Efficacy of Acupuncture for Treatment of Vulvodynia

Introduction: Vulvodynia is estimated to negatively impact 16-28% of the female population. It can include a sensation of burning, irritation, soreness, sharp pain or throbbing that impacts the labia (minora and/or majora), clitoris, mons and/or perineum. Over the past 15 years the use of acupuncture in the clinical setting has advanced and it is now a more widely accepted, safe and effective procedure. The goals of this study to examine the use of acupuncture for the treatment of vulvodynia.Methodology: This study was intended to be a review of papers published between 2014 and 2018 in such databases as Pubmed, Google Scholar,scoupose , etc. by using key words like Vulvodynia, Acupuncture, and TreatmentFindings: Acupuncture is efficacious as treatment of pain in dysmenorrhea, fibromyalgia, headache, lumbago, myofascial pain, and osteoarthritis. the efficacy of acupuncture for the above ailments is comparable to that of mainstream medical treatments, much fewer adverse events are encountered with usage of acupuncture than with mainstream medical treatments. Therefore,it is biologically plausible that acupuncture may be a safe, efficacious treatment of vulvodynia, including vestibulodynia,a local vulvodynia. Penetration of acupuncture needles at acupoints by rotation or thrusting triggers numbness or fullness in the patient,referred to as de chi which in turn activates the release of opioid peptides. Acupuncture increasesthe concentration of β endorphins. Acupuncture mediated opioid peptide β endorphin release is confirmed by opioid antagonist naloxone reversal of analgesia following acupuncture. Therefore, acupuncture could alter the response of spinal cord synapses to afferent sensation of rapid, myelinated, A-δelta fibers in vulvodynia and vular vestibulitis.Increased localization of analgesics or healing promoting substances at the target site facilitated by acupuncture in turn, increase rates of transmission of electromagnetic signaling from the brain . Additionally, acupuncture may promote immune and central nervous system functioning . Meridians are energy pathways through the body, used by both acupuncture and bioenergy medicine.The acupuncture meridians of the liver, kidney, and spleen pass through the genitalia, permitting distant acupoints on the liver, kidney, and spleen meridians to elicit a therapeutic response at the vulva . These acupuncture meridians echo the described interrelations between the ilioinguinal, genitofemoral, posterior femoral, and pudendal nerves that innervate the vulva , and the splanchnic nerves that innervate the liver, kidney, and spleen via sharing of the inferior mesenteric ganglia with the lumbar splanchnic nerve from T12. Thus, that acupuncture for treatment of vulvodynia and vestibulodynia need not be performed directly on the vulva or vulval vestibule.Discussion and conclusion:studies demonstrate that the acupuncture meridians statistically significant reductionsVulvar pain and dyspareunia