Doctors and Treatment Centers
Note: This list is based upon doctors and health practitioners whose names have come up in meetings. The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) provides a much more extensive list for members. To join the NVA and help fund research to the find the cure for vulvodynia (and get the extended list), click here. [Last updated 5/15/14.]
Southern California
Gynecologists, Urologists and Other Medical Doctors (Listed Alphabetically)
Physical Therapists (Listed Alphabetically)
Registered Dietitians, Sex Therapists & Life Coaches, and Acupuncturists & Eastern Medicine Practitioners (Listed Alphabetically)
Compounding Pharmacists (Listed Alphabetically)
Northern California
Nationwide (Listed Alphabetically)
Note: This list is based upon doctors and health practitioners whose names have come up in meetings. The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) provides a much more extensive list for members. To join the NVA and help fund research to the find the cure for vulvodynia (and get the extended list), click here. [Last updated 5/15/14.]
Southern California
Gynecologists, Urologists and Other Medical Doctors (Listed Alphabetically)
- Arieh Bergman, MD (USC, Tarzana)
- Berman Sexual Health / Jennifer Berman, MD (Los Angeles): Dr. Berman also suggests having a series of blood tests done prior to seeing her including all those requested by Dr. Goldstein above (except dihydrotestosterone) plus ApoE4, C-reactive protein, DHEA, DHEA sulfate, homocysteine, IGF-1, lipid peroxidase, and a thyroid panel (TSH, free T2 & T4)--also as a way of understanding your hormone profile. She often has requested that these tests be done about two weeks prior to your appointment. Please note that Dr. Berman does not accept insurance. You might wish to plan ahead to allocate money to an FSA (flexible spending account) as permitted by your employer to minimize the cost.
- Mikael Brisinger, MD (Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles)
- Karyn Eilber, MD (Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles)
- Hilary Fausett, MD (Pain LA, Pasadena)
- Pamela Fenton, MD (Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles)
- Irwin Goldstein, MD (San Diego Sexual Medicine, San Diego): Dr. Goldstein offers one free phone consultation to help you decide if you wish to make an appointment. Before this, he highly recommends you get a series of blood tests to help him better understand your hormone profile. He recommends: On day three of your period, have your blood drawn for 1) dihydrotestosterone, 2) estradiol, 3) FSH, 4) LH, 5) prolactin, 6) SHBG, and 7) testosterone (free and total). On day 21 of your menstrual cycle, have your blood drawn for 1) progesterone. Once you have the results, send them to Dr. Goldstein and make an appointment for your free phone consultation. If you decide to schedule an appointment with Dr. Goldstein after your phone call, please be advised that he does not accept insurance. You might wish to plan ahead to allocate money to an FSA (flexible spending account) as permitted by your employer to minimize the cost. If you work with him, he will go through a series of procedures to help you identify your cause of pain. You may wish to pick up "When Sex Hurts" to get an idea of his process; a diagram on page 82-83 summarizes a bit of his decision process.
- Michael Kezmoh, MD (Kaiser Permanente, Roseville)
- Elliot Lander, MD (Lander Comprehensive Urology, Rancho Mirage, CA): Dr. Lander offers a variety of services through his practice, including stem cell transplants for vulvodynia.
