Pudendal nerve entrapment in a bareback rodeo cowboy: A case study

The case of a 31 year-old bareback rodeo cowboy who suffered from pelvic floor pain and spasm is presented. The clinical care pathway for this case was not simple and in fact, misdiagnosed for months prior to seeking the care of an osteopathic manual therapist. The pelvic floor muscle spasm was presumably caused by pudendal nerve entrapment even though there were no diagnostic tests such as EMG to confirm it. The entrapment was thought to be from the abdominal viscera (mesentery and sigmoid colon) being adhered to peritoneal tissue in the small pelvis. Treatment consisted of four consecutive days of osteopathic manual therapy treatment due to special patient availability and circumstances. The treatment focused on a release of the root of the mesentery and ischial intraosseous lesions, the release of the sigmoid colon from posterior abdominal wall and iliopsoas muscle, myofascial release of the thoraco-lumbar fascia, and myofascial release of pelvic floor musculature including balancing of three diaphragms, and harmonizing the primary respiratory mechanism within the cranial-sacral system. The etiology is thought to occur due to the sport's natural ptosis forces on the viscera. The patient returned to bareback riding without any issue and on follow-up five years later, did not report any symptoms.