What is Pudendal Nerve Entrapment?
Pudendal Nerve Entrapment (PNE) is a condition causing pain for no apparent reason in the lower central pelvic areas. These are the anal region, perineum, and scrotum and penis or vulva. Pain is worse upon sitting, and less when standing or sitting on a donut cushion or toilet seat. These are the classic PNE symptoms. But there is no one particular pattern that dominates. Pain can be in just one area, several, or all. It can be unilateral or bilateral. In some cases standing will relieve the pain but lying down will not. Some of the words PNE sufferers have used to describe their pain are stinging, burning, stabbing, aching, knife-like, irritation, cramping, spasm, tightness, crawling on the skin, twisting, pins and needles, numbness, and hyper sensitivity. As Prof Roberts writes, “The character of the pain consists of sensations of burning, torsion or heaviness, and also of foreign bodies in the rectum or vagina. The pain is piercing and very comparable to a toothache.” The pain may f
