By Marzena Bard, PTA If you have a tight obturator internus, here are two go-to exercises for a release of that sneaky muscle.
Question from Dave: I have blue veins on one side of my scrotal sack. They have been there for a while. Is this normal? I don’t have any pain or anything, the veins just make my testicles look a little strange. Answer from Becca: What you have, Dave, is called a varicocele. This is similar to having varicose veins in the legs, only it is happening in your left testicle. Varicose veins occur when the valves of veins get damaged and are not as good as circulating blood back to the rest of the body thereafter. The cause of varicose veins in any part of the body is largely unknown. Having a varicocele, or a varicose vein in the testicles, is seen in 10-15% of men. Varicoceles usually arise in men around puberty and it is very typical that you see this only on your left testicle, Dave, as they are more prevalent on this side of the scrotum. The awesome news for you is that varicoceles rarely present with any actual symptoms that would impact your sex life or cause pain. If you do have symptoms down the road, they would most likely involve infertility or poor sperm quality. That said, the incidence of this is not common with the presence of a varicocele. And if you did want to get treatment for pain or infertility should they arise, there is surgery available. Otherwise, my suggestion would be to acknowledge that you are in good company with other men and that your varicocele is not a sign of anything that you did or did not do. The blue veins will remain, but think of them like a cool tattoo that you didn’t have to pay for and carry on with your sex life! Question from Alex: I am 28 years old and I live in the United States. My parents never had me circumcised, because they didn’t believe in it. Yet I always felt like there was something wrong with me when I took a shower in the locker room after football practice. Many of the women I have slept with have never seen an uncircumcised penis before. What is the point of circumcision and why am I so unusual for not having one? Answer from Becca: Alex, this question could not be asked at a better time in history. I’ll explain why. The fact that you live in the United States and are not circumcised reveals how we perceive this medical procedure. We live in a country with some of the highest rates of circumcision in the world. Israel’s rates are higher than America’s, which makes sense because the removal of the foreskin is a religious celebration in Jewish culture shortly after the birth of a male child. Men born in Muslim countries are also commonly circumcised, though this usually happens at an older age of approximately ten years. But why are the circumcision rates so high in the United States, if we are not performing this surgery in accordance to religion? The reason that many cultures have historically embraced circumcision is because it was perceived as keeping the penis “cleaner”. This argument it not scientifically based, because if a young boy learns how to pull back the foreskin of his penis and clean it properly, there aren’t documented increased risks of things becoming dirty or infected. Americans appear to embrace circumcision for their baby boys because of what you mentioned about your locker room experience as a teenager, Alex. Parents believe that circumcision is the social norm, that it is “the right thing to do” to avoid the shame of men later in life. The purpose of the foreskin is to protect the head of the penis. From an anatomical standpoint, it exists for a reason. When it is surgically removed, as it is in circumcision, this actually decreases sensation to the head of the penis. Imagine a part of your body that is routinely exposed to the outside air and friction against surfaces. Like your hands. Your hands will get dry and cracked in cold weather and your sensitivity to touch will decrease on your fingertips. Wearing gloves would protect your hands and improve the nerve sensation. When the head of the penis is rubbing up against boxers all day, as it will in a circumcised guy, that skin might toughen up with that friction and sensation may decrease. In an uncircumcised man, the head of his penis is protected by the foreskin, thus potentially enhancing the sexual response. The trend of circumcising boys in America seems to be dropping. The Center for Disease Control reported a steep decline in circumcision rates to merely 30% of male births in 2010. I hope that this trend will dispel the myth that the uncircumcised penis is somehow “unclean” or “unsanitary” and help the next generation feel more confident about being “uncut” down there. To sum things up, I have a friend who is Hungarian named Katalina. She had her first sexual experiences in Hungary, where the circumcision rate is quite low. When she moved to the U.S. and she saw her first circumcised penis, Katalina thought, “What is this odd-looking thing? Why would anyone allow surgery to his penis? I mean, it is beyond the guy’s control if he got a circumcision as a baby, but STILL!” Hearing Katalina say this in her Hungarian accent was priceless. Let that be a message to you, Alex, and to all the other men out there! This decision was made for you. There is no right or wrong answer to the circumcision question and there is little medical evidence to support the idea that cutting off the foreskin of the male penis has much benefit. Whether you are circumcised or not, rock on with your bad selves! And if you have a baby boy one day, consider all these aspects before you make this decision for him Question from Juan: I have spasms in my rectum. They are so uncomfortable that I can barely sit. These spasms get worse after I have a bowel movement and last for 2-3 hours. I am at the point where I am severely constipated, because I now avoid going to the bathroom. I have been to a gastroenterologist, who can find nothing wrong in testing. Is there any treatment available for this? Answer from Becca: Juan, I feel your pain. This is a tough condition, but fortunately for you, you are alive at a time where pelvic floor physical therapy for men is becoming more widely available. The reason that you have rectal spasms is likely because the muscles of your saddle region are too tight. Just like having neck spasms and having difficulty turning your head, spasms in the pelvic floor or saddle region will make it so you cannot open up your rectum to get poop out without discomfort. It is often that simple.
