OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case of a 49-year-old man who presented to the sports medicine staff with pelvic pain of 10 years' duration consistent with pudendal neuralgia. BACKGROUND: Testicular pain in men is often provoked by direct trauma or may indicate an oncologic process. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Epididymitis, athletic pubalgia, testicular tumor, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, lumbar radiculopathy. TREATMENT: The patient responded positively to treatment and rehabilitation to restore normal mechanics to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. Several flare-ups since the initial treatment have been of short duration (<2 days) and less intense. UNIQUENESS: Pudendal neuralgia tends to affect females more than males due to changes in the alignment and stability of the pelvis from a combination of a shorter, wider pelvis and muscle imbalances associated with childbirth. Typically, males with testicular pain suffer from epididymitis or some type of testicular torsion, which was not the situation in this case. Compression is also a common cause of pudendal neuralgia, although it was not responsible for this patient's pain, making diagnosis and treatment complex. CONCLUSIONS: Many pain syndromes can be treated with removal of the original stimulus. However, recognizing the factors contributing to pelvic pain and dysfunction in males can be a challenge for the sports medicine professional. A vigilant and unassuming approach to male pelvic pain is warranted, particularly by health care providers in diverse practice settings.
OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case of a 49-year-old man who presented to the sports medicine staff with pelvic pain of 10 years' duration consistent with pudendal neuralgia. BACKGROUND:Testicular pain in men is often provoked by direct trauma or may indicate an oncologic process. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Epididymitis, athletic pubalgia, testicular tumor, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, lumbar radiculopathy. TREATMENT: The patient responded positively to treatment and rehabilitation to restore normal mechanics to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. Several flare-ups since the initial treatment have been of short duration (<2 days) and less intense. UNIQUENESS: Pudendal neuralgia tends to affect females more than males due to changes in the alignment and stability of the pelvis from a combination of a shorter, wider pelvis and muscle imbalances associated with childbirth. Typically, males with testicular pain suffer from epididymitis or some type of testicular torsion, which was not the situation in this case. Compression is also a common cause of pudendal neuralgia, although it was not responsible for this patient's pain, making diagnosis and treatment complex. CONCLUSIONS: Many pain syndromes can be treated with removal of the original stimulus. However, recognizing the factors contributing to pelvic pain and dysfunction in males can be a challenge for the sports medicine professional. A vigilant and unassuming approach to male pelvic pain is warranted, particularly by health care providers in diverse practice settings.