Pudendal Nerve Stimulation

Pudendal nerve stimulation is an alternative method to sacral nerve stimulation to treat incontinence. Stimulating the pudendal nerve, which controls the pelvic floor muscle, can improve the function of the bladder and pelvic floor muscle groups. It can also be used as a treatment for urogenic, iliac crest and abdominal pain.

Many of the sensory nerves contained in the sacral area of the spine originate at the pudendal nerve. Since direct neuromodulation of the pudendal nerve may stimulate more sensory nerve fibers than sacral nerve stimulation, and is less likely to cause side-effect stimulation to leg and buttock muscles, techniques for direct neuromodulation of the pudendal nerve are being developed. (1)

Reference:

1. Krames ES, Peckham H, Rezai AR (eds): Neuromodulation. Philadelphia, Elsevier, 2009, p. 952.

Reviewed Feb. 2, 2013
Magdy Hassouna, MD, PhD, FRCSC
Member, International Neuromodulation Society
Professor of Surgery (Urology), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

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