Can a nerve block stop months of pain after childbirth?
NCT ID NCT07814183
First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Many women who tear or have an episiotomy during vaginal delivery go on to develop lasting pelvic pain and pain during sex. This trial tests whether repeated ultrasound-guided pudendal nerve blocks, given alongside standard physiotherapy and pain relief, can prevent those problems. Researchers will enroll 104 women aged 18 to 40 who report significant pain within a day of giving birth. Half will receive the extra nerve blocks and half will receive standard care alone, with pain and sexual function tracked for three months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A repeated ultrasound-guided pudendal nerve block using ropivacaine and dexamethasone, combined with physiotherapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this approach could give women who tear during childbirth a way to prevent months of pelvic pain and painful sex.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small and single-center, so its results may not apply everywhere. Nerve blocks carry small risks of bleeding, infection, or temporary numbness, and physiotherapy alone may prove just as effective.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 104 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Participants must meet all of the following: * Women aged 18-40 years. * Term pregnancy. * Vaginal delivery with episiotomy or first-time perineal tear. * Postpartum pain score \>3/10 within 24 hours after delivery. * Willingness to participate and provide informed consent. - Exclusion Criteria: * Refusal to participate. * Previous episiotomy or perineal tear. * Pain score ≤3/10. * Known allergy to study medications. * Pre-existing pudendal neuralgia. * Pre-existing dyspareunia.
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As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
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The official record
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