The fact that you are constipated is consistent with the rectal spasms. This is because the human brain is very clever. It wants to protect the body from pain, so your intestines will hold onto that fecal matter to prevent the rectal spasms from overwhelming your nervous system. This contributes to the cycle of pain and spasm and it can become a never-ending loop of constipation. So, what can be done? A pelvic floor physical therapist can assess your saddle muscles to see how tight they really are. Then, stretching within the rectum can be performed with a gloved finger to allow them to relax. It sounds pretty crazy, I know, but if you can get over the fact that a medical professional is in your bum, you will find that this treatment is extremely beneficial. I have treated many men like you. Once the indignity of the initial exam has been conquered, most patients report a sense of quiet in their pelvises when they are receiving the appropriate treatment. They report decreased pain in the rectum over time and have more regular bowel movements. The action plan for you, Juan, is to find a pelvic floor physical therapist. I have a good feeling that this will allow your pelvis to return to a calm state and facilitate more consistent and pain-free bathroom relief.
The obturator internus sits inside the pelvis and travels around out the back of the pelvis to the femur (thigh bone). This muscle rotates the hip out, moves the leg wide when it’s forward, and stabilizes the hip. The obturator internus can become tensioned or spasmed from overworking, muscle imbalances, injuries, and postural changes.
Some symptoms of obturator internus muscle tension include:
The obturator internus has many pain referral sites. So symptoms can vary from one day to the next. Other symptoms that would indicate that you should be checked for tension in the pelvic muscles include:
I commonly see high-level athletes hold tension in the obturator internus muscle. Gymnasts, horseback riders, spin class cyclers, runners, and dancers tend to have spasms here. In any post-operative hip surgery in which rotation is limited, as with a hip replacement, this muscle can be a source of pain or contribute to the onset of urinary incontinence. I find that many patients have gone to traditional PT and had no relief. Some have had X-rays, MRI, and injections. During an internal pelvic floor evaluation, when the muscle is pressed on by the therapist, it often reproduces the pain the patient has been experiencing. Many patients are relieved to find out where the pain is coming from and that it is easily treated. I think back to my orthopedic treating days and wish I could have sent all of my patients with hip pain not finding relief with traditional methods, and referred them to a pelvic PT. Besides a Gynecologist or Urogynecologist, a pelvic PT is the only person checking manually to see if the obturator internus is a source of pain. I have a special interest in the obturator internus because of personal experience with symptoms. Always having a tendency towards muscle tension, after pregnancy and abdominal diastasis weakness, my usual exercises resulted in pain. Pain in the hip, painful sitting, and when enough tension builds I am scared to sneeze! But these muscles can be stretched and released, and the muscle imbalances restored. If you have any of these symptoms, seek a pelvic physical therapist. A quick evaluation of the pelvic muscles can rule in or out the obturator internus and a treatment plan can be made for you. By Bryn Zolty, PT As rehabilitation therapists we all learn techniques to evaluate and treat patients. Often we refer to all these techniques as tools in our toolbox. Like a good carpenter, we strive to have a toolbox full of techniques so that we can provide the best care for each patient. We all have our favorite tools. With clinical experience and evidence based research, therapists may pick one tool more often for the job than another. However, I feel strongly that a tool will work better if you have been properly trained and had lots of practice with that tool. This applies to the use of biofeedback, specifically in this case, for pelvic muscle dysfunction. It is a tool in our toolbox. Not the only one, but one of my favorites. And a tool supported by medical evidence.
