Vulvodynia is a condition characterized by chronic vulvar pain without an identifiable cause that can have far reaching impacts on women throughout their lifetime. Its pathophysiology is complex and not well understood, which contributes to the challenge in the diagnosis and treatment of this condit…
Preclinical models of female pelvic pain disorders.
Pain is influenced by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Sex has emerged as a key determinant of vulnerability to chronic pain and a major risk factor for poor response to available pharmacological treatments. Women report higher rates of chronic pain and exhibit g…
Phenotypes of Chronic Overlapping Pain Multimorbidity in Rheumatology: A Population-Based Claims Study.
This study aims to characterize the burden and distinct patterns of chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) multimorbidity in adults with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). We analyzed 2008-2021 data from the Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database, identifying 149,742 p…
Sciatica beyond the spine: a prospective study on laparoscopic neurolysis of pelvic sciatic and sacral nerves demonstrating long-term improvements in pain, function, mood, and bladder symptoms (VAS, SF-36, PHQ-9, OAB-V8).
Intrapelvic entrapment of the sciatic and sacral nerve roots can cause chronic pelvic pain, sciatica, and symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, dyschezia, dysuria, vulvodynia, coccygodynia, and pudendal neuralgia. Conventional spine-focused approaches often overlook this cause. This study asse…
Seeking answers and finding support: a qualitative analysis of sexual and pelvic pain online communities on Reddit.
Individuals with sexual and pelvic pain disorders often use the internet to gain information because there is limited research about their diagnosis, management, and lived experience. To characterize and describe the experiences, needs, and online dialogue of individuals with pelvic floor dysfunctio…
Comorbid Conditions of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and Vulvodynia: A Latent Class Analysis.
Having an Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) may increase the likelihood of vulvodynia six-fold. Studying vulvodynia in EDS/HSD may help identify causes of vulvodynia and potential treatments. Currently there are no consistently effective treatment methods for vulv…
Beyond the placebo effect: a systematic review and a network meta-analysis of treatment strategies for vulvodynia.
To comprehensively evaluate the comparative and absolute effectiveness of available treatments for vulvodynia on pain and sexual function outcomes through network meta-analysis (NMA). Systematic searches extracted data from randomized controlled trials (blinded or unblinded) evaluating pharmacologic…