By: Stephanie Prendergast Pudendal neuralgia is a syndrome characterized by burning, stabbing pain in the territory of the pudendal nerve, which has a vast distribution in the pelvis. The symptoms can wreak havoc during ordinary daily activities such as sitting, exercising, going to the bathroom, and having sex. Nerves are physiologically different from muscles, therefore they heal differently than most …
Is Cryotherapy an effective treatment for Pudendal Neuralgia?
People recovering from pudendal neuralgia will tell you there is a lack of understanding about this diagnosis and treatment options in the medical community. Week after week, our blog, How do I know if I have PN or PNE, is one of our most read posts. Recently there has been discussion about cryotherapy treatment for pudendal neuralgia. Sara Saunders, PT, …
A Mesh of a Situation
By Elizabeth Akincilar-Rummer In May 2015 a Delaware jury ordered Boston Scientific, a medical device company, to pay a woman $100 million for pain complications following vaginal mesh placement for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. A few months prior to that a Texas woman was awarded $73 million for similar complications. Some think that these cases are just …
Meditation for Pelvic Pain Relief
Help!!! My pants are on FIRE!! Wait, what? Well, at least that’s what it feels like to a lot of people with pelvic pain. Because nerve pain can feel just like that – burning, tingling, like fire ants in your pants. In this post we are going to talk about how mediation can help. Why is this sensation …
Pudendal Neuralgia Series 1: Interdisciplinary Conversations from IPPS 2015
By Stephanie Prendergast Pudendal Neuralgia seems to be a diagnosis that is more polarized and controversial than other pelvic pain diagnoses. Why? Over a series of posts we will look at the evolution of this diagnosis, and why we need the perspective of a pelvic floor physical therapist, pain management specialist Dr. Sheldon Jordan, and gynecologist/pelvic pain specialist/pudendal …
Pudendal Neuralgia Media Wrecking Ball: Why words matter
By Stephanie Prendergast Most people dealing with the symptoms of Pudendal Neuralgia (PN) will tell you reading about PN, mostly online, can be traumatizing. “Chronic” conditions often translate to gloomy situations for both patients and providers. In recent years, the knowledge of pain science and PN has advanced tremendously. In the medical community there is overwhelming evidence to support that …
Pudendal Nerve Entrapment (PNE): Your Questions Answered Part II
This week’s post is the second half of a Q&A on the controversial diagnosis of pudendal nerve entrapment and the decompression surgery associated with it. For this post, we chatted with two of the leading experts on the topic: Michael Hibner, M.D., a gynecologic surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz. and Mark Conway, M.D., a …
Pudendal Nerve Entrapment (PNE): Your Questions Answered
Part III of our “Demystifying Pudendal Neuralgia” Series How does PNE (pudendal nerve entrapment) occur? How is it diagnosed? When is a patient a good candidate for the pudendal nerve decompression surgery? When are they not? These are among the questions we asked two of the leading experts on the controversial diagnosis PNE and the decompression surgery associated with it: …
The Role of Physical Therapy in Treating Pudendal Neuralgia
Part II in the “Demystifying Pudendal Neuralgia” Series In the previous post in our “Demystifying Pudendal Neuralgia” series, I talked about the difference between PN and PNE. In addition, I reviewed a list of treatment options for PN. Physical therapy was at the top of that list. Today, in this second post in the series, I will …
How do I know if I have Pudendal Neuralgia or Pudendal Nerve Entrapment?
Part I in the “Demystifying Pudendal Neuralgia” Series For so many the term “pudendal neuralgia” conveys a frightening and mysterious chronic pain diagnosis. And to be sure, at one time, receiving a diagnosis of pudendal neuralgia, or “PN” as it’s commonly called, was truly terrifying, especially considering that it was against the backdrop of a medical community that didn’t …