Through the mentoring process I learned many more uses for biofeedback for pelvic floor dysfunction. I learned to teach the patient how to use their muscles during tasks, functional movements, strengthening, coordinating a bowel movement breath, and more! These are things I have always taught, but now the patient and I could actually observe the muscle recruitment during the teaching. I could adjust my cueing and teaching to fit that person.
Not many patients walk into the office complaining that they have problems with their pelvic floor just laying in bed. But lying on your back is the only position many therapists use the biofeedback in. I use the biofeedback in a toileting position, during the movement that makes them leak urine, and in poses to relax or strengthen. It helps patients find out what their body is doing during the task that is most meaningful to them. Again, this is patient-centered care. What is biofeedback? Biofeedback is a tool to help a patient change behaviors or responses. More technically, it is electromyography, EMG. It measures muscle recruitment. That means if done correctly, it measures a targeted muscle when you activate it. If I put the surface electrodes (small stickers) on a muscle and ask you to squeeze or contract, the graph on the computer will show if you are able to contract the muscle. In pelvic floor biofeedback we have the option of surface electrodes or internal sensors. This is always a discussion with the patient to find out what method they are most comfortable with. Am I appropriate for biofeedback? Often a patient is told at a doctors appointment that they need biofeedback. I receive many scripts that request biofeedback for muscle training. The doctor may have concerns about the patient performing the correct program. Also, many gastrointestinal doctors have done testing that shows that there is incoordination of the pelvic floor during attempted bowel movements. This means the patient squeezes their muscles when they should relax, making it difficult to evacuate stool. Your first visit with a therapist is an evaluation. One of the many things we look for is your ability to coordinate your muscles. This means we have you contract, relax, and isolate muscles. If you are having difficulty with verbal and physical cueing, you may be appropriate. Research shows that almost half of patients being told to kegel will actually push and bear down instead of squeezing and lifting. It is also common that patients will contract their abdomen at the same time and have difficulty isolating the pelvic floor. Also, a cause of constipation can be pelvic floor activation when the muscles should be relaxing. A pelvic physical therapist has special training to perform internal pelvic floor evaluations. This internal evaluation provides us with valuable information to help you with your dysfunction. However, it is so important for a therapist to present all the options for evaluation and treatment. Not everyone needs or is comfortable with internal vaginal or rectal muscle evaluation. I like to inform each patient of all the information I can gather from each technique and let them decide. It is their care, their body, and their decision. Surface EMG can offer the patient and therapist a look at activation and coordination and help their symptoms without any internal contact. Some patient populations that may benefit from biofeedback because internal contact isn’t possible include:
Pelvic floor therapists need to be incredibly sensitive. Our patients share with us things their family may not even know. We need to build trust before many patients feel comfortable, if ever, with internal evaluation. This does not mean they do not get therapy! I see a huge relief in many of my patients when I explain that they do not ever need to have internal treatment. I tell them what I could do instead, and the pros/cons. Many of them choose biofeedback. What is a session like? Prior to the biofeedback session, I discuss all the options. First we discuss sensor options. Most of my patients choose the surface electrodes, but internal sensors are an option that can then be used for biofeedback and if stimulation is part of their plan of care. If you are a child or have severe internal pain, the surface electrodes are used. These are placed peri-anally. That means on either side of the anus. I usually have my patient put their pants back on, or a gown if they prefer for the session. We move around and the more comfortable a patient is the better the session. I will cue the patient through long or short squeezes, coughing, relaxation, bowel movement breathing, or whatever it is that we identified in the evaluation or we find on the biofeedback that needs to be addressed. I try different cues, screens or tones to get the desired outcome. I often find that the patient can achieve the goal on their own by monitoring the screen. If you figure out a problem on your own, you usually remember it better! Many patients need just one session to get started, some patients require more. It all depends on the patient because