I was in deep sadness, because of an unhealthy pelvic floor. Past tense because it was all in the past. Have you been searching for ways how to regain your pelvic health?
If YOU or you know ANYONE who has been suffering from pelvic floor dysfunctionover the years. Please let them read this. Please share this with them.
Because they need to know what I’ve been through. And how my story can HELP them regain their pelvic health back for GOOD.
When I was going through my symptoms of a pelvic floor disorder, I remember feeling very bad for myself. I have experienced all the embarrassing signs of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Weak pelvic floor
Urinary incontinence
Fecal incontinence
Painful urination or defecation
Erectile dysfunction
Pain in the bladder or groin area
I tried to rationalize why someone like me who is a good person, would get such a terrible disease. And I also tried to play out every scenario in my head and think of what I could have done over so that I would not feel the pain and discomfort I was feeling. Weird things like my masculinity kept being called into question, I would second guess myself on routine tasks and I would feel less confident around familiar people. I remember crossing the street and thinking to myself “I bet you, he doesn’t have pelvic pain”. This all drove me mad!
Physicians I consulted with thought I was crazy. Every test they examined me for came back NEGATIVE!
Examinations include:
Digital rectal exam
Urinalysis
Blood tests
Radiology tests
Cystoscopy
They all concluded that it must be psychological, and I started to believe them. The issue with men’s pelvic pain is that it’s not tangible; no one can prove that you are feeling pain, neither can you. At some point in your journey, you start to ask yourself is my anxiety causing this? What came first, my anxiety or the pain? Did I even have anxiety prior to this? The truth is, it’s a double-edged sword if you are constantly trying to make sense of something in your head and you are feeling symptoms of that which you cannot make sense of, that is anxiety by mere definition.
It wasn’t until I finally met a pelvic physical therapist focused on men’s pelvic health, who could finally validate my symptoms. And help me get out of pain and discomfort that I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
It took me 6.5 long years to finally get someone to listen to me and let me know that my symptoms are real and actually very much treatable.
I remember breaking down and crying at how happy I was.
This was now the beginning of a great journey and all my efforts up until this point have not been wasted. So many men have been through hell and back and have lost hope.
There are so many reasons as to why you haven’t gotten relief yet. In many cases I see clients that haven’t been pointed in the right direction for care. Sometimes it’s a urologist, gastroenterologist, colorectal specialist or even a PCP that didn’t know how to screen for pelvic pain. Other times it’s another pelvic floor therapist that didn’t know how to properly treat the cause of the symptoms. Whatever it is, know that it takes time to get help for a diagnosis with little to no research. Only now are we starting to see leading practitioners research this issue.
So don’t lose hope, remind yourself that you are doing everything in your power to get better and there is absolutely nothing you can do beyond that. Control the factors in your life that you can control. Getting rid of pelvic pain is multifactorial, look at the whole picture.
Check your sleep cycle;
Water intake
Stress level
Activity level
Check your diet and vices
My only MISSION is to pay it forward.
Be that SOMEONE who listens. That SOMEONE who pays attention to your pain. And we are making it possible by creating a judgment-free community of MEN that support MEN, aiming to be free from pain and live their best life.
WEAK PELVIC FLOOR is synonymous with a TIGHT PELVIC FLOOR. These words are common terms in the world of pelvic health but are usually misunderstood. To give everyone clarity, a weakened pelvic floor is a state of the pelvic floor muscles where your pelvic organs lack the support it needs to function normally. That may stop you from being able to control urine, feces, or gas.
Symptoms of a WEAK/TIGHT PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES
Leaking urine or flow of urine when coughing or sneezing
Passing wind/gas when bending or lifting
Reduced sensation in the sexual organ
Unable to control bowel movements or passing the stool
Pain in the tailbone (coccyx pain)
Sudden urge to pee (urinary urgency)
Unable to poop (constipation)
Painful sex (dyspareunia)
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CAUSES OF WEAK PELVIC FLOOR IN MEN?
Men’s pelvic floor can be weakened by:
Obesity (as defined by the World Health Organization, obesity is the abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.)
Type-A Personality ( People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving “workaholics” )
Chronic constipation (Constipation that lasts for several months)
Post-Op Prostate Recovery (People who underwent prostatectomy which is a surgery that removes part or all of the prostate gland)
Straining to urinate or defecate (An intense exertion to pass the urine or stool)
Minimal Ejaculation (Ejaculating little to no semen)
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF WEAK PELVIC FLOOR?
Have you tried riding a roller coaster and felt like your internal organs are shuffled? And it felt like there is a strong gravitational force pulling you down there? It may be a little exaggerated, but one of the major complications of a weak pelvic floor is PROLAPSE. Prolapse is the bulging or dropping of your rectum or bladder. It is more common in females but may occur in men as well.
