Is there any professional medical help to be had in Adelaide

[hdewit]

Hi,
I'm a 53 year old male and I have had pudendal neuralgia now since mid-2012 (19 months). I live in Adelaide. I have several times, over this period, tried to get medical advice and assistance. It took some months for my GP to have enough scans and tests to eliminate the usual possibilities. Over the months I have seen a urologist, orthopaedic surgeon, and neurologist none of whom were able to give me anything useful. I figured out for myself via the Internet that my problem was a pudendal neuralgia. I also had to find my own alternative sources of help. Luckily for me there is a Pelvic Floor Clinic here in Adelaide and one of the physiotherapists there helped me a lot in the early stages - understanding and getting some control of the pelvic muscle responses. This had reduced the pain to lower levels. However I was not able to eliminate the cause and the problem continues. With advice from the physiotherapist I did try the nerve blocks, though my GP, and these did provide 48 hour relief which I've heard is a good sign. However despite the help given to me by my GP he quite clearly doesn't understand the problem and doesn't have the time to find out enough to help me directly. His attempts to send me to medical specialists has been fairly fruitless. It usually results in a lengthy wait to see the specialist. Then the specialist has not been able to help and I've had to go back to the GP. None of the specialists were able to offer anything specific to the pudendal problem or show they had any understanding of it, though I won't say some didn't try a little. None of them suggested any kind of physiotherapy - indeed any therapy - that might assist. In recent weeks I've been visiting a spinal physiotherapist who has been doing his best to help - and he is relieving the symptoms somewhat. What I'd like to have is some medical diagnosis on the actual site or cause of the nerve entrapment which could assist me. I have spondylothesis at L5-S1. He is trying to improve my posture, by rotating my pelvis backward and increasing the curvature of the spine. This is proving effective temporarily for my neuralgia but is reactivating the lower back pain. I'm feeling lost without some kind of expert advice. I feel I need to see an orthopaedic or neuro- surgeon who could help me put all these pieces together for an effective treatment. But who in Adelaide could I ask my GP to refer me to?

[Violet M]

Sorry, that's a tough one. I know many Aussie patients have had to travel for treatment. You could try sending "catherine a" a private message -- she is our Aussie expert here and might be able to give you more info.

Best,

Violet

[hdewit]

Thanks for the suggstion Violet. I'm just trying to find someone relatively local that can assess my condition properly - I feel I've had to do all the work myself. My experience with the medical system has been mostly dismal.

On the positive side I have found the physiotherapists I have visited to be very helpful.

There are a few signs that my general symptoms are being reduced by concentrating on my posture. However the perineal sensitivity remains. I'm a little worried that my posture problems were a consequence, not a cause of the pudendal neuralgia. I suppose only time will tell.

[catherine a]

Only doctor we know in Adelaide is Dr. Susan Evans but she is a Gynaecologist/Pain Specialist. You could try contacting her and ask if she treats males and if not ask her if she knows of any other doctor who does. Or email Bettina Arndt who may be able to help.

www.bettinaarndt.com.au

Dr. Susan Evans
38 The Parade, Norwood SA, 5067
Phone: (+61 8) 8363 2811