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What a diagnostic pudendal nerve block actually tells us — Checklist

Medically reviewed by Dr Renaud Bollens — Professor of Urology

Checklist

A practical checklist for anyone dealing with pudendal nerve block — what to record, what to ask, and when to escalate.

An image-guided pudendal nerve block places local anaesthetic precisely around the nerve. If the pain drops substantially for the duration of the anaesthetic, that is powerful evidence the pudendal nerve is generating the pain.

A block is a diagnostic instrument first and a treatment second. Temporary relief is useful information; lasting relief is a bonus. Either way the response shapes what happens next.

Dr Bollens uses block response, symptom mapping and imaging together. Surgery is only recommended when those three lines of evidence agree — which is why we decline to operate on some patients who come to us expecting it.

Bring your notes to the consultation; a well-documented history shortens the road to a diagnosis considerably.