Pudendal Nerve Entrapment
Pudendal Nerve Entrapment is a condition found in both men and women wherein the pudendal nerve is compressed. Historically, this condition is associated with athletic endeavors taken on during the person's childhood that then affect them in their adulthood.
Pudendal Nerve Entrapment is essentially a nerve disease and is linked to Pudendal Neuralgia and Pudendal Neuropathy.
What is Pudendal Nerve Entrapment?
The pudendal nerve is located in the pelvic region, and it affects the penis, vagina, bladder, and rectum. Pudendal Nerve Entrapment, often associated with Pudendal Neuralgia and Pudendal Neuropathy, is then the compression of this nerve, causing chronic pain in those that suffer from this disorder.
This disorder often causes pain in the lower region of the pelvic area, and the pain is often most noticeable when the person suffering from the condition is sitting.
What are the Symptoms of Pudendal Nerve Entrapment?
If you're experiencing any of the following symptoms, you could be suffering from Pudendal Nerve Entrapment:
- Pain that is characterized as burning, stabbing, aching, irritated, or cramping
- Numbness of the penis or scrotum
- Hyper-sensitivity
- Spasms
- Experience of a foreign body insertion
- Pain starts in one place and spreads
- Sexual dysfunction
- Pain radiating down the leg
- Problems urinating
Because these symptoms can be somewhat vague, Prudendal Nerve Entrapment is commonly misdiagnosed as prostatodynia, non-bacterial prostatitis, vulvodynia, orchialgia, proctalgia, penile pain, Levator ani syndrome, and coccydynia.
It's important to see a physician immediately if you have any of these symptoms to properly diagnose the condition.
What Causes Pudendal Nerve Entrapment?
Commonly, Pudendal Nerve Entrapment occurs in bicyclists. In fact, it's often referred to as Cyclist's Syndrome. However, Prudendal Nerve Entrapment can also be caused by surgery or even an accident.
Additionally, Prudendal Nerve Entrapment can be caused by larger issues such as Nervous System Conditions and other Pelvic Conditions.
How is Prudendal Nerve Entrapment Treated?
One of the most common problems with treatment, aside from misdiagnosis, is finding a doctor who knows enough about this condition to properly diagnose it and then treat it. It may be important to show your doctor the research available on the disorder and seek his/her help in finding an expert in treating this condition in your area.
The first thing that you should do if you're experiencing these symptoms is to stop cycling, if that is the cause of this issue and seek immediate medical treatment. Because frequent sitting can also be a cause, you should reevaluate your sitting habits. Though seemingly simple, just adding a cushion to the chair can greatly alleviate the pain you are experiencing and stop the condition from worsening.
There are no real medications to assist in the recovery from Prudendal Nerve Entrapment. Patients suffering from this disorder are mostly treated through physical therapy. There are multiple exercises which can be helpful to alleviate pain.
Surgery is also an option for treatment for this condition, but results have not been conclusive. However, almost two-thirds of patients are cured without surgery.
