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Pudendal Neuralgia Symptoms

Pudendal neuralgia is a condition that can lead to embarrassment for the people suffering from it, especially when it affects a man. The symptoms of pudendal neuralgia are not difficult to identify, but it is easy to ignore these symptoms early in the condition's development. The condition takes time to develop, but if you feel any of the symptoms of pudendal neuralgia, then it is important to get to a doctor right away. Pudendal neuralgia can cause impotence in men, but it can be treated.

  1. Identification

    • Pudendal neuralgia is a condition that affects the nervous system in and around the pelvic region. The symptoms of pudendal neuralgia are normally felt in the genitals, in the hips and thighs, and the buttocks. One of the primary causes of this condition is extended periods of sitting. Athletes such as cyclists sometimes experience pudendal neuralgia, and that is why it is sometimes called cyclist syndrome by athletes and athletic trainers.

    Pain

    • Pudendal neuralgia can take a while to fully develop, and as it is developing it will start to display symptoms that become more noticeable over time. Since the condition originates in the pelvic region, the onset of the condition can make sitting in a chair extremely painful. However, sitting on a toilet seat or lying down do not create any pain at all. You can tell the condition is progressing because even after you find a comfortable position, the pain is still there. Another indication that the condition is worsening is that the pain gets progressively worse throughout the day.
      The pain is normally identified as a sharp, burning sensation, but it can also feel as though a nerve inside your groin is being twisted or pulled. In some cases you may experience numbness, and it is not uncommon for the pain to move to various places in your pelvic and groin regions.

    Bladder and Bowel Symptoms

    • Pudendal neuralgia has bladder and bowel symptoms as well. In the bladder the symptoms include an inability to detect when there is urine in the bladder, a weak urine stream or difficulty urinating, and a sudden urgency to urinate.
      The bowels will display pain after bowel movements, diarrhea or constipation, and the sudden appearance of painful hemorrhoids.

    Sexual Symptoms

    • Pudendal neuralgia affects men and women, and it has sexual symptoms for both as well. In men, pudendal neuralgia can result in sharp pain during ejaculation, impotence or difficulty in getting an erection, and frequent pain in the scrotal area especially during intercourse. For women, the symptoms include pain during intercourse and intense pain during sexual stimulation.

    Nerve Symptoms

    • In some cases pudendal neuralgia can have an affect on the nervous system and can begin to generate pain that is normally identified with disc problems in the spine. There may be sciatica symptoms in the buttocks that include a burning sensation, a tingling sensation and numbness. The pain could also radiate down the leg in the form of heat.
      Pudendal neuralgia normally strikes only one side of the body, but it is not uncommon for the symptoms to be felt on both sides. In some cases the pain may originate on one side, but it is felt on the other side. This is known as reflecting pain.

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