Here is a story from someone looking for help.
I am 35 years old. I have three children. My third child is less than a year old. I have been having abdominal pain since the birth of my second child, who is now three years old. I get pain in my upper abdomen after a bowel movement. It mostly goes away, but not always. Sometimes this pain generates headaches. Recently, it has been going on all day, and especially when I wake up in the morning. I also get this pain when I finish a sports activity, which causes the sensation of needing a bowel movement, which, in itself, the bowel movement, causes pain.
My gastroenterologist ordered blood work, an MRI, and a colonoscopy, all of which came back normal. I was normal. It was my physical therapist, for mild prolapse of the vaginal wall post-natal, who suggested some type of vagus nerve problem. Then I went to an Osteopath, who worked on my spine, and this and it seemed to work. The osteopath seems to be the only therapy that has helped.
In part, the vagus nerve can cause urinary incontinence as described in our article Cervical spine problems, Vagus nerve compression, urinary incontinence. That same article also discusses the connection between the vagus nerve and renal failure.
The Vagus Nerve
We all have two vagus nerves. One that travels from the head down the body on our right side, and one that travels down our bodies on the left side. The vagus nerve helps keep functions relating to digestion, respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate control balanced. Its influence role is illustrated by abnormalities in it that can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease, heart failure, failure of respiratory control, gastroparesis, vasovagal syncope, and chronic pain. You can learn more about vagal nerve function in our article Vagus nerve compression in the neck: Symptoms and treatments.
Research suggests that cervical neck problems can cause vaginal problems even though the cervical spine neck nerve root does not directly innervate the vagina. Vaginal, vulvar, bladder, and pelvic floor function are mainly controlled through sacral nerves and autonomic pelvic pathways. But cervical spinal cord compression can disturb descending brain–spinal cord pathways that regulate pelvic organs.
For instance, in degenerative cervical myelopathy, lower urinary tract symptoms are commonly reported. A 2024 study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine (1) found that patients with cervical/thoracic compressive myelopathy and urinary symptoms often had abnormal urodynamic testing. In citing prior research, the authors reported lower urinary tract symptoms in up to 60% of surgically treated degenerative cervical myelopathy patients, and neurogenic bladder in 20–50% when urodynamic testing was performed. Bladder urgency, frequency, retention, and Pelvic floor muscle guarding often overlap with vaginal pain, painful intercourse, pelvic pressure, and sexual dysfunction.
For vaginal pain specifically, researchers have looked at central sensitization. Vulvodynia and chronic pelvic pain are increasingly understood as conditions where the central nervous system amplifies pain signals. Research describes central sensitization as increased nervous system excitability, where normal or mild inputs can produce exaggerated pain responses. Chronic neck-related spinal cord irritation could contribute to this sensitized state in susceptible patients. These ideas were explored in a June 2023 study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine (x). The researchers concluding “this study highlights the importance of considering central sensitization in the diagnosis and treatment of vulvodynia and the need for individualized treatment based on the patient’s symptoms and underlying mechanisms. Vulvodynia patients with central sensitization had more pain during intercourse, urination, or defecation, and responded worse to treatment, requiring more time and medication.”
Related articles
Vaginal Pain and urinary issues from pelvic and spinal ligament injury
Our published research
Upper Cervical Instability of Traumatic Origin Treated with Dextrose Prolotherapy: A Case Report
Chronic Neck Pain: Making the Connection Between Capsular Ligament Laxity and Cervical Instability
References
1 Kim H, Chang BS, Park S, Nam Y, Chang SY. Different Neurogenic Bladders in Patients with Cervical and Thoracic Myelopathy: Direct Comparison from a Prospective Case Series. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2024 Jul 16;13(14):4155. [Google Scholar]
2 Rubal C, Pereira A, Sastre LC, Pérez-Cejuela BA, Gámiz SH, Chaves P, Medina TP. Managing vulvodynia with central sensitization: challenges and strategies. Journal of clinical medicine. 2023 Jun 5;12(11):3851. [Google Scholar]