What Causes Male Pelvic Pain?
Male pelvic pain is also known as chronic prostