Successful Resolution of Chronic Testicular Pain With an Impairment-Based Treatment Program: A Case Study With One-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

Chronic testicular pain is a condition commonly experienced by males. Potential causes of testicular pain can be pathology localized within the testicle or referred pain from surrounding tissues or spinal conditions. The diagnostic differential is extensive and can be seen as a diagnosis of exclusion after structural disorders specific to the testicle are ruled out. In approximately 50% of the cases, the cause of pain is undetermined. Patients with testicular and inguinal pain may undergo extensive workup that overlooks potential neuropathic and musculoskeletal causes remote to the testicle. This case study describes the application of a conservative treatment program targeting presumptive chronic genitofemoral and/or ilioinguinal nerve entrapment along the course of the inguinal canal for the treatment of chronic testicular pain. By combining sacroiliac joint osteopathic manipulation, iliopsoas stretching, and soft tissue mobilization utilizing a vacuum suction cup, the patient was symptom-free on the fourth visit after suffering from testicular pain for a year. At a one-year follow-up, the patient remains pain-free.