Does tightness play a part???

Was wondering if natural tightness played a part in vulvodynia?? I am naturally tight and don't produce a lot of natural lube ( especially when on contraceptive ) even though I am very into the moment my vagina says otherwise! Once we get going I am fine but that initial part I think someone's sets it off!!!

Anyone else the same??

yeah muscle tightness can produce this burning pain everyone seems to have. PT will cure that usually.

Its called vaginismus

Yea I've just read they are connected! Seems like one thing after another!! Just love how you can self diagnose of the internet and doctors who are on a bomb of a wage don't know anything about it!!

Yes, yes, absolutely! Vaginismus can be a cause of vulvodynia, and is one of the most treatable causes as well. Get referred to PT/physio, they will work with you on ways to relax your pelvic floor and to decrease the muscle spasming. Most doctors are aware of vaginismus, but sometimes won't realize it can cause pain/burning at times you aren't trying to have sex. The lubrication part can be due both to being on oral contraceptives and due to your subconscious associating sex with pain. One of the biggest hurdles for recovery is to re-train your subconscious that sex does not hurt, otherwise it is impossible to get your body to become fully aroused, no matter how much you consciously tell yourself you want sex. (Again, good news, this is very doable!)

Where does vaginismus stem from?? Is it just something your born with??
Makes sense if birth helps it as all the muscles will be stretched. I'm going to see if my midwife will refer me then!! I need to be cured!!! Driving me insane!!!

Does it happen even if your not having sex? Cause I have it currently and haven't had sex In weeks as I had pink discharge whilst pregnant!?

Thanks ladies!!!!

It can happen for many, many different reasons. For a long time, people assumed incorrectly that vaginismus stemmed exclusively from prior sexual trauma. However, people can be born with it, or have it for many other reasons. One big one that is easy to think about is how we end up using our muscles differently when we're in pain. If you have ever had an injury before in your arm, leg, shoulder, this is actually pretty intuitive and familiar: you instinctively clench up around the body part that is injured, in a natural attempt to apply a "splint" to the area and immobilize it (we all do this because it decreases the chances of further injury). But let's say you had a really bad UTI, or yeast infection, or tore during a traumatic delivery. Much like the body parts I just mentioned, you also have a variety of muscles in the pelvic floor that can be clenched during times of pain. A common cause of chronic pain anywhere is when this constant clenching leads to nerve irritation, or to muscular dysfunction and spasming, even after the original injury that led you to clench is gone. Becoming aware of which muscles are too tight versus too weak and then normalizing them is the key, and only a trained PT should do this or the problem could be made worse (for example, doing more Kegels could be disastrous for someone who already is having levator ani syndrome). Pelvic floor spasm and dysfunction can happen for many many different reasons though, and can also be psychological in nature.

And yes, it can definitely occur in non-sexual contexts. For example, I never really thought much of how sometimes I was completely unable to insert tampons at times, regardless of the angle I attempted, even before I developed VV. If you're in muscle spasm, it's probably happening to some extent at all times.

I've read you can do perineal massage yourself which helps stretch the muscles. I've started to do it and thankfully doesn't hurt doing it so going to try and do that until I finally get referred !! X