When we think of men’s health, we often think of issues like prostate health, prostate cancer prevention, and cardiovascular health. However, there are also other issues of men’s health that can be overlooked or go untreated because practitioners may not recognize that male pelvic floor dysfunction is contributing to the symptoms.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Men

At Rebalance Physical Therapy, we often get asked questions related to women’s health and pelvic floor dysfunction, but did you know that pelvic pain is a common problem for men as well? This pelvic pain can also manifest itself with pain in the hip, belly, pelvis, or back, but also with symptoms of prostatitis. Prostatitis is a condition involving the inflammation and swelling of the prostate and areas around the prostate.

Did you know:

• 10% of men will experience pelvic pain symptoms
• 50% of men will deal with prostate problems at some point in their lives
• 97% of the men who experience prostatitis symptoms will be treated with antibiotics despite no evidence of prostate or bladder infection
• The majority of men who do not show signs of infection can have pelvic floor dysfunction and can be treated with physical therapy

Prostatitis and Male Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

There are multiple classifications of prostatitis and the form of prostatitis related to pelvic muscle dysfunction is called chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Because it is not a disease, chronic pelvic pain syndrome can manifest itself in different ways with overlapping causes. In addition to pelvic pain, chronic pelvic pain syndrome can manifest itself in the following symptoms:

• Difficulty urinating, starting the urinary stream, or straining to urinate
• Urinary urgency and frequency
• Burning during and/or after urination
• Changes in erectile quality, strength of ejaculate, and/or orgasm intensity
• Pain with ejaculation
• Pain and/or difficulty with bowel movement
• Perineal, penile, or anal pain
• Perineal, penile, or anal pain with sitting and/or exercise
• Pain within the perineum region during sitting

Unresolved pain in the abdomen, groin, legs, and/or back that follow workouts or heavy lifting may also be tell-tale signs that there is a pelvic floor dysfunction for men. The clinicians at Rebalance Physical Therapy treat male pelvic pain syndromes and prostatitis by balancing musculoskeletal impairments that cause the pelvic floor muscles to spasm. Treatment includes manual therapy, biofeedback techniques, and corrective exercises to help relax and re-educate the pelvic floor muscles.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is not just experienced by women and many men will encounter pelvic floor problems throughout their life. If you have experienced any of the above symptoms or suspect that you may be experiencing pelvic floor issues, contact us here to get help!