1].

So What Should I Do Next?

The expression: “there’s no time like the present,” holds very true here. This is because, like so many other medical conditions, the longer you leave this type of pain, the worse it can become. That is why taking the first step to see a Pain Specialist to get a correct diagnosis and find out about the plethora of conventional and cutting-edge treatment options on offer, is so very important. Every patient is different, and a holistic personalised treatment plan will be devised according to your needs.

The length and type of treatment that you will receive will be dependant on various factors such as your medical history, and the intensity of your symptoms. In some cases, you may undergo several different treatments over a number months . – This will determine which methods are the most successful.

Prior to your appointment, it is a good idea to keep a ‘Pain Diary.’ This will act as a log showing: the time of day that your symptoms occur, the intensity of the symptoms (e.g. a sharp stabbing pain), and what you are doing at the time (as this could impact the pain).

Reference

[1]. “Sharp Vagina Pain: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments.” Med-Health.
Sharp Vagina Pain: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments | Med-Health.net