Men Have a Pelvic Floor Too!

Pelvic health is important for people of all gender identities but is commonly discussed through the female lens. This can be why many men don’t realize that they too have a pelvic floor and can benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy. 

Strong pelvic floor muscles give you control over your bladder and bowel. If your muscles are weakened, these internal organs are not fully supported, causing you to have problems controlling urine, feces, and other excretions. These muscles stretch like a muscular trampoline from your coccyx to the pubic bone. In men, this muscular wall has a hole for passages to pass through, which is the urethra and anus. These muscles give conscious control over the bladder and bowel so that we are able to release urine, feces, etc. upon command. These muscles can be responsible for erectile function and ejaculation, as well as their connection to the abdominal and back muscles to support the spine. 

Naturally, if these muscles are weakened, you are going to run into problems with function. After the age of 35, the male body starts to produce less testosterone. According to a recent study published by Harvard Medical School, testosterone is responsible for the creation and retention of muscle in men (along with other hormones), which means a potential decrease in the prominence of your pelvic muscles (Harvard, 2019). According to the national association for Continence, (NAFC), between 2% and 15% of men ages 15 to 64 and 5%-15% of men over 60 have incontinence (Health, 2019). Therefore, it’s not the most unusual of conditions, considering that as men age their muscular composition and control decreases.

Another contributing factor is that the prostate gland surrounds the opening of the bladder gets bigger as men age. This can press on the bladder causing frequent bladder urges. Of course, not all of these dysfunctions are caused by aging, but these are some physical explanations as to why it’s important for all men to seek pelvic floor therapy. 

Here are some reasons why men or those with male genitalia seek pelvic floor physical therapy:

• Incontinence 

• Constipation 

• Premature Ejaculation 

• Frequent Urination 

• Painful ejaculation 

• Erectile Dysfunction 

• ICS 

Contact us for pelvic floor therapy!

Pelvic floor therapy can help with all of these conditions and they do not have to be dealt with alone. If you are suffering from any of these dysfunctions, do your research and reach out to pelvic floor physical therapists in your area to find the best fit for you and your needs. It’s important to be comfortable with whoever is treating you in order to allow for real healing to occur. If you are in the Cranston, Rhode Island area and need pelvic floor therapy, contact us today!