What is the difference between pudendal neuralgia (PN), pudendal neuropathy, and pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE)?
While the medical community is still in the process of defining some of these terms exactly, there is some agreement on what the terms mean. Neuralgia is typically thought of as pain along the course of a nerve due to inflammation. Neuropathy is associated with a pathology or functional disturbance in the nerve. These two terms are very closely related and sometimes used interchangeably. Often these terms are abbreviated as PN in the pudendal community. Pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE) is a more specific term describing a neuropathy or neuralgia that is associated with the nerve being tethered by fascia, compressed by ligaments, enlarged muscles, and/or other structures. Sometimes the nerve is restricted so that it cannot glide easily resulting in a stretch or tension injury to the nerve. Generally if the nerve is impinged upon by tight, tense muscles it is not considered a true entrapment because surgical intervention is not required to relieve the impingement. If the impingement is du