patient-centered care is so important. Are there side effects? Can I get hurt? Patients need to know that the biofeedback detects your muscles’ activity. No electrical charge goes into you during biofeedback. The machine will not hurt you. Squeezing muscles repeatedly can create muscle soreness. Just like after a workout at the gym. If increased resting tension is seen on the biofeedback and pain is associated with kegels, then I focus on muscle relaxation, physiological quieting, body scans, posture, etc. But it is possible that you are sore from exercising the muscles. Courses and certification There are several organizations that offer coursework for therapists. My path took me to Herman and Wallace for most of my pelvic floor training. I recently took a more biofeedback focused course from Biofeedback Training and Incontinence Solutions. I have been fullfilling my mentoring requirements through Tiffany Lee from Biofeedback Training and Incontinence Solutions. For information on coursework and mentoring, visit www.pelvicfloorbiofeedback.com. The BCIA offers certifications in different fields of biofeedback including pelvic muscle dysfunction. They require didactic course completion, mentoring, certification exams, and hours. Their website includes information for therapists hoping to become certified, as well as a board certified practitioner database for patients to locate certified therapists at www.BCIA.org. Question from Kirk: I am an avid bike guy. I go outdoor trail riding on weekends, over 60 miles, if the weather is good. On my weekdays, I do spin classes to stay in shape. I have begun noticing a dull ache in my testicles that won’t go away, even if I skip a day of riding. I went to my urologist because of my testicular pain. After some tests and an ultrasound, she said there is nothing wrong with my scrotum, but that I should lay off the bike riding. It is my favorite way to blow off steam after a long week at the office. Is bike riding related to my testicular pain? If so, do I have to stop altogether? Answer from Becca: Kirk, I understand how distressing it is to have undiagnosable pain in your pelvis. While working in a pelvic floor physical therapy clinic, we treat men like you all the time. Your testicular pain may be caused by tension in the small muscles of the saddle region of your body. The nerves and soft tissues of the groin are delicate and often get upset when they are compressed, as they would be during prolonged sitting on your bike seat. In your particular case, these bodily structures are also being jostled around quite a bit, especially during your trail rides on bumpy terrain. Spin classes also present a particular strain on the saddle area, as you are likely raising your butt off the seat for increased resistance and then slamming your body right back down to a sitting position a few moments later. Bike riding is your passion, and I wouldn’t want to rid you of something you like, especially if it is helping you “blow off steam after a long week at the office”. There are a few modifications that may help ease the pressure off your testicles and decrease your pain. Firstly, buy a seat for your trail bike that is specially designed for people with pelvic pain. There are many from which to choose, and they will often have a hole cut out of the seat, so that your pelvic floor will not be in contact with any surface while you ride. Secondly, when outdoors, try to bike on level surfaces for now. The rugged land of the trails is like riding a Jeep in the jungle. What you want to do to rest your pelvic floor muscles and scrotum is to travel on level terrain (cement), which will feel like riding your grandfather’s Cadillac with superb suspension. I know, it won’t be the same, but bear with me. Your testicles need this rest right now. Thirdly, if you are going to do spin classes, buy your own bike seat designed for pelvic pain sufferers, install it before a class, and avoid the alternating standing/sitting repetitions that spin classes are famous for. In time, your testicles will heal and you may get back to the point when you can resume trail riding. Also, if you have the time, find a pelvic floor physical therapist. The tight muscles of your pelvic floor can be stretched and any possible soft tissue restrictions within your scrotum can be addressed as well. By doing this, you will be sending your testicles on a much-needed vacation and they will thank you for it in the future. Question from Lou: My partner and I are fairly certain that we are done having children. I am considering having a vasectomy but am worried that something might go wrong. Can you tell me about this surgery and what I might expect if I get it in the future? Answer from Becca: I understand that this is a major decision, Lou, and you are not alone in the vast number of men who consider this procedure and are held back by trepidation about what the long-term implications might be. Let’s start with the anatomy or plumbing in how all this works. The sperm of a male is stored in tiny little coil, called the epididymis, that