13/08/2026
Burning. Stinging. Electric-shock pain. A feeling of pressure or something being “there” when there isn’t.
Pain around the v***a or va**na isn’t always coming from the skin or the reproductive organs themselves.
Sometimes, we need to think about the nerves.
One condition you may not have heard of is pudendal neuralgia. The pudendal nerve travels through the pelvis and supplies sensation to areas including the v***a, va**na and perineum. When that nerve becomes irritated or compressed, the symptoms can be surprisingly varied.
One clue can be pain that becomes worse with sitting and improves when standing or lying down. Some women describe burning or tingling; others experience pain during s*x, after exercise or around the re**um or cl****is.
And because examinations, swabs and scans can sometimes be normal, women may spend a long time wondering why they're hurting.
That doesn't mean every unexplained v***al pain is pudendal neuralgia. Far from it. Vulval pain has many possible causes, including skin conditions, infection, pelvic floor dysfunction, vulvodynia and hormonal changes.
The important part is recognising that persistent pain deserves a proper assessment, particularly when the first explanation doesn't quite fit.
Sometimes finding the answer means looking beyond where the pain is felt and asking which structures and nerves are carrying that pain.
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