Management of pudendal neuralgia with electrical stimulation. A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction and objective

Pudendal neuralgia is a severely intense, painful, neuropathic condition, involving the dermatome of the pudendal nerve (S2, S3, S4). The diagnosis is complex and usually takes many years to be made. Techniques that use electrical current have been shown to decrease pain and improve quality of life in patients with this condition. The aim of this review was to analyze the existing literature on the effects of electrical current in the treatment of patients with pudendal neuralgia.

Material and methods

A literature search was carried out in PubMed, Cinahl, Medline, Cochrane Library, ENFISPO, PEDro, Scopus and Web of Science databases, using the search terms “Electric Stimulation Therapy”, “pudendal neuralgia” and “pudendal nerve entrapment”.

Results

The most frequently repeated intervention is pulsed radiofrequency. Other techniques used are transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy and neuromodulation. All studies show significant improvement in pain, analgesic intake, depression-anxiety or quality of life.

Conclusions

The application of electrical current seems to be effective in the management of pudendal neuralgia. The scientific evidence is scarce, of poor methodological quality, and its use is based on the efficacy demonstrated in other indications of chronic pain.