Connect Physical Therapy: It's time to Own Your Body
  • Home
  • About
    • Michelle Dela Rosa, PT, DPT, PRPC
    • Karen A. Bruno, PT, DPT, PCES
    • Bryn Zolty, PT, DPT, PRPC, BCB-PMD, PCES
    • Katelyn (Kate) R. Sheehan, PT, DPT, ATC, PCES
    • Jennifer Watt, PT, DPT
    • Shraddha Wagh PT, DPT
    • Rosalind Cox-Larrieux, PT, MPT, PRPC
    • Giselle Oriendo, PT, CLT
    • Becca Ironside, PT, MSPT
    • Marzena Bard, PTA, CYT, PCES
    • Donna Zamost, PTA, PCES
  • Services
  • New Patients
  • Existing patients
    • Patient Cheat Sheet
    • Pelvic Floor Relaxation
    • Core Strengthening
    • Hip Strengthening
    • Pelvic Correctives
  • Videos
    • Female pelvic pain
    • Male pelvic health
    • Meditation
    • Back pain
    • Pregnancy & postpartum
    • Yoga
  • Ask us
  • Blog
  • Location

BLOG

Read about insights and research updates in
​orthopedic and pelvic physical therapy.

Pelvic health for men

3/21/2018

 
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.
Pelvic health for men
Why would a man need pelvic floor therapy? Our male patients can present with any combination of the following symptoms:  urinary retention, urinary hesitation, urinary leakage, constipation, fecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction and pelvic pain.  Male patients do wonderfully with our therapy services; however, it can take seeing 5-6 providers and more than a year before they find our office and relief.  We care about male patients and want them to find us sooner, so here is our PSA (public service announcement) to help the boys. ​
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.   ​
A pelvic floor PT evaluation consists of a movement, breathing and pelvic floor muscle assessment. Most pelvic pain patients have high tone pelvic floor musculature, poor breathing patterns, and inefficient functional movement patterns. ​
Pelvic health for men
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.

Comments are closed.
    Pelvic blog

    Categories

    All
    Case Study
    Coccydynia
    Constipation
    Diabetes
    Did You Know
    Equipment
    Events
    Hip And Abdominal Pain
    Incontinence
    Interstitial Cystitis
    Interviews
    Low Back Pain
    Meditation
    Men's Health
    Neck And Shoulder Pain
    Pelvic Pain
    Pregnancy
    Prolapse
    Prostate
    Pubic Pain
    Q&A
    Research
    Resources
    Smoking
    Urinary Frequency
    Vagus
    Visceral Manipulation
    Vitamin D
    Vulvodynia
    What's New
    Yoga

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

©2009-2023 Connect Physical Therapy and Connect Physical Therapy East | It's Time to Own Your Body
facebook.com/connectphysicaltherapy | admin@connectpt.org
Whitehorse Professional Building | 1675 Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd, Ste 101 | Hamilton, NJ 08619 | P: 609-584-4770 | F: 609-584-4880
Candlewood Commons Office Park | 201 Candlewood Commons | Howell, NJ 07731 | P: 732-994-7755 | F: 732-994-7757
  • Home
  • About
    • Michelle Dela Rosa, PT, DPT, PRPC
    • Karen A. Bruno, PT, DPT, PCES
    • Bryn Zolty, PT, DPT, PRPC, BCB-PMD, PCES
    • Katelyn (Kate) R. Sheehan, PT, DPT, ATC, PCES
    • Jennifer Watt, PT, DPT
    • Shraddha Wagh PT, DPT
    • Rosalind Cox-Larrieux, PT, MPT, PRPC
    • Giselle Oriendo, PT, CLT
    • Becca Ironside, PT, MSPT
    • Marzena Bard, PTA, CYT, PCES
    • Donna Zamost, PTA, PCES
  • Services
  • New Patients
  • Existing patients
    • Patient Cheat Sheet
    • Pelvic Floor Relaxation
    • Core Strengthening
    • Hip Strengthening
    • Pelvic Correctives
  • Videos
    • Female pelvic pain
    • Male pelvic health
    • Meditation
    • Back pain
    • Pregnancy & postpartum
    • Yoga
  • Ask us
  • Blog
  • Location