If your pelvic floor muscles are weak, there are lifestyle changes and pelvic floor muscle training that can reduce the symptoms of pelvic floor weakness. It may include the following:
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy – Pelvic floor exercise (especially integrated with a strong core) can help with the symptoms of a weak or tightened pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor therapist can help strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor and core.
High-fiber diet
Water intake
Weight loss
Exercise/Movement
Yoga
WHERE TO GET HELP?
Having a weakened pelvic floor is not a medical emergency, but it is EMBARRASSING and UNCOMFORTABLE. Pelvis NYC is on a mission to help men get proper treatment and proper care. If any of the above signs and symptoms are bothering you, please consult your specialist. Or you can book a 15-minute teleconsultation totally FREE OF CHARGE. We are here to listen. We are here to help.
Are you a prisoner of pelvic pain? Are you experiencing chronic pelvic pain for the past 6 months? Do you feel hopeless and frustrated over unlimited doctor visits? And no progress on the prognosis? Or worse, no clear diagnosis? Have you ever thought that you may feel this pain for the rest of your life? If your answer is YES, on any of the queries above, you came to the right place. Here we will explain how PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY can help you move well, feel better, and live your best life.
Here are the few testimonials from our clients who have been pain-free from pelvic pain and living their best life.
“Low back pain encompassed my life and now not only am I pain-free, but I have the tools to get out of the pain in the future.” – Amelia H
“I was diagnosed with Chronic Prostatitis, Hard Flaccid, Interstitial Cystitis, and overactive bladder. I am now symptom-free for about 2 months and am living a life without pain.” – Kevin Miller
“He is a healer in every sense of the word. I owe him my life. I have no pain anymore.” – Katie M
PELVIC PAIN IN MEN
WHAT CAUSES PELVIC PAIN IN MEN?
Male pelvic pain – is a discomfort or localized pain to the pelvis, groin, or genital area. There are a lot of other symptoms that can accompany pelvic pain including burning sensation when you pee, urinary frequency (the urge to urinate multiple times a day), urinary urgency (the urge to urinate immediately), painful urination, painful sex, and constipation. There are many possible causes of pelvic pain, such as infection or neoplasm but the most common cause of pelvic pain in men are the following conditions:
URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI) – is a type of infection that happens when pathogenic bacteria enters the urethra or urinary tract causing a burning or painful sensation when you urinate.
CYSTITIS – is an infection of the lower urinary tract or the urinary bladder.
PROSTATITIS – is an inflammation of the prostate or the areas around the prostate that may be bacterial or non-bacteria. Scientists have identified four types of prostatitis:
Chronic Prostatitis Or Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS)
Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis
Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA – a benign or nan-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that can cause bladder problems.
PUDENDAL NEURALGIA – a condition that happens when a nerve in your lower body is damaged or irritated that causes pain, numbness and discomfort.
Other conditions that may cause pelvic pain in men could be a hernia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), kidney stones, or post-vasectomy. These are a few of the most common causes of pelvic pain in men and these should be properly diagnosed to be properly treated. And in most cases, these conditions need to be ruled out to identify if it is a PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION.
In the absence of bacteria and an enlarged prostate, pelvic pain in men is most likely due to a musculoskeletal origin. We can say that posture, connective tissue, and trigger points cause pelvic pain. But the truth is, there is no one answer to what causes pelvic pain. We must look at the entire individual. What are their daily habits like? What are their triggers? How much movement do they incorporate in their day? What is their diet like? Are they constipated? All of the information is gathered and only then can a doctor make an educated decision on what is going on.
HOW TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE PELVIC PAIN IN MEN?
PELVIC PAIN is an umbrella term used to diagnose a host of symptoms that cause discomfort and pain pertaining to your abdomen and pelvic contents. It is said that 1 in 6 men will experience pelvic pain in their lifetime. The two most mentioned diagnoses are Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) & Chronic Prostatitis (CP). Both these diagnoses can have the same symptoms of shooting pain/numbness, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, hard flaccid, constipation, urinary hesitancy/burning/frequency, erectile pain, post-ejaculate pain and the list goes on. That is why sometimes these two can be used interchangeably and at times can really confuse your specialist.