is located directly above each testicle. That sperm waits until it is needed, and then travels from the epididymis down a long tube called the vas deferens. The sperm then mixes with seminal fluid and is ejaculated through the penis. (This is a highly simplified explanation, but you get the idea). The procedure known as the vasectomy entails cutting both of the long tubes that serve as a conduit of the sperm to the ejaculatory fluid. The surgery involves one or two small incisions in the scrotum. The vas deferens is cut and a small piece may be removed, leaving a gap between the two ends. The physician then sears the ends of the tube, and ties little knots on each end. This is then performed on the opposite vas deferens. Afterwards, there may be one to two small scars on the scrotum which heal rapidly. Then, voila! This surgery is a 99% effective form of birth control. The recovery time after a vasectomy is quite short. You will need a few days of rest and some ice on the groin. After undergoing this surgery, many men are satisfied that they 1) no longer have to use condoms if they have a single sex partner and 2) do not have to burden their female partner with the more tricky forms of birth control, which do not offer as high a protection against pregnancy. There is a small risk of side-effects for this surgery, including the formation of a granuloma (a small lump of scar tissue where the vas deferens has been cut), though this is often not pain-producing. The sensation and quality of ejaculation will usually remain completely unchanged. I hope that I have answered your questions, Lou, and best of luck in making your decision! Question from Sergio: I am in my mid-thirties and have a very high-stress corporate job. On the days when I work 12 plus hours, my girlfriend often wants to have sex late at night. I find that I take longer to finish and that my ejaculation is more like a dribble than the forceful explosions that I usually have. Is something wrong? What should I do about this?
Answer from Becca: Sergio, this is a great question and a common cause of concern for men. It all boils down to the lives that we live today. Many men have high-stress corporate jobs. Which means they are under tremendous pressure for long hours, they are often sitting, and their tension is traveling down to the muscles upon which they sit. This is the perfect description of mild pelvic floor tension. Just as some people carry their muscular tension in their shoulders or low backs, you are storing it in your pelvic floor, Sergio. And these days, with the way that we work and live in our society, your need for increased time to ejaculate and the decreased power of your ejaculation are both incredibly common. While it wouldn’t hurt to see a urologist to rule out any other problems, these sexual issues are likely caused by tightness in your pelvic floor muscles. In order for arousal to take place, the muscles of the pelvic floor should lengthen and allow blood to pool within the testicles and penis. If these muscles are tight, they may not be allowing enough blood into these tissues and erections may be less rigid. This would cause a delay in ejaculation, resulting in increased time to finish the job. Furthermore, that decreased blood flow into the groin would result in less pressure generated to create the “forceful explosions” that you typically experience, Sergio. A weak dribble of seminal fluid at climax may often result. In summary, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong here, Sergio, except that you are living in the world today. My suggestion would be to practice some form of stress reduction at the end of these long workdays. It could be as simple as listening to some calming music during your commute home. You might want to do some simple stretches on the floor or spend time with your girlfriend without rushing into sex late in the evenings. Finally, you could reschedule sex for early mornings or weekends. This would assist your pelvic floor in being more primed and relaxed to achieve the quality of arousal and ejaculation that you deserve. Question from Marc: I have premature ejaculation. It has been part of my life since I was sexually active at 16 years old and I am now 33. Is this something that can be helped by pelvic floor physical therapy? Answer from Becca: Marc, I would imagine that you may have been treated by psychotherapists for your issue. In the last century, many specialists have placed premature ejaculation into the category of a problem of the brain. However, pelvic floor physical therapists now treat your particular diagnosis in an entirely different manner. What we have discovered in treating men like you, is that those who experience early climax often have tight musculature in their saddle muscles (the muscles of your body that would be in contact with the saddle of a horse, were you seated upon one). In the ideal situation of arousal, these saddle muscles should expand and allow blood to flow into the penis and testicles. This blood should be retained in this saddle area to allow for an adequate