- Fariboz Mazdisnian, MD (Kaiser Permanente, Panorama City)
- John McDonald, MD (UCLA, Los Angeles)
- Albert Phillips, MD (Santa Monica Gynecology & Obstetrics, Santa Monica)
- Andrea Rapkin, MD (UCLA, Los Angeles)
- Kimberly Safman, MD (Newport Orthopedic, Newport Beach)
- Susan Sklar, MD (The Sklar Center for Restorative Medicine, Long Beach)
- John Willems, MD (Scripps Health, San Diego)
Physical Therapists (Listed Alphabetically)
- Bonnie Cardenas, PT (Cardenas & Associates, Valley Village)
- Beate Carriere, PT (Evergreen Physical Therapy Specialists, Pasadena)
- Laura Fraser, MPT (Los Altos)
- Jennifer Gabelsberg, DPT (Women's Advantage, Redondo Beach)
- Deena Poll Goodman, PT (Goodman Physical Therapy, Los Angeles)
- Julie Sarton, DPT (Sarton Physical Therapy, Tustin)
Registered Dietitians, Sex Therapists & Life Coaches, and Acupuncturists & Eastern Medicine Practitioners (Listed Alphabetically)
- Jennifer Armstrong--Life Coach (Armstrong Coaching)
- Danielle Blum, RNP (Cedars Sinai, Beverly Hills)
- Kayna Cassard, MA, MFT--Sex Therapist (Los Angeles)
- Deva Charu--Tantra Practitioner (Embody Tantra, Los Angeles)
- Marjorie Crandall, PhD (Yeast Consulting Services, Torrance)
- Aaron Filler, MD (NerveMed, Santa Monica)
- Fenya Hacobian, PhD--Alternative Medicine (Fenya Healing, Los Angeles)
- Rose Hartzell, PhD--Sex Therapist (San Diego Sexual Medicine, San Diego)
- Gerie Keh, L.Ac (Porter Ranch Medical Center, Porter Ranch): Also practices NAET and is willing to offer a 25% discount to our group members.
- Erika Klemperer, MD (Luminous Dermatology, Santa Barbara)
- Karen Noblett, MD (UC Irvine Health, Orange)
- Ellen Reiss-Goldfarb, RD (Los Angeles): Works with disease that cause inflammation, including advising on diets high in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Heather Rice, L.Ac (Samuel Center for Integrative Medicine, Irvine)
- Anita Russek-Lendach, MSPT (Radiant Physical Therapy, Beverly Hills)
- Cristina Shupe, PT (Solvang)
- Tamara Sprigel, PhD--Sex Therapist (Encino/Westwood)
- Angela Spruill, DPT (Custom Physical Therapy, Thousand Oaks/Canoga Park)
- Abigail Steidley--Life Coach (Anamsong)
- Danica Thornberry, L.Ac (Well Women Acupuncture, Los Angeles)
- M.M. Van Benschoten, OMD (M.M. Van Benschoten, O.M.D., C.A., and Associates, Reseda): Has prescribed Chinese herbs to assist with pelvic pain.
- Sheri Lee Weitz, RD (Los Angeles)
- Sudarsky
Compounding Pharmacists (Listed Alphabetically)
- Jeffrey Barris, RPh (Pacifica Pharmacy, Torrance)
- Elaine Blieden, RPh (Expert Compounding Pharmacy, Lake Balboa)
- Clay Hammett, RPh (McGuff Compounding Pharmacy Services, Inc., Santa Ana)
- Dana Madievsky, RPh (Expert Compounding Pharmacy, Lake Balboa)
Northern California
- Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center (San Francisco, Berkeley and Los Gatos)
Nationwide (Listed Alphabetically)
- Jennifer Ashton, MD (Hygeia Gynecology, Englewood, New Jersey)
- Jin Dawa, DPT (Pelvic Floor Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington)
- David Eschenbach, MD (University of Washington, Seattle, Washington)
- Kathleen Gibson, MD (Lake Washington Vascular, Seattle, Washington)
- Catherine Leclair, MD (OHSU, Portland, OR)
- Darlene Gaynor Krupnick, DO (Urology Health Specialists, LLC, Lansdowne, Virginia)
- Andrew Goldstein, MD (Centers for Vulvovaginal Disorders, NYC/Washington, DC)
- Michael Hibner, MD (Dignity Health, Phoenix, AZ)
- Serena McKenzie, OD (Northwest Institute for Healthy Sexuality, Kirkland, Washington)
- Pamela Rief, Biomechanics Specialist
- Elizabeth Stewart, MD (Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Burlington, MA)
- Kathe Wallace, PT (Kathe Wallace Physical Therapy, Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation and Resources, Seattle, Washington)
- Diana Wiley, PhD (Sex Therapist, Seattle, Washington)
- Paula Zook, MD (Vulvar Dermatologist, Spectrum Dermatology, Seattle, Washington)