What is Pudendal Neuralgia Disease?
Pudendal neuralgia is a condition that causes pain, discomfort, or numbness in your pelvis or genitals. It happens when a major nerve in the lower body is damaged or irritated, and it can make it hard to use the bathroom, have sex, or sit down. The pain comes and goes.
It’s not clear exactly how many people have this condition, but experts believe it’s rare.
The pudendal nerve runs from the back of the pelvis to near the base of your penis or vagina, where it branches off into other nerves.
It sends messages to the brain from your genitals, anus, and other nearby body parts. It controls the sphincter muscles that open and close when you use the bathroom.
Causes of Pudendal Neuralgia Disease
There are several things that can damage your pudendal nerve.
It can happen when you’re injured, have surgery, or give birth. A tumor or an infection can squeeze or irritate it. And sometimes, certain types of exercise, like spending a lot of time on a bicycle, can cause the problem.
There is no one cause of pudendal neuralgia. It may be related to:
- Childbirth trauma
- Gynecological or colo-rectal surgery
- Cycling
- Excessive physical exercise
- Past pelvic or perineal trauma
- Injury
- Straining
- Musculoskeletal issues
- Posture
- Stress
Often, it is a combination of a few of these factors. Sometimes there is no obvious link to any specific factor, but there are always options for treatment.
Symptoms of Pudendal Neuralgia Disease
You usually feel pudendal neuralgia symptoms in your lower body, genitals, or perineum (the area between your genitals and anus). These may include:
- A sharp or burning pain
- More sensitivity
- Numbness or a pins-and-needles feeling, like when your leg falls asleep
- A swollen feeling
These feelings might be worse when you sit down. Or you may have symptoms on both sides of your body, and they might go into your belly, buttocks, or legs.
You also may have problems such as:
- A sudden or frequent need to go to the bathroom
- Trouble or pain during sex
- For men, problems getting an erection
Treatment of Pudendal Neuralgia Disease
Stem cell treatment is showing positive results in treating pudendal neuralgia disease. Stem cell therapy targets damaged tissue at the cellular level, helping to permanently reduce inflammation and stimulating the regrowth of healthy cells in the affected areas. Stem cells are quickly becoming a viable treatment option for patients with Pudendal Neuralgia Disease. Stem cells are generally injected into the problem area where nerves are the most damaged. This way the stem cells can repair the nerves in that area, getting patients back their quality of life.