By Erica Mitchell, PT, DPT
Have you received a diagnosis of prostatitis for your pelvic pain or urinary dysfunction and ruled out infection? You may be in the category of ‘chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome’ (CPPS) and could benefit from an evaluation by a pelvic floor physical therapist. We’ve covered that men have pelvic floors too (see previous blog post), but what does chronic prostatitis feel like and what can be done through physical therapy?
Below are the possible symptoms of chronic prostatitis: bladder urgency, frequency, hesitancy, weak or interrupted stream, pain with voiding, bowel frequency, pain with bowel movement, constipation, erectile dysfunction, pain with ejaculation, pain in testicles or penis.
Men with chronic prostatitis need to be able to relax and lengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Tension in these muscles can cause irritation in the nerves in the region. These tight muscles may have trigger points that are causing pain. All muscles need to be able to contract and relax. If pelvic floor muscles are not fully contracting and relaxing, it can be a contributing factor to symptoms of chronic prostatitis.
How can pelvic floor therapy help?
Pelvic floor physical therapists are specially trained in evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunctions and musculature. An evaluation can identify specific limitations or causations of discomfort and be treated with breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, education on toileting and bladder habits, as well as manual interventions to decrease tension and pain. The Physical Therapist will not just be looking at the pelvic floor, but also spinal mobility, hip mobility, posture, gait, among other things. Your head and neck posture and even the mobility of your big toe can be affecting your pelvic floor function! Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists should be providing extensive education on your specific symptoms and dysfunction. We will show you ways to help relieve these symptoms and ultimately improve your quality of life.
At Magic City Physical Therapy, we are here to listen and validate that your chronic prostatitis and pelvic pain is valid. We work with men dealing with chronic pelvic pain on a day to day basis. Often, pelvic floor physical therapy is an integral part in helping you to start to feel like you can return to activity like you used to and live a more pain-free life. We don’t want people just living with these symptoms and think there’s nothing that can be done to help!
If you feel like you may be experiencing chronic prostatitis, give us a call to schedule a 5 minute discovery phone call to start your healing journey.