time span during arousal and penetrative sex before ejaculation. In the case of premature ejaculation, the muscles of this saddle region are taut and cannot allow accumulation of blood to pool in the testicles and penis, which then creates an emergency expulsion of the seminal fluid from the penis. This condition of premature ejaculation is treated in pelvic floor physical therapy. We assist men in reaching longer time durations of their erections by teaching them to lengthen their pelvic floor (saddle) muscles. We also instruct patients and their partners to increase the time of arousal and defer climax, thereby encouraging the blood flow necessary to prolong the sexual experience. In answer to your question, Marc, you can find help with a pelvic floor physical therapist. Question from Steve: I suffer from chronic constipation. While that is terrible by itself, I also find that I cannot get fully hard during sex when I am constipated. Am I imagining this, or is there a correlation between constipation and erectile dysfunction? Answer from Becca: Steve, I wish that more of our patients made this connection between the bowel and sexual function. The organs that sit within the relatively small cavern of the bony pelvis in men are the bladder, prostate, and the end of the colon (rectum). These organs are crammed into a very tight space. Which means that when one of these organ systems is a little bit off, the other systems invariably feel askew as well! When the bowel is impacted with stool, as it is with constipation, this organ presses on the prostate and then the bladder. Also, the pressure on the perineum (the saddle region we discussed in Marc’s case), is created by too much fecal matter accumulating in the bowel. This excess pressure inhibits a full sexual response and limits full erections in men. The long-term discomfort associated in prolonged constipation can also distance a man from wanting to engage in sex. The solution: pelvic floor physical therapists treat bowel dysfunction. We educate our patients in how to improve bowel regularity with stretches, exercise and lengthening of the pelvic floor muscles. What we find in treating patients like Steve is that when regular bowel movements are achieved, more satisfactory sex follows! Question from Chen: I have trouble urinating from time to time. Sometimes, I think I am done peeing, I pull up my pants, and then I dribble urine. I am only 25 years old. Why is this happening and what can help? Answer from Becca: Chen, I wish that you would start an online social media feed about your problem! Because it is so common and so very easily addressed. Many men come to pelvic floor physical therapy with complaints of leaking after peeing, or what we refer to in our line of work as “the post-void dribble.” Guys think there is something terribly wrong when this occurs, and because they won’t talk about it, they don’t know that many other guys have exactly the same problem! Many men stand up to pee in urinals. This is the cultural norm in our society. But for men with tight pelvic floor muscles, or even men with moderate anxiety in a public restroom, the bladder cannot completely empty when a guy is in a standing position or when there are other men around him. What happens in this case is that the bladder cannot fully relax and the urine within it will not completely drain from the pelvis. Many guys shake their penises to try to get excess pee out of it. But this technique doesn’t always work to sufficiently drain the bladder. Hence, the dribble occurs after you think you are done peeing, Chen, and so many other men like you leave the bathroom to return to the tavern or sports arena, because they never allowed their bladders to fully empty. Here is what a pelvic floor physical therapist may tell you, Chen.
Finally, for Chen and the vast number of guys like him, view this PDF for the technique on how to avoid the post-void dribble.
By Becca Ironside, PT Matt was a regular guy. At 36 years old, he had a successful career in IT and was newly married. Matt had been playing ice hockey from the time he was in grade school and had no intention of stopping in adulthood. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, Matt went to a local ice rink and laced up his skates to play with a men’s league. This was the release from the grind of his job and he felt like a young kid as the blade of his stick hit the puck away from the opponent’s net. Matt always wore a mouth guard and a jock strap. They were as necessary as the shoulder pads under the jersey. Anything could happen on the ice, and Matt was taking every precaution necessary, while having the best release of adrenaline he ever felt during the workweek. Until one day when all of this hockey armor failed to protect Matt. He will never forget it, he said. How could he? One evening, as Matt was playing defense, the puck flew into the air and hit him just to the left of his groin. The trajectory of the puck was like a sharp-shooter, it got that very tender spot between his jock strap and testicle. The pain was excruciating.
