Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Has any been cured from nerve blocks or felt dramatically better from blocks?

I don't personally know of anyone who was "cured" from a PN block. At best, they've gotten a few hours or days of pain relief. The PN blocks aren't really for pain relief or curative treatment, though. They're used for diagnostic purposes.

If the nerve blocks contain a steroid the purpose of the steroid is to reduce inflammation in and around the nerve. Sometimes they do provide permanent relief but we don't hear of permanent successes with nerve blocks very often on the forum.

Violet

Violet-When you look at the bios posted by everyone, two things become clear: 1) some people have very complicated medical histories and "reasons" why they have damage to a nerve in the pelvis, which is causing them pain; and 2) severity of symptoms vary tremendously as to place, area, duration and amount of pain. All are suffering but some are able to hold down jobs, etc., while others are totally incapacitated by pain.

It could be that the injections work for people with minor or low level nerve damage. These people may not even post on this board or if they do, just vanish once their symptoms are gone due to successful guided injections.

I have looked/posted on the TIPNA site and the Facebook site and with the exception of one poster here, no one has had success or knows of anyone who has had success with these nerve blocks as a cure. In my case, clearly caused by a specific trauma, the nerve may be too damaged for steroids to help or it may be entrapped due to the trauma.

You're right, Bathsheba. I've not heard of many improvements either.

My take would be that they are almost always diagnostic, anything else gained is a bonus but unlikely. If the shot is botox however and the problem is tight pelvic muscles then maybe this could be a cure, with time. That person could probably be helped by more conservative physio too tho'.
Helen

My third nerve block worked the best and last the longest about a month of reduce symptoms. They are not a cure in my opinion. I have the best results with medications and reducing stress in my life.

I read that steroid injections in the Alcock's canal will never work when the PN is caused by surgical trauma. In my case, the doctor who prescribed 6 of these knew that my textbook case of PN was caused by a hydrodistention of my bladder (a surgical procedure) and yet he prescribed 6 of these nerve block/steroid injections.

There are a lot of doctors out there who have no business treating this disorder. This so-called "pelvic pain specialist" is only qualified as an ob/gyn specialist (and my PT says she's heard good things about him in this area), but he also holds himself out as an expert on PN (neurology) and on interstitial cystitis (urology). He is still doing hydrodistentions to diagnose IC even though the American Urological Association has outlawed hydros except for advanced cases (stage 3) of already confirmed IC.

Hi im new tibo this sight my name is julie i have had vestibulodnia for 18 years they are talking about giving me a pudenal nerve block does this effect your clitorus?

Hi Julie
I had my first guided nerve blocks last year! The seconded did nothing, but the first made both sides of my vulva numb for about an hour! Whitchurch was little use to me as my pain is mainly rectal! I have read of many of our girls having vaginal and vuval probs but as for clitoris ? I'm not sure.
Good luck
Anne