Men’s Health
Pelvic floor dysfunction in men can have a variety of causes including trauma, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, infection, stress, anxiety, digestive issues and even as a result from poor posture or repetitive strain.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a valuable treatment option for men experiencing any of the following pelvic floor symptoms:
Pain in the rectum, penis or testicles
Back, hip or tailbone pain.
Pain during or after ejaculation
Painful intercourse
Erectile dysfunction
Urinary hesitancy
Painful urination
Urinary frequency or urgency
Urinary or fecal leakage
Slow or decreased urine stream
Incomplete emptying of bladder or bowel
Prostatectomy Pre and Post-Surgery Rehab.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian men and both conservative treatments and intensive surgeries have significant side-effects on urinary continence, erectile function and quality of life.
Removal of the prostate or “Radical Prostatectomy” is the gold standard approach for curative treatment and is associated with immediate urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Pelvic floor muscle training and treatment with a specialized pelvic floor physiotherapist should commence immediately following diagnosis and prior to invasive surgery.
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An enlarged prostate can impact your urine stream. Many men will notice symptoms of slow or inconsistent streams, trouble initiating a stream, incomplete emptying or dribbling prior to completion, and urinary urgency or frequency issues.
If your prostate cancer has been considered mild, you may be on a “wait and see” conservative treatment approach. During which your physiotherapist can help you address and treat the above symptoms.
If your medical team has recommended prostatectomy surgery (removal of the prostate) it is important that you see a pelvic floor physiotherapist as soon as possible prior to surgery.
Research is showing that pre-operative pelvic floor muscle training and education, bladder training and exercise protocols result in improved and faster recovery of continence post-operatively. (Milios JE. BMC. Urology 2019).
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Removal of the prostate results in immediate urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Following radical prostatectomy, 80-98% of men experience urinary incontinence (Hodges et al, 2019).
68-98% of men experience erectile dysfunction (Nelson J Sex Med, 2013) .
Individuals receiving chemotherapy and radiation often also have bowel issues such as fecal urgency and incontinence.
Pelvic floor muscle training and pelvic floor physiotherapy should be started immediately following surgery and proper treatment has shown to significantly improve outcomes and recovery of continence following surgery.