Male pelvic pain, chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, urinary and fecal incontinence, coccydynia, interstitial cystitis.
Pelvic floor issues such as pain or incontinence can affect men. Urine or bowel leakage (incontinence) is less common in men but can happen, especially after prostate surgery or radiation. Male pelvic pain can be very debilitating, causing difficulty with sitting, urinating, and intercourse. Once your doctor rules out other medical causes (such infection, kidney issues, or an enlarged prostate),dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscle may be the cause. There are several conditions that fall under “pelvic pain”. See below for a list of specific medical diagnoses potentially related to pelvic floor dysfunction that may respond to physical therapy treatment.
Common Symptoms related to male pelvic pain:
Pelvic, abdominal, or low back pain
Pain with sitting
Pelvic area pain with lifting, squatting, or exercise such as olympic lifting or cycling
Feeling like you are sitting on a "golf ball"
Pain or difficulty with urination or bowel movements
Frequent urination
Constipation or diarrhea
Painful intercourse
difficulty with erections, orgasms
Pain in penis, scrotum, testicles, perineum, urethra
Heavy feeling in pelvis
Incontinence or loss of bladder control
Common Symptoms related to male bladder or bowel problems
Urine leakage
Fecal leakage
bladder or bowel leakage after prostatectomy or radiation
Urinary or Bowel urgency
Urinary or Bowel frequency
Urinary hesitation
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
Constipation
Different Types of male pelvic pain or bowel/ bladder conditions possibly related to dysfunction in the pelvic floor muscles that may benefit from conservative physical therapy treatment include:
Chronic Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS), Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, Prostatodynia: pelvic pain from pelvic floor muscle dysfunction in men.
Pelvic Floor Muscle disorder / spasm/ myalgia: Tightening of the pelvic floor muscles causing pain and dysfunction .
Erectile Dysfunction (ED): difficulty or pain with erections or orgasms
Levator Ani Syndrome : painful spasm of the pelvic floor muscle
Proctalgia Fugax : painful spasm of the pelvic floor muscle causing rectal pain.
Pudendal Neuralgia / Alcock Canal Syndrome, and Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) / Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome (PSAS) or Restless Genital Syndrome (RGS): pelvic and genital pain and symptoms related to compression or irritation of the pudendal nerve in the pelvis.
Interstitial Cystitis, Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) : a bladder disease that can cause pain, urinary urgency and frequency. It can also cause pain with activities such as intercourse or sitting.
Overactive Bladder: Condition including symptoms of urinary urgency and frequency. Not always associated with pain but may accompany any condition that irritates the pelvic floor muscle such as interstitial cystitis.
Coccydynia or Tailbone pain: Pain in the coccyx or tailbone worsened by sitting that may be related to pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.
Conservative Physical Therapy Management of male pelvic issues or pain due to pelvic floor dysfunction may include:
Modalities: such as heat and ice
Manual Therapy: “hands on” treatment to improve pain and restore function and movement.
Mobilization and Manipulation: movement of a joint to improve pain and restore functional movement.
MFR- Myofascial Release: "hands on" treatment to improve the fascia and connective tissue.
Therapeutic exercise: specific exercise to improve pain and restore functional movement.
Functional Movement Training: exercises to improve posture and movement
Kegel Exercises for strengthening or pelvic floor relaxation retraining: exercise to correct pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. It is important to get proper training in doing pelvic exercise correctly to avoid problems. Doing the wrong thing at the wrong time can make your problem worse.
Biofeedback: a way of using a computer or other device to “see” and improve body functions such as muscle activity or indicators of stress. Also used to “see” the function of the pelvic floor muscle to improve therapeutic exercise.
Electrical Stimulation or TENS: used to help improve pain, inflammation, muscle spasm, muscle function, and circulation.
To schedule an appointment with Clemens Physical Therapy call 304-842-6008
Not all physical therapists work with the pelvic floor. There are pelvic rehabilitation physical therapists who specialize in pelvic floor rehabilitation. They work with conditions that may include male pelvic issues. You can get more information on this specialty area of physical therapy or locate a PT who works with these conditions at the website for the Academy of Pelvic Health or the APTA. (TIP: the APTA's find a PT does not have an option specifically for male pelvic issues: choose the "women's health" as many of these PT's also work with male pelvic issues.