If your pelvic pain won’t go away, it is always a must to see your doctor or specialist and they will perform the following to diagnose the cause of your pelvic pain:
Medical History – This includes the patient’s past surgical history, family medical history, social history, allergies, and medications
Diagnostic Tests – urinalysis (analysis or test of the urine) is one of the most common diagnostic tests to rule out or identify the presence of any infection
Diagnostic Imaging – cystoscopy or ultrasound can help your specialist visualize your pelvic organs
Physical Exam – your healthcare provider may also do a physical exam using their hands to check for spasms, knots, and muscle weakness
The most common urological diagnosis of men under the age of 50 is CPPS/CP. Generally urological tests such as urine & semen cultures, cystoscopies, urine flow tests, bladder ultrasounds come back negative for bacteria, yet you are still feeling pain & discomfort. Once you are medically cleared and have gone through these tests by your urologist, you should be seen by a Male Pelvic Pain Physiotherapist so that they can properly diagnose you.
There is no one-size fits all to treating pelvic pain and it is important to take an individualistic approach to treatment. If you are feeling any of the above symptoms, PLEASE DO NOT TRY AND DIAGNOSE YOURSELF. Understand that HELP DOES EXIST and that at the end of the day we just have to find out what message your body is trying to send you. To say that pelvic pain is caused by one thing is just not true. Pelvic pain is multi-faceted and no one “cure” will get it better.
WHEN SHOULD YOU WORRY ABOUT PELVIC PAIN?
If you stumbled on this article and you are searching for ways to relieve your pain and the pain you are experiencing lasts longer than you think, this is one of the indication that you should seek help from a specialist.
Pain is a general term that means an uncomfortable sensation, a physical suffering or a discomfort caused by illness or injury. Your clinician will assess your pain based on the following:
How it feels like?
How often you experience the pain?
Where do you feel the pelvic pain?
In a scale of 0-10, how much does it hurt?
How it is triggered?
Everyone will have their own pain tolerance but regardless of the onset and severity of your pelvic pain, it is always advisable to seek medical advice. They’ll be able to investigate the cause and prescribe treatments required for your condition.
PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY FOR MEN
CAN PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION GO AWAY ON ITS OWN?
Pelvic floor disorders are very common in American men. If you are diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction it may not go away on its own, but fortunately, with pelvic floor therapy and prescribed treatment, it can be reversed. There is nothing to lose if you will not engage in pelvic floor therapy… but sure it will consume your time, energy and the quality of life you deserve.
HOW DOES PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY TREAT PELVIC PAIN?
Physical therapists are experts not only in treating pain, but also identifies the trigger causing muscle tension and dysfunction. Some of the common causes of pelvic floor dysfunctions are stress, lack of activity, accidental injury or infections. Pelvic floor therapist will prescribe certain exercises to ease pain and help you move better. Manual release of your pelvic floor muscles will help relieve the tension and pelvic floor tightness. Lifestyle changes including your diet, the way you move and your daily activities may also be modified to address the cause of pelvic pain.
In a pelvic floor therapy session, you may do a mix of:
Strengthening exercises – such as Kegels to improve the way you relax and contract your pelvic floor muscles
Biofeedback – a non-surgical way to monitor your pelvic floor muscles while you relax or contract them
Relaxation techniques – your pelvic floor therapist may prescribe exercises to relax your muscles
WHAT DOES PELVIC PAIN TREATMENT LOOK LIKE?
Depending on the severity and aggravation of symptoms treatment can vary from twice a week, weekly and bi-weekly. During treatment a full evaluation of subjective & objective history will take place. I always tell my clients, there is absolutely NOTHING you can’t tell me. If you want to tell me how far you used to ejaculate compared to now, that is fine and actually very helpful for me creating a treatment plan. Treatment for pelvic pain consists of trigger point release, soft-tissue mobilization, education and movement. Both therapist and client should have active roles throughout the plan of care.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY IS RIGHT FOR ME?
If you have chronic pelvic pain, if your doctor keeps requesting for urine culture or urinalysis and keeps giving you antibiotics and telling you that you may have a urinary tract infection or prostatitis—if you keep going back, and you keep getting the same answer without any pain relief—and if you are at the edge of a cliff and still trying to google about your symptoms and its telling you that the excruciating pain you are experiencing could be the big C or cancer – then it’s worth consulting a pelvic floor physical therapist. Save yourself from all the anxiety of over diagnosis and save yourself from the despair of suffering needlessly for the rest of your life. Consult a PELVIC FLOOR THERAPIST now!
PELVIC PAIN MANAGEMENT AT PELVIS.NYC
I usually tell my clients that pelvic pain treatment is like 2 steps forward and 1 step back. You will have times where you are getting better and others where you might feel you are regressing. But at the end of the day, it is still 1 net step forward. You are the only person that will know if they are getting better. To help you better make that decision, at Pelvis NYC we discuss all goals and desired outcomes so all expectations are set at the beginning of the plan of care.
WHO ARE THE EXPERTS IN PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY?
If you are experiencing pain that won’t go away, call us for a telehealth advice or book an appointment with our pelvic floor therapist.
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