Question 1

Why This Matters

Accepted Answer

Pudendal neuralgia isn’t just a local nerve issue - it’s closely tied to how the nervous system processes threat, stress, and safety. When the nervous system stays in a heightened, protective state, pain signals can become amplified and persistent, even when tissues are no longer being actively injured.

Chronic stress, anxiety, fear around symptoms, and ongoing vigilance can keep the nervous system “turned up,” making nerves more reactive and slowing recovery. Learning how to calm and regulate this response can help reduce pain sensitivity and create the internal conditions needed for healing.

What’s important to highlight here is that chronic stress is often normalized. Many of us are living with elevated stress, constant stimulation, and a sense of pressure or urgency that has become so common we don’t recognize it as stress anymore. Social media, nonstop news cycles, productivity culture, and increasing isolation can all contribute to this background state of activation.

Having a heightened, stress-anticipating nervous system is often less about you as an individual and more a reflection of the environment many of us are living in. Awareness and education can be powerful because they help shift the story from “what’s wrong with me?” to “what might my nervous system be responding to?” That shift alone can be an important step in healing from pudendal neuralgia - and in seeing your life through a different lens.

Question 2

What It Involves

Accepted Answer

Nervous system regulation is about building awareness, safety, and flexibility in how your body responds to stress and sensation. This often includes:

• Learning to recognize when you’re in a heightened stress response, such as muscle clenching, shallow breathing, racing thoughts, or symptom flares
 • Using practices that help calm the nervous system, including gentle breathing techniques, grounding exercises, or mindfulness-based practices like meditation
 • Reducing inputs that consistently push your nervous system into overdrive, such as excessive screen time, constant stimulation, or relationships that no longer feel supportive
 • Reducing fear around symptoms by understanding how pain works, and why sensations can persist even without ongoing injury

At the core of all of this is awareness. When you start noticing how your body reacts to stress, sensation, and environment, you gain more choice in how you respond - rather than automatically reacting. Over time, these practices help the nervous system spend more time in a regulated, settled state, making symptoms less reactive and easier to manage.

Question 3

Working with a Specialist

Accepted Answer

You don’t necessarily need a separate specialist to begin learning about nervous system regulation. Many pelvic floor physical therapists incorporate nervous system education and regulation strategies into their work and can help you better understand how your body responds to stress and pain.

Some people also find value in additional education through books, podcasts, or online resources that explain pain science, nervous system regulation, and the mind-body connection.

Question 4

What Progress Looks Like

Accepted Answer

Progress with nervous system regulation often shows up as:
 • Being able to recognize the state of your nervous system and adjust based on what your body needs
 • Symptoms feeling less intense, shorter-lived, or less alarming when they do occur
 • Less fear, vigilance, or catastrophizing around bodily sensations
 • Feeling calmer or more grounded in situations that previously triggered symptoms
 • A growing sense of trust in your body’s ability to respond and heal

Like physical recovery, this process isn’t linear. There may be periods of improvement followed by setbacks, especially during times of increased stress.

Remember that not all stress is avoidable - major life events like moving, changing jobs, having a child, or losing a loved one are naturally stressful. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress, but to better understand when and why it shows up, what’s happening in your body when it does, and how to respond with more support and care.

Over time, this awareness can lead to fewer symptom flares, less overall pain sensitivity, and a greater ability to soothe yourself when symptoms arise.

PN & Cycling

Recovering from Pudendal Neuralgia

A Holistic Approach

Physical Recovery

Lifestyle Balance

Nervous System Regulation

Mind-Body Connection

Riding Adjustments

Physical Recovery

Nervous System Regulation

Riding Adjustments

Lifestyle Balance

Mind-Body Connection