scaredgal wrote: As an oversimplistic explanation, it seems I read once that both scratching and tickling provoke free nerve endings - free nerve endings can also cause pain. Does it seem plausible that by scratching that area, there is some nerve cross talk from those free nerve endings to the damaged pudendal nerve?
Scaredgal, to me this makes complete sense. Dr. Hibner once explained something to me along the lines that a damaged nerve grows little "sprouts" which I guess could be described as "free nerve endings." The "sprouts" would be trying to conduct electrical signals to the brain, I guess, because they are connected to the main trunk of the nerve, but maybe because of the light scratching, the "sprouts" give off that itchy, tingling, burning feeling. Who knows. I'm just theorizing here.
scaredgal wrote:The symptoms of no pain at times (or very little) does seem that it doesn't point to an entrapment. I've wondered about that myself, even though according to Dr. Potter's MRI, she says it clearly points to entrapment in scar tissue for many of us in the distal nerves - is this really the case?
Well, Dr. Hibner believed that I got my entrapped nerves from my pregnancy and not childbirth. And for the longest time (probably a year) I can only remember having bladder symptoms, a la IC symptoms, and that's why I went chasing the IC diagnosis. I only remember little amounts of time that I would get any burning or tingling, and this was always across my pubic bone, and not in the Alcock's canal where my entrapment(s) were/are. It was only after joining the gym 15 months after my daughter was born, doing major hip flexion exercises on the elliptical, etc, and having vigorous PT, that my sitting pain started and the more intense symptoms started that led me to my diagnosis. But,
Everyone is different. Who really knows?!?
scaredgal wrote: Is it possible that the scar tissue just makes for a more narrow area around the nerves and if anything provokes the nerve, it swells up in the smaller enclosed areas, but isn't really entrapped? Is that why, during sleep or rest, many of us are symptomless?
Ahhh, the blessed sleep. Before my TG on the left, my sx were so bad that it would take at least an hour of lying prone (face down) for the pain in my Alcock's canal to go away. Then, I would drift off into a drugged, Valium suppository induced sleep and wake up in the morning scared because I know the pain would just mount as the day went on. From the very beginning, like right after my daughter was born, this was the same way. I would love to go to bed at night, because I knew the bladder pain would go away at night, but I would wake up scared in the morning because I knew with that first "pee", I was in for it.
scaredgal wrote: Then as our activity starts in the day, the nerve reinflames? And is it also possible that PN seems to stay forever and get worse because it's in such a vulnerable area that it makes it impossible to not continue to inflame it (none of us can completely go without sitting, or not take a bowel movement, or never bend, etc.)
Everything you are saying makes sense.
scaredgal wrote:Do you ever wonder if you were unconscious for 12 months and did not aggravate the area, if the nerve would heal because it would not have continuous sources of aggravation??
I believe only if it was not truly entrapped. IMHO.
