Finding care
Which doctor treats pudendal neuralgia?
The average patient sees five or more clinicians before anyone names the condition. That is a referral-pathway problem, not a rare-disease problem. Here is who does what — and how to get to the right person faster.
Why patients get passed around
Pudendal neuralgia sits between urology, gynaecology, colorectal surgery, neurology, pain medicine and physiotherapy. Each specialty rules out its own organ, finds nothing, and refers on. Nobody is responsible for the nerve.
The result is years of antibiotics, bladder instillations and 'stress management' before the actual question — is the nerve compressed? — is ever asked.
Who should be on your team
Effective care for pudendal neuralgia is a small, coordinated team:
- A pelvic nerve surgeon who performs decompression regularly
- A pelvic-floor physiotherapist trained in down-training, not strengthening
- A pain physician who performs image-guided pudendal blocks
- A radiologist who reports pelvic MR neurography
Three questions to ask any specialist
These separate a genuine pelvic nerve practice from an interested generalist.
- How many pudendal nerve decompressions do you perform per year?
- Do you require a positive image-guided diagnostic block before operating?
- What proportion of your patients report meaningful improvement, and at what timepoint?
Our approach
Dr Renaud Bollens has performed pelvic nerve decompression surgery for over two decades and has trained more than 140 surgeons in the technique. Every patient is assessed against the Nantes criteria, imaged where indicated, and blocked before surgery is discussed — and we decline to operate when the picture does not support it.
Consultations are available in Belgium and Dubai, with remote first assessments for international patients.
Common questions
Which doctor treats pudendal neuralgia?
There is no single specialty that owns it, which is exactly why patients get passed around. In practice the condition is managed by a pelvic nerve surgeon (usually a urologist, gynaecologist or neurosurgeon with dedicated pudendal training), working with a pelvic-floor physiotherapist, a pain physician who performs image-guided blocks, and a radiologist who reports MR neurography.
Should I see a urologist or a neurologist?
A general urologist will exclude prostate and bladder disease; a general neurologist will exclude spinal and central causes. Neither routinely diagnoses pudendal entrapment. If the pain is worse when sitting and standard workup is normal, ask for referral to a surgeon who specifically performs pudendal nerve decompression.
How do I find a pudendal nerve specialist?
Ask three questions: how many pudendal decompressions do you perform each year, do you use image-guided diagnostic blocks before deciding, and can you show your outcome data. A specialist will answer all three directly.
Can my GP diagnose pudendal neuralgia?
A well-informed GP can recognise the pattern — sitting-provoked perineal pain, relief on standing, normal investigations — and refer appropriately. That recognition is usually the fastest route out of years of misdiagnosis.
Do I need a referral to book a consultation here?
No. Patients can book a specialist consultation directly, from any country. Bringing prior imaging, urine cultures and clinic letters makes the first appointment far more productive.
Speak with a pudendal nerve specialist.
Dr Renaud Bollens leads a specialist practice dedicated to chronic pelvic pain, with centers in Dubai and Belgium.