Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain is a common pain complaint in the outpatient clinic setting. There are several common etiologies of chronic pelvic pain, including pudendal, genitofemoral, ilioinguinal, and iliohypogastric neuralgias, among others. When medications or complementary therapies are unsuccessful or not tolerated, providers may consider interventional techniques, such as local anesthetic and/or steroid injections and peripheral nerve stimulation. Peripheral nerve stimulation may be particularly useful when the response to the injection is helpful but short-lived. When planning for peripheral nerve stimulation for pelvic pain there are several considerations, such as depth of the peripheral nerve target and patch location. Due to the anatomy of some peripheral nerves involved in pelvic pain, peripheral nerve stimulation may not be possible percutaneously, or appropriate patch locations may be limited due to body creases, pubic hair, and typical locations of clothing and undergarments.