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Sports (Basel, Switzerland)2023; 11(1); 16; doi: 10.3390/sports11010016

Could Horse Gait and Induced Pelvic Dynamic Loads in Female Equestrians Be a Risk Factor in Pudendal Neuralgia?

Abstract: Pudendal Neuralgia (PN) is a rare, debilitating disease caused by damage to the pudendal nerve, which innervates the anus, rectum, perineum, lower urinary tract, and genitalia. Although its etiology remains scientifically unknown, a number of sports practices, including horse-riding, are reported as triggering and/or aggravating factors. The present work summarizes the experimental measurements of the contact pressure at the interface between the rider and saddle, for a population of 12 experienced female riders. These tests reveal that dynamic horseback-riding leads to high levels of peak pressures in the perineal region, which confirms that the practice of equine sports may cause neuropathologies such as PN. All collected data will be used as boundary conditions in a future numerical 3D model aimed at locating the possible areas of pudendal nerve crushing.
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Publication Date: 2023-01-10 PubMed ID: 36668720PubMed Central: PMC9865369DOI: 10.3390/sports11010016Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study investigates whether the way a horse moves and the induced pelvic dynamic loads can pose a risk for Pudendal Neuralgia (PN) in female equestrians, where initial tests revealed high levels of peak pressures in the perineal region during horseback riding.

Introduction

  • This scientific paper probes into the suspicion that certain sports activities, such as horse-riding, might induce Pudendal Neuralgia (PN).
  • A rare and debilitating disease, PN results from damage to the pudendal nerve that innervates areas including the anus, rectum, perineum, lower urinary tract, and genitalia. Its root causes, however, remain uncertain.
  • The research articulates that the activity of horseback riding could act as a trigger, increasing the chances of PN among female riders due to the high levels of pressure experienced in the perineal region.

Methodology

  • The research involved conducting a series of experimental measurements of the contact pressure at the interface between the rider and saddle.
  • The participants in the research were a group of 12 experienced female riders, thus focusing the investigation on the female equestrian demographic.
  • The researchers monitored and recorded the levels of peak pressures in the perineal region during dynamic horse-riding, with an aim to substantiate the theory on a potential cause for PN.

Findings

  • The results of the experimental measurements indeed revealed high levels of peak pressures in the perineal region during horse-riding.
  • These findings lend support to the idea that horse-riding, due to the dynamic loads inflicted on the rider, may lead to PN by prompting high levels of stress on the pudendal nerve.

Future Research

  • The data collected from this research will be utilized in a future numerical 3D model.
  • This model will aim to identify possible areas where the pudendal nerve might be at a heightened risk of damage.
  • This continued research will aid in further understanding the relationship between horse-riding and the onset of Pudendal Neuralgia, potentially leading to preventative measures or treatments.

Cite This Article

APA
Murer S, Polidori G, Beaumont F, Bogard F, Hakim H, Legrand F. (2023). Could Horse Gait and Induced Pelvic Dynamic Loads in Female Equestrians Be a Risk Factor in Pudendal Neuralgia? Sports (Basel), 11(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11010016

Publication

Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
ISSN: 2075-4663
NlmUniqueID: 101722684
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 1
PII: 16

Researcher Affiliations

Murer, Sébastien
  • MATIM, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51100 Reims, France.
Polidori, Guillaume
  • MATIM, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51100 Reims, France.
Beaumont, Fabien
  • MATIM, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51100 Reims, France.
Bogard, Fabien
  • MATIM, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51100 Reims, France.
Hakim, Hassen
  • BMBI-UMR CNRS 7338, Centre de Recherches de Royallieu, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, 60200 Compiègne, France.
  • Laboratory of Exercise Physiology and Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sousse Ibn Jazzar, Sousse 4002, Tunisia.
Legrand, Fabien
  • C2S, Department of Psychology, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51100 Reims, France.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Cygańska AK, Giżewska B, Zdunek K. Evaluating Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Female Horse Show Jumpers Using the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire. Med Sci Monit 2025 Mar 16;31:e946830.
    doi: 10.12659/MSM.946830pubmed: 40089837google scholar: lookup
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