Obstetrician/gynecologists often are the initial management clinicians for pelvic neuropathic pain. While treatment may require comprehensive team management and consultation with other specialists, there a few critical and basic steps that can be performed on an office visit that offer the opportunity to significantly improve quality of life in this patient population. A key first step is a thorough clinical examination to physically map the pain site and identify potentially involved nerves. Only limited evidence exists on how best to manage neuropathic pain, but generally a combination of surgical, manipulative or pharmacological methods should be considered. Experimental methods for more precisely characterizing the nature of the nerve dysfunction exist to diagnose and treat neuropathic pain, but additional scientific evidence is needed to unanimously recommend these options. In the meantime, an approach adopted from guidelines of the International Association for Study of Pain tailored for gynecological pain is suggested.
【저자키워드】 chronic pain, neuropathic pain, Pudendal Neuralgia,