Common Causes
Neuropathic testicular pain. A 41 year old gentleman was seen in the clinic complaining of needle-like stabbing pains in the left testicle. Examination findings in neuropathic testicular pain. On examination, there was tenderness at the top of the testicle and an increase in temperature. There was no hernia present.
Related Conditions
Treatment
- At-Home Treatments. At-home therapies may help with some conditions. ...
- Medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen) can reduce pain. ...
- Surgery. To treat some conditions, you may need surgery. ...
- Nerve Block and Cord Dennervation. A nerve block may be used if the pain is chronic and at-home treatments don’t work. ...
Can neuropathy cause testicular pain?
- Infection: An infection of the testes ( orchitis ), epididymis ( epididymitis ), both ( epididymo-orchitis ), or the spermatic cord ( funiculitis ). ...
- Tumor: A benign or malignant mass of the testes or epididymis.
- Groin hernia: A prolapse of intra-abdominal contents through a weakness in the connective tissue support of the groin.
How to treat testicular pain?
The pain can reside in either the right or left testicle and be associated with testicular swelling, lower abdomen pain, and burning when urinating. Sharp pain in one testicle can be caused by testicular torsion, an injury to the groin, a bacterial infection, or prostatitis. Read below for more causes and treatment options.
What causes chronic testicular pain?
What does sharp pain in one of my testicles mean?
Can neuropathy cause testicular pain?
Causes of testicle pain or pain in the testicle area can include: Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage caused by diabetes) Epididymitis (testicle inflammation)
What nerve causes testicle pain?
The iliohypogastric, ilioinguinal, genitofemoral, and pudendal nerves provide innervation and are involved in chronic scrotal pain. Irritation of these nerves by non-scrotal pathology results in referred pain to the scrotum.
What is a nerve block for testicular pain?
A nerve block relieves pain by blocking the pain signal sent to your brain. Some nerve blocks are used to find out sources of pain while others are used to treat painful conditions. The genitofemoral nerve block will help to relieve testicular pain.
Does chronic testicular pain ever go away?
Chronic Testicular Pain can vary from person to person. Some men with CTP have constant pain, while others have pain that goes away and comes back periodically.
What is testicular hypersensitivity?
Testicular hypersensitivity is a relatively common reaction to stress in males and can be highly uncomfortable (it may flare up in either just one of the testicles or in both). Shrinkage of The Penis and/or Testicles Alcoholism as a result of stress has been linked to a decrease in the size of male sexual organs.
What causes genitofemoral nerve pain?
Genitofemoral neuralgia is caused by compression of the genitofemoral nerve anywhere along its path. The most common causes of compression of this nerve are from trauma, especially blunt trauma to the nerve, as well as damage to the nerve during pelvic surgery. Genitofemoral neuralgia will rarely occur by itself.
Will gabapentin help with testicular pain?
Sinclair et al [21] found that 61.5% of patients with idiopathic testicular pain showed improved pain after 3 months of gabapentin therapy in a trial of 13 patients.
How long does a spermatic cord nerve block last?
The primary goal of the spermatic block is develop a temporary resolution of the pain over the next 6–8 hours over which the anesthetic will be effective.
What happens if the pudendal nerve is damaged?
Summary. Pudendal Neuralgia occurs when the pudendal nerve is injured, irritated, or compressed. Symptoms include burning pain (often unilateral), tingling, or numbness in any of the following areas: buttocks, genitals, or perineum (area between the buttocks and genitals).
What test is done to check for testicular pain?
We may even run a urine test, scrotal ultrasound, or blood test to confirm the cause of your testicular pain.
Why is it important to cut the nerve inside the testicle?
For this procedure, we dissect the nerve inside the spermatic cord because it supplies the testicle with nerves. Cutting this nerve can successfully reduce the pain by 50 percent or greater.
How long does it take to block spermatic cord?
