Overview of Pelvic Nerve Pain

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Updated on August 05, 2019

Men and women alike are prone to chronic pelvic nerve pain, usually resulting from damage to one of the following four nerves:

Pudendal nerve
Iliohypogastric nerve
Ilioinguinal nerve
Genito-femoral nerve

These nerves are present either in the abdominal wall, in and around the pelvic cavity, and in the groin and perineal area. Damage to any of these nerves can lead to chronic pelvic nerve pain.

pelvic nerve damage causes — Illustration by Jessica Olah, Verywell

What Causes Pelvic Nerve Damage?

Pelvic nerve pain is caused by damage or dysfunction to pelvic nerves, which can happen through:

Diabetic neuropathy
Excessive compression, such as prolonged sitting on a bicycle seat
Nicks or cuts during abdominal surgeries
Excessive stretching during surgical procedures
Trauma to or around the nerves

Chronic pelvic nerve pain is pain caused by nerve damage in the pelvis or dysfunction that persists for longer than the expected healing time or is present for at least three to six months.

Pelvic Nerve Pain Symptoms

Like other types of neuropathic pain, chronic pelvic nerve pain is often described as burning or stabbing. It may come and go, or it may be fairly steady. Certain activities, such as sitting or lying down, may increase symptoms.

Depending on the nerve involved, people with chronic pelvic nerve pain may experience any of the following symptoms:

Pain when sitting, relieved when standing
Pain that radiates to the external sexual organs
Pain in the perineum (think of this as the area that touches a bicycle seat)
Pain that radiates to the abdomen or the lower back
Pain during intercourse
Pain when urinating or having a bowel movement

Treating Pelvic Nerve Pain

If you're dealing with pelvic nerve pain, there are treatments you can try. Pelvic nerve pain can be treated with any of the following:

Medications, such as anticonvulsants or NSAIDs
Nerve blocks
Spinal cord stimulation and sacral neuromodulation
Cryotherapy
Surgery (to reverse nerve entrapment)
Steroid injections
Pulsed radiofrequency (currently undergoing research)

Some types of pelvic nerve pain, such as genitofemoral neuropathy, have a good treatment success rate. Others, such as pudendal neuropathy, may be more difficult to accurately diagnose and treat.

Coping With Chronic Pelvic Nerve Pain

Coping with any chronic pain diagnoses can be difficult, but because pelvic nerve pain is often misunderstood and difficult to treat, finding ways to cope are vital to increasing your quality of life.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Keep a pain journal: Write down when your pain comes and goes, and what makes it worse. This can not only help your doctor with your diagnosis and treatment, but it can help you plan accordingly. You can also use your pain journal to write down your feelings instead of keeping them inside.
Practice relaxation: Stress can intensify feelings of pain. Since stress is hardly avoidable in the real world, learn to relax your mind and body to reduce this response.