The only choice was surgery. The urologist made an incision down the seam in the middle of the scrotum and removed the damaged tissue. There was pain after the surgery, Matt said, but nothing as severe as the pain which brought him to the hospital after the puck’s errant contact with his groin. This surgical pain settled down, healing took place, and all seemed to return to normal.
It was not until three months later when Matt noticed that he was having difficulty with sex. He had developed premature ejaculation. There was also a strange sensation of fullness and tenderness in his testicles after climax. How had this happened, Matt wondered? And what could be done? Was there treatment for this? It was Matt’s wife who found our clinic. This was not surprising, as women typically have a more visceral connection with their pelvic floors; we have periods as teenagers, we get examined internally when most men do not until later years and we often have pregnancies which put this area of our bodies in the spotlight. Matt came to Pelvic Floor physical therapy with his wife, Maria. Maria explained that she was concerned about her husband’s premature ejaculation and discomfort after sex. Not only did Maria and Matt want to return to their very robust sex life, they also wanted to conceive a child. It was helpful to have both partners attend this initial session. Matt returned for several physical therapy appointments by himself after that first evaluation. He learned methods to relax the muscles of his perineum. It was the scar adhesions of his testicular surgery that caused his muscles to go into spasm; this was driving the premature ejaculation and pain after intercourse he was experiencing. He learned techniques to release the scarring and relax his muscles and taught his wife how to help him. Together, this couple worked to recover Matt’s sexual and pelvic health. It was nothing short of wonderful to get a letter from Matt a few months after he stopped attending PT. The letter read as follows: “It was not easy to come to a physical therapy office and talk about erections. But I am so glad that I did it. Since then, Maria and I are able to have the kind of sex that we did before the injury. I am also back to playing hockey, but only one night a week. This is because we are expecting a baby girl in a few months and I need to be at home more to get ready for the baby.” What was so successful about the outcome of this story, you might ask? Firstly, Matt had a traumatic injury to his groin and developed symptoms immediately thereafter, so the causation of the problem was easy to determine. Secondly, Matt was open to this type of therapy and it was readily available to him in the area in which he lived. Finally, and what is most important about this story, is that Matt and his wife Maria tackled the problem together. They both had to adjust their expectations, lifestyles and learn to overcome something which might have driven them apart. Instead, it brought them closer together. Pelvic Floor physical therapy helped to make this happen. With a baby girl to reinforce the story! There is great power in looking at life’s problems and seeking help. It requires staring down our opponent on the ice. We need the shoulder pads and the mouth guards, but the puck might still hit us in the worst possible spot. With a team approach, we can recover. We cannot allow the fear of the puck to keep us out of the ice rink. Just like Matt and Maria, we have to keep skating. Written by Becca Ironside, PT Vincent found our clinic by chance. He scoured the Internet, looking for a reason to explain the confounding pain in his pelvis. Vincent had a high-stress, corporate job wherein he sat all day long. He began to notice pain in his perineum while sitting. The longer he sat, the worse the pain became.
The final symptom which prompted Vincent to become desperate for help was testicular and penile pain during arousal. Vincent could no longer have intercourse with his wife without searing pain. He called a urologist and a gastroenterologist. He scheduled appointments for both specialists around his busy schedule.
