(132) Diffuse noxious inhibitory control function in women with provoked vestibulodynia

Abstract

Provoked Vestibulodynia (PVD), the most common form of chronic genital pain affecting 12% of women in the general population, is characterized by a severe burning pain in response to pressure to the vaginal entrance. Research indicates that women with PVD display similar responses as individuals with other chronic pain conditions (i.e., heightened sensitivity to both painful and non-painful stimuli in affected and non-affected areas). This increased pain sensitivity has been demonstrated in other chronic pain conditions to be due, in part, to impairment in centrally acting endogenous pain modulation systems, such as Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control (DNIC).