Hello new to the forum. Possible pudendal nerve irritation
 

Hello,

I am a 46yr old male. Here lately I think I have irritated my pudendal nerve from cycling. Back in June while riding I had this strange feeling in my groin area. It was like an electrical current in my groin area. For a couple of weeks I started experiencing penile pain. This went on for about 3 weeks then stopped for 2 weeks. Then at the begging of this month i rode the bike again and started having the same pain, but this time worse and now if I sit for a while my upper hamstrings and glutes start aching. Also the penile pain only occurs while sitting. I can walk and jog with no discomfort. I went to the Doc and had my prostate checked and he just said it was slighty enlarged and my bloodwork is fine. So I am thinking it has to do with cycling and the pudendal nerve. Btw the discomfort at the onset was about a 8 out of 10. Now I would say it is 3 out of 10. Im hoping that it was just the cycling and that if I stop that exercise that things will resolve themselves. any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi tas71

Welcome to NeuroTalk :).

I am sorry to read about your possible pudendal nerve damage.

I don't know much about it but the General Health Conditions forum (https://www.neurotalk.org/forum2/) might be worth posting in. Other members who have had similar experiences will be able to offer you helpful thoughts.

All the best.

Welcome to Neurotalk.
 

This is definitely an entity that has been described in the literature; it is often referred to as "bicycle neuropathy". In most cases it is fortunately self-limiting, and will lessen over time if the cause--compression of the pudendal nerve from the bicycle sitting position--is removed. I realize that may not be comforting for someone who loves to ride.

There are, unfortunately, some people in whom this can become chronic and intractable. Such people often have an anatomical variation in which the Alcock's canal through which the pudendal nerve passes on its way to the genitals is narrower than normal or is slightly tilted, making it much easier to impinge the nerve.

Take a look at www.pudendal.org and Hope for Patients with Pudendal Neuralgia and Pudendal Nerve Entrapment | Health Organization for Pudendal Education for more information.

Hope your condition continues to improve.