Prolonged Sitting

Pudendal neuralgia is a functional entrapment where pain occurs during a compression or stretch maneuver. The neuropathy worsens due to repetitive micro-trauma resulting in persistent pain and dysfunctional complaints. The pudendal nerve is compressed during prolong sitting.

It may take many months or even years for symptoms can appear months or years after the repeated trauma. Sometimes by the time the problem is recognized, chronic tissue responses may have already occurred.

Some people with pudendal neuralgia cannot sit at all because it is so painful. This means they cannot drive and often cannot work.

Our economy used to be based on manufacturing and farming, but in recent decades especially we have transitioned to a service economy. This means we are sedentary at work. The study of ergonomics was born in the1980s. The computer became an office staple and computer-related injury reports were on the rise.

If you are a Baby Boomer or Gen X, you can remember the time when if you weren't sitting at your desk, you weren't considered to be working.

Ergonomic equipment is expensive so even today it is not available to every working with a sitting job. It is often first offered to executives. Make sure to ask for a sitting/standing desk if you have a sitting job, By not putting constant pressure on your pudendal nerves and other parts of your body, you will be proactive in preventing the intractable, chronic pain of pudendal neuralgia and other anatomical injuries. You will probably not feel them in your 20s or even your 30s, but the unrelenting trauma to your body will be occurring nonetheless.

Prolonged sitting can cause PN along with the following by irritating the Sacrotuberous Ligament (STL):

Coccyx pain, also known as Tailbone pain -
Sciatic Pain -
Ischial Tuberosity aka Sit Bone pain -

The Sacrotuberous Ligament (STL) (larger than Sacrospinous Ligament (SSL) stabilizes the pelvis and can cause pain in the ischial tuberosity. The pudendal nerve exits just inside the ischial tuberosity. The nerve can become irritated from prolonged sitting. People with pudendal neuralgia may describe a sensation of "sitting on a rock" near their ischial tuberosities. The STL is a fan-like ligament that connects the sacrum and coccyx to the ischial tuberosity. When the STL becomes tight, thickened, and inflamed, it can cause acute, localized pain in the buttocks. This pain can also be a sign of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction. Other symptoms of STL injury include: Sacroiliac joint pain, Coccyx pain, Sciatic pain, and Peroneal pain and numbness.

According to the American Heart Association, "In the U.S., adults spend 9.5 hours a day sitting, on average—usually while they're at work. Thanks to the evolution of technology, sedentary jobs have increased by 83% since 1950. It's resulted in $117 billion in annual health costs." Oct 24, 2023.

Again, be proactive, act presentably to protect your body. Talk to family and friends about the dire consequences of prolonged sitting, including coccyx pain, sciatica, piriformis syndrome, back pain, and yes, pudendal neuralgia.

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Pudendal Neuralgia Alliance

contact@pudendalneuralgiaalliance.org

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