Acupuncture for vulvodynia

Vulvodynia is the sensation of burning and/or pain of the vulva in the absence of abnormal clinical findings. We offered acupuncture to twelve patients with this syndrome. All had experienced severe distress and impairment of sexual function and usual treatments had failed. The patients attended weekly for acupuncture and progress was monitored at each visit by enquiry, a questionnaire and a visual analogue scale for pain. Half had treatment for the first five weeks only, the other half for the second five weeks only. Side-effects were negligible. Two patients felt so much improved that they declared themselves 'cured'; three believed their symptoms had improved and wished to continue acupuncture; four felt slightly better and judged acupuncture more effective than any other treatment; and three noted no effect at all. Acupuncture is time-consuming and a large part of its beneficial effect in this study may have come from the regular specialist contact. However, in view of the patients' lack of response to other measures their satisfaction with the acupuncture was surprisingly high.