Male Pelvic Health
May 06, 2021
Men have a pelvic floor too!
The pelvic floor is typically talked about in regards to Women’s Health, but did you know that men have a pelvic floor too?
When a man’s pelvic floor is not working properly, it can lead to bladder problems, bowel problems, erectile dysfunction, or pain in the genitals, pelvis or lower back. Many of these problems can be improved, and often cured, by seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist.
What is the function of the pelvic floor in males?
The pelvic floor muscles are a muscular sling at the base of the pelvis that attach to the pubic bone at the front and the tailbone at the back. They sit below the bladder and bowel, and contract and relax to help open and close the urethra and rectum to control bladder and bowel continence. During an erection, the pelvic floor muscles contract to trap blood in the penis to maintain firmness, and also help with ejaculation.
What can go wrong with the pelvic floor in males?
A man’s pelvic floor can either be too weak, or too tense.
A weak pelvic floor is often caused by years of heavy lifting, constipation and straining when going to the toilet, having a chronic cough, being overweight or inactive, or ageing.
A tense, or ‘overactive’ pelvic floor, is less well known, but something we see very commonly at Women’s & Men’s Health Physiotherapy. A tense pelvic floor can be caused by stress or anxiety, doing too much core exercise, poor core stability, too much sitting or bike riding, or following pain, trauma, or surgery in the pelvic region, such as having a vasectomy.
What issues can occur from a weak or tight pelvic floor?
- Bladder Problems; accidental leakage, needing to rush to the toilet, going too often, waking frequently at night to urinate, difficulty with the flow of urine, or dribbling after going to the toilet.
- Bowel Problems; accidental leakage, having to strain to empty your bowels, needing to rush to the toilet, and accidentally passing wind.
- Chronic Pelvic & Sexual Pain; pain in the anus, testes, or penis, pain with sitting, and pain with ejaculation, erection or orgasm.
- Erectile Dysfunction; reduced firmness of erection, erections that fade quickly, and premature ejaculation.
To book in for an appointment for male pelvic health physiotherapy, call 780-458-8505.
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