Pelvic floor physical therapy is all the rage now.  Women everywhere know about it! But what about the men out there?! Did you know that men, too, have a pelvic floor?!

When a guy gets the urge to urinate or defecate, he holds it in (aka kegel), gets to the toilet, stands/sits, and he lets go (relaxes pelvic floor) and goes! Sexual function is also controlled partially by the pelvic floor.

Male sexual health is determined by THREE factors:

1. Heart health: Good blood pressure is important to push blood into the arteries of the penis. Blood pressure medication is important to obviously keep the arteries and heart going, but it can diminish erectile function. So gents, it's important to keep an eye on your heart health, watch your fat intake and up your fiber!

2. Spine Health: The nerves that innervate the pelvic floor start at the spine. Think of this as an electrical issue, if the source of power isn’t working or a conductor is off, the light won’t turn on. Back issues may be contributing to your pelvic floor problem.  

3. Pelvic Floor Health: Tense muscles can limit the blood supply to the penis and can actually affect engorgement. In order to get an erection, the pelvic floor muscles need to contract and create a “closing valve” around the veins of the penis to maintain blood in the penis and stay engorged 

So, what does pelvic floor physical therapy do to help?

We fix the pelvic floor muscle! That may be ensuring the nerves from the spine are optimized. It will also include a pelvic floor assessment. That almost always includes a rectal exam, not a prostate massage. Is it too tense or too weak?  We usually do not assess the actual penis. For those of you that are freaking out about the idea of an internal pelvic floor exam, no worries, some of our male patients decline an internal exam at first visit, and that’s ok! As experienced pelvic floor physical therapists, we find that we can treat plenty externally and offer relief that way as well.

Curious?  Wondering if we can help you? Please reach out to us at info@empoweryourselfpt.com or call at 832-463-1152.