Chinese Medicine

Volume 5, Issue 2 (June 2014)

ISSN Print: 2151-1918   ISSN Online: 2151-1926

Google-based Impact Factor: 0.75  Citations  

Vulvodynia Treated with Acupuncture or Electromyographic Biofeedback

HTML  Download Download as PDF (Size: 1313KB)  PP. 61-70  
DOI: 10.4236/cm.2014.52007    5,584 Downloads   7,660 Views  Citations

ABSTRACT

First, second, and third line medical treatments of vulvodynia are of limited efficacy. Surgical resection, the fourth line treatment of vulvodynia, may have unforgiving sequela. Therefore, acupuncture and electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback could bridge between medical and surgical treatments of vulvodynia. Of note, EMG biofeedback is more frequently recommended in treatment algorithms for vulvodynia than is acupuncture. Trials of acupuncture for unprovoked vulvodynia demonstrate variable efficacy, whereas trials of EMG biofeedback for provoked vulvodynia demonstrate consistent efficacy. Trials of acupuncture for treatment of provoked and unprovoked vulvodynia using identical acupoints, a vulvar algesiometer for objective pain measurement, and standardized, validated, tools for outcome assessment are needed. Such trials may enable comparison of acupuncture to EMG biofeedback for the treatment of provoked and unprovoked vulvodynia. Similarly, trials of EMG biofeedback for treatment of unprovoked vulvodynia would increase the knowledge base of EMG biofeedback for treatment of vulvodynia.

Share and Cite:

Nwanodi, O. and Tidman, M. (2014) Vulvodynia Treated with Acupuncture or Electromyographic Biofeedback. Chinese Medicine, 5, 61-70. doi: 10.4236/cm.2014.52007.

Copyright © 2025 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.