Addressing the Muscle Pain with Vulvar Vestibulitis

So I've been going to the physical therapist 2x a week for a few weeks now and I have noticed some improvement. I am now 98% pain free with the Q-tip test! Very exciting! And now I am moving on to continue addressing the muscle pain that I've been struggling with. I never realized that muscle pain causes burning the same way that the vestibulitis does. Now that the vestibule tissue is healed and practically pain free I can really identify the location of the muscle pain and it's just inside the vestibule area. The muscles feel so tight during PT and I can tell it is going to take a while to relax them and stretch out.  I try to use the dilators every other day and I am hoping to notice a difference in the next few weeks. If not, my next plan of action is botox which I have heard some women have had success with. The problem with that is you need to get injections every 4 months so I'd rather stick with PT and address the source of the problem. More updates soon! Thanks for reading!

Physical Therapy Update for Vestibulodynia

So I started physical therapy in week 8 and it was really encouraging. I was about 70-80% better with the q-tip test and my PT said this is totally normal because it should take 3 months to full heal. After she palpated the area I recognized some internal pain that I had not really felt before because it was masked by the much more sensitive external area before surgery. I felt a burning sensation and some pain in response to pressure. She told me that this is what muscle pain in this area feels like. It manifests itself as tightness but also burning in some situations too.

I used the sensor to test my muscles ability to contract and relax and did fairly well (much better than when I first went last spring). I bought a small+ dilator to start and am going to work my way up to a larger one.  You start by putting lubricant on the dilator (I found surgilube worked really well because is doesn't burn at all) and insert it into the vagina past where it starts to hurt and so that you feel a slight stretching or burning and leave it in for 10 minutes (I suggest using a pillow and a towel to keep it in so you don't have to hold it.) Then just relax your muscles and read a magazine or watch tv while you sit there with it inside. I am trying to do this 3-4 times a week in between my PT appointments which are once or twice a week.