A spermatic cord block is a two-minute procedure where we grasp the spermatic cord through the skin and insert a small needle with local anesthesia into it. If the anesthesia makes the testicular pain better, we recommend proceeding with a microscopic denervation of the spermatic cord.
What is the spermatic cord?
The spermatic cord contains arteries, nerves, the vas deferens, and lymphatic vessels. We cut the nerves under an operating microscope and keep the testicular arteries, lymphatics, and vas deferens intact. This method preserves the testicle’s blood supply and blocks the nerve transmission from the testicle.
Why does my brain misinterpret pain?
Since pain can exist in any body part for a long time, your brain may misinterpret any stimulation or feeling in that area as pain. This type of miscommunication is often a result of old trauma, an infection, or neurologic problems like diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage caused by diabetes).
What causes erectile dysfunction?
Conditions like vascular disease, surgery, diabetes, and medications are some of the top causes of erectile dysfunction. If you suffer from ED, schedule an evaluation with your doctor and get the help you need
Is spermatic cord denervation painful?
As with any procedure, there are risks to a spermatic cord denervation, such as: no pain relief, hydrocele formation (fluid accumulation in the testicles), loss or compromise of the testis, and. numbness of the scrotum and inner thigh on the operated side.
What is the pain down to the testicle?
Other spinal levels or problems in the spine may also be capable of referring pain down to the testicle (s) and/or scrotum. 2. Epididymitis. Epididymitis involves inflammation of the epididymis, which is tubing located toward the back of the testicle.
What are the symptoms of a swollen testicle?
In some cases, pain may also be felt in the abdomen, pelvis, or low back. See Lower Back Pain Symptoms.
How common is epididymitis?
Epididymitis is the most common cause of acute testicular pain in the U.S. and occurs in more than 600,000 men each year. 3 As such, it is common for this condition to be suspected in cases of acute testicular pain. While epididymitis can occur at any age, it is most likely in men ages 20 to 39. 3. 3.
Why does my lower back hurt?
See Causes of Lower Back Pain. advertisement. 1. Spinal nerve compression. Spinal problems are commonly overlooked causes of testicular pain in men. Some examples include: Facet joint osteoarthritis. Degeneration of a facet joint can lead to bone spurs ( osteophytes) and narrowing of the intervertebral foramen, which can impinge a spinal nerve.
Is testicular cancer rare?
Testicular cancer. This form of cancer is relatively rare, but it is the most common cancer in younger men. Testicular cancer typically starts as a lump on one of the testicles but pain may not develop until much later.
Is back pain a sign of testicular pain?
Back pain is a common problem that is sometimes accompanied by testi cular pain. While some men may be hesitant to discuss back and testicular pain with a doctor, especially if the pain is a dull ache, tingling, or only lasts for short periods of time, it is not something to ignore.
What causes genital pain?
The other cause of neurogenic genital pain is inferior hypogastric entrapment plexopathy. The inferior hypogastric plexus is a part of the sympathetic nervous system and innervates your organs. It tends to cause a burning, electrical, cramp-like feeling in the anus, perineum and root of the penis or vaginal opening, ...
Why does my labial muscle hurt?
Anterior labial or testicular pain is usually caused by ilioinguinal or genitofemoral nerve entrapment. This, either due to entrapment of the very same nerves within the psoas major muscle or due to positional compression between the pectineus muscle and the inguinal ligament.
Is entrapment pain real?
Stress, anxiety. Unfortunately, the vast majority of patients suffering from entrapment induced genital pain also suffer from stress and anxiety. This does not mean that their pain is not real, or that they are imaging the pain. It does, however, mean, that the muscular issues that are responsible for the entrapment neuropathies are grossly ...
Can pudendal neuralgia be worse on one side?
Patients with pudendal neuralgia may have uni- or bilateral symptoms, usually worse on one side. They get worse when sitting, especially on hard surfaces. Sitting leaning forward (greater degree of hip flexion) makes it even worse, as this stretches the piriformis and obturator muscles.
Is pudendal nerve genital?
