Believe it or not, the pelvic floor is very similar between men and women. There is slightly different orientation of particular muscles to account for anatomical differences, but they all function the same between males and females. What a lot of people don't realize is that men can have the SAME issues that women do - they just don't take the brunt of pregnancy and childbirth to contribute to their pelvic dysfunction. Incontinence (urine and fecal leakage), constipation, pelvic pain, and so many other issues can occur to both and can be due to different issues with the pelvic floor, whether this be true muscle weakness, muscle spasm, or incoordination of normal muscle function. It can even be a combination of all three!
Men commonly complain of pain in their genitals (testicles and tip of penis pain) and prostate region that are referred pain patterns from the pelvic floor. After ruling out other medical conditions with a urologist, it is common to be referred to pelvic physical therapy to confirm that this is indeed to culprit.
We focus on finding the root cause of a man's pelvic dysfunction, commonly rooted in stress/anxiety, behavioral components, and poor toileting habits. In our male evaluation, we address sexual health, bowel and bladder habits as well as lifestyle habits such as sleep patterns, diet, as well as activity/exercise levels.
We can determine referrals to other specialists as well that may be able to help with your issues as we commonly work alongside GI, dieticians, urology, and your primary care provider.
At Pittsburgh Pelvic Health, we have experienced physical therapists that specialize in Men's Pelvic Health that will help determine the reason for your pelvic complaints and resolve them so that you can return to normal life free of leakage, bowel complaints, and pain!
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