Pudendal Nerve Entrapment or Dysfunction

[AL456]

Not many doctors understand this nerve. Numbness is absolutely a symptom of a compressed pudendal nerve. Mine in particular was triggered by a traumatic fall on the buttocks which was hard enough to fracture my tailbone.
I’ve now been diagnosed by 3 pudendal surgeons in 3 different countries with probable PNE.
I have not regained sensation. It’s as numb as it has been since injury 12 months ago.
I have very severe pain with sitting too (stinging pain). Pudendal nerve block was positive, Botox failed, PT failed. I’m having decompression surgery in the coming weeks.

[Violet M]

Hi AL456,

Wishing you all the best with your surgery and hope to hear good news from you as soon as you are feeling better. It may take some time but hopefully someday you can look back on the experience and be satisfied that all went well.

Violet

[AL456]

Hi Violet,

Thank you for the kind wishes.
I hope so too.
I will provide some updates. Hopefully there’s some positivity and some return of sensation and subsiding of pain. The surgeon thinks my prognosis is good.
I’d also like to give hope to others with these symptoms too. There’s quite a few unfortunately.

Cheers!

[Elvis500]

Hello AL456,

Good luck with your surgery — I’m wishing you a smooth procedure and a steady recovery.

I had a phone consultation with Dr. Bollen this morning. He believes my symptoms are most likely due to bilateral pudendal nerve entrapment, and that surgery may be necessary. However, he did suggest trying a few additional tests and checking for other areas of tenderness in the buttocks area before moving forward. He also mentioned that a nerve block might not be helpful for diagnosis in my case, since I’m already numb and it wouldn’t show much of a response.

I’m also scheduling another phone consultation with Dr Hibner and maybe Dr Jordan just to hear other opinions before deciding on my next line of action.

Elvis

[April]

AL456:
Glad to hear that you had such clear and consistent diagnostic information Good luck with the surgery! Yes, do keep us updated.

Elvis500:
It sounds like you had a really helpful phone consultation with Dr. Bollen. Interesting point about the block not working because you are so numb. Good to get input from Hibner too. I don't know Dr. Jordan. Where is s/he from? Let us know how those meetings go.

April

[Elvis500]

Hi April,

I found Dr. Jordan contact info on this site he’s located in Santa Monica California.I’ll definitely let you know how my meeting with both Hibner and Jordan go!

[April]

Oh, great. Yes, let us know how those meetings go.

April

[eraser]

Most urologists probably don’t even know where the nerve is let alone PN.

Yes,

Sensory loss (numbness) can happen with compression/entrapment of the pudendal nerve. I have had persistent numbness symptoms as well after a traumatic injury 11 months ago and have had this information verified by two world leading pudendal nerve surgeons as well as other sufferers.

Hello,

Thank you for this. I've seen several urologists, but none have mentioned the pudendal nerve—until when I bring it up myself. Even then, they tend to dismiss the possibility, mainly because I don’t experiencing pain just numbness in same pudendal nerve area.

Did you regain the sensory now?

Thanks

[eraser]

Here's an AI definition which I think conveys what was meant in this article: -

Objective sensory loss refers to a reduction or absence of sensation (such as touch, pain, temperature, vibration, or proprioception) that can be demonstrated and verified by a clinician during a physical examination, regardless of whether the patient reports feeling it.

Objective vs. Subjective:-
Subjective sensory loss is based entirely on the patient's report (e.g., "I can't feel my left foot"). This relies on the patient's ability to perceive and communicate the deficit.
Objective sensory loss is confirmed through clinical testing. A doctor uses tools like tuning forks (for vibration), monofilaments (for light touch), or pinpricks to test specific areas of the body. If the patient fails to respond to a stimulus that a healthy person would detect, the loss is considered objective.

I appreciate there needs to be some caution with AI definitions but I don't think there any be any other meaning.

However, the article you have linked with does say: -

We have therefore tried to define diagnostic criteria for pudendal neuralgia by pudendal nerve entrapment that do
not pretend to cover all clinical situations, especially as the expression of pain is eminently variable and this type of
pain is particularly complex as it is often associated with multiple, perplexing functional symptoms. The objective of
this study was to elaborate and publish a limited number of simple criteria designed to avoid excessive or incorrect
diagnosis of pudendal neuralgia.

That is not to say that people with sensory loss won't benefit from surgery. I think it is purely a reflection of simplifying the diagnosis and identifying those who could objectively benefit the most.

[MaricopaJoe]

I am interested in hearing about your experiences and progress, as I am also a male suffering from pudendal neuralgia, specifically affecting the colon. Although I am based in Phoenix, I have already consulted with Dr. Hibner via telehealth. My condition is quite severe; I experience such intense pain following meals and bowel movements that these episodes have elevated my blood pressure to the point where I am considered at risk for a stroke. Could you please provide more information regarding the specialist you consulted in California?