It is not actually a genital problem, but it manifests di stally (ie. where the nerve ends up). The pudendal nerve forms from the S2-4 nerve roots and emerges beneath the piriformis muscle, before it ventures into the Alcock’s canal between the obturator internus muscle and the falciform ligament.
Does Lyrica help with entrapment neuropathy?
Entrapment neuropathies do not tend to respond well to pharmacological treatment, and therefore it is helpful to initiate conservative treatment early on. Neurontin, Cymbalta, or Lyrica may help for some patients, but generally carry sideffects. More often than not, the drugs do not give significant relief of symptoms for these conditions. Opioids do not tend to be effective for neuropathic types of pain.
Is genital pain neurogenic?
The cause of neurogenic genital pain is considered elusive, and the pathology idiopathic. Obvious causes such as iatrogenic damage (eg. surgical transection or partial neurotmesis), tumors or similar problems causing mechanical compression or derangement of the nervous networks must be excluded first. Systemic causes of neuropathies, such as MS, diabetes or hypovitaminosis should also be excluded, but are still not common causes of focal genital pain. As stated, however, most of these incidences are deemed idiopathic. Many believe that genito-local irritation of the pudendal nerves is what is causing the issues, and many undergo very painful intravaginal massage or similar horrible treatments with minimal improvements. Some also perform local entrapment-liberation of the pudendal nerves in the pelvic floor area itself, but the success rates are not staggering.
Why do my testicles hurt?
Testicular pain can be caused by sudden injury, inflammation, sexually transmitted infections or an emergency condition called testicular torsion (twisting). This condition can cause a dull ache in the scrotum, sometimes along with swelling. Pain in the testicles can also be a sign of more serious problems like testicular cancer.
Why does my testicle hurt after a vasectomy?
This pain can be caused by higher pressure in the vas deferens (tubes carrying sperm) or epididymis and can result in a post-vasectomy pain syndrome.
How do you know if you have epididymitis?
Symptoms may include: Pain: Testicular pain can feel different depending on the cause. A sudden injury results in sharp, sudden pain, followed by a dull ache. The pain of epididymitis can worsen with time. Kidney stones can cause sharp pains in the back that spread to the testicles and to the tip of the penis.
What age do you get testicular cancer?
Testicular cancer: Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15-35. It can sometimes present with a dull ache or pain in the groin or testicles, testicular swelling or heaviness and aching in the lower abdomen or scrotum. Imaging methods can be used to examine the testicles for signs of testicular cancer.
What is the twisting of the blood supply to the testicle?
Testicular torsion: Torsion is the twisting of the blood supply to the testicle. This cuts off the blood supply to the testicle and results in a severe, sharp pain. Torsion can occur at any time. This condition needs immediate surgery to save the testicle.
What is the term for the pain in the stomach?
The pain may be coming from another part of your body such as the stomach or groin. This type of pain is called referred pain. Testicular pain can be either acute (sudden and short) or chronic (gradual and long-lasting).
What is the testicle?
The testicles (testes) are small egg-shaped reproductive (sex) organs inside a thin pouch of skin called the scrotum. If you have testicular pain, you may feel it in one or both testicles. However, the pain may not actually be coming from your testicles themselves.
Examination findings
On examination of the right testicle there was tenderness on palpation. There was also a reduction to pin prick sensation in the lower part of the right side of the abdomen but no pain on light touch (allodynia).
Medication for neuropathic testicular pain
He had been taking Co-dydramol and Ibuprofen, which gave him minimal pain relief. Most of the time he described the pain as being niggling, although once to twice per week he had bad flare ups of pain which lasted from 2-3 hours. The pain was aggravated by driving and cycling and relieved by lying down.
Outcome of patient with neuropathic testicular pain
On the treatment, and subsequently off the treatment, his symptoms had dramatically improved and he was left with only very occasional sharp pains which he experienced once to twice per week. He was happy to live with this and keen to discontinue taking the medication. He was then discharged from the clinic.