The urologist prescribed a pharmaceutical named Flomax to improve Vincent’s ease in urination. The gastroenterologist recommended Miralax, a bowel aide which allows water to be retained in the stool, thereby promoting softer stool and more frequent bowel movements. Both of these agents helped Vincent with about one-third of his overall complaints; but he was still unable to sit at his desk without pain, and his sex life had taken a turn for the worse. Vincent’s wife was unhappy, though not as unhappy as Vincent. There has to be something out there to help me, he wondered. But what? This was when Vincent initiated his full-throttle search on the Internet. He looked for stories of men with similar complaints. Vincent lives in Central New Jersey. There came a day when he found Connect PT online. The office was merely 14 miles from his home! He booked an appointment for the following week and crossed his fingers as he paced around his office, trying to stop the throbbing in his pelvis by willpower alone. Upon his initial Pelvic Floor physical therapy evaluation, Vincent told his entire history to his evaluating therapist. She sat and nodded, and then proceeded to ask him a series of questions about his symptoms. To every one of the questions, Vincent longed to shout: YES! I have trouble maintaining a urinary stream! I have severe constipation! I cannot sit without pain! I cannot have sex anymore, because the discomfort is not worth the release! The PT gave Vincent some relaxation exercises, a home program to stretch his own pelvic floor and even a link to a seat cushion which Vincent could use to take the pressure off of his perineum, rectum and tailbone. This would allow him to sit for longer periods of time with less pain, the PT said. Within a few months, Vincent was able to urinate more freely, have more consistent bowel movements, and was able to return to having sex with his wife. How had all of this happened? Was it magic? No. But it seemed that way to Vincent. Vincent’s recovery had everything to do with his willingness to seek treatment and the newfound availability of Pelvic Floor physical therapy. His symptoms were far more common than he knew. Now, Vincent writes blogs about pelvic pain in order to share his experience with other men who may be suffering from similar complaints. The greatest outcome of Vincent’s recovery was his decision to retire from his high-stress, corporate job. He still uses the special seat cushion which takes pressure off of his pelvic floor to drive across the country in an RV. Vincent and his wife have seen Yellowstone National Park, and they even take their English bulldog named Lola along for the ride. In sum, everyone is happier. Vincent, his wife and Lola. All because of one fortuitous Internet search and the prevalence of Pelvic Floor physical therapy. “Looking back, I see that my symptoms really began to change when I began talking about this,” Vincent says. “Giving a voice to the pain, isolation and embarrassment has changed everything. I just want more people to know that they are not alone.” Written by former staff physical therapist, Aisling Linehan, PT Pelvic health therapists are sometimes known as women’s health therapists; however, it’s important to note many of them also treat men. Our pelvic floor therapists treat men as well as women. Pelvic therapy is effective and often life-changing for both genders.
Let’s use male pelvic pain as an example. When pelvic pain strikes, males often wait a few months for it to go away on its own. They finally visit their primary care doctor who commonly refers them to a urologist. Urologists do their best to work up patients for any harmful pathology like infection and cancer. For males with non-bacterial prostatitis, the tests for infection will be negative, and frequently prescribed antibiotics like Cipro may not help. Unfortunately, many men will continue to take it in hopes of future relief all whilst suffering from its many side effects. When urologists have sufficiently ruled out pathology but the pain remains, the patient is left wondering where to turn next. Many males turn to the internet to find that there are other people like them, in pain, alone and suffering but have found relief with pelvic floor therapy. Urologists are so effective at ruling out pathology that almost every male who ends up in a pelvic PTs office is suffering from a musculoskeletal issue. Pelvic floor tone is assessed digitally through the rectum and electronically with biofeedback. It is important to note that a high tone pelvic floor can cause any combination of the following symptoms: urinary urgency, urinary frequency, constipation, penile pain, and testicular pain/pulling/burning/retraction. Many of these symptoms can be relieved with PT interventions that may include: soft tissue release for pelvis and hips, breath training, rib/diaphragm mobility, internal pelvic floor trigger point and myofascial therapy, perineal mobility, light stretching, and gentle core strengthening.
Pelvic floor therapy is a safe space. It is not scary or threatening. Many patients feel immediate relief knowing that we have treated and helped patients just like them. We are here to educate and make space for the healing to happen. Knowledge is power and the more you know about your body they better you can treat it. If you’re looking for help and education regarding pelvic pain, contact your local pelvic floor physical therapist for an evaluation today.
Physical Therapy Treatment: Manual therapy to hips; low back and hip stretches; posture correction; gentle abdominal and low back strengthening; home program.
Results: Left groin/hip pain 3/10 only after prolonged sitting, undisturbed sleep, 0 urinary urgency or bladder discomfort in 5 visits! No pelvic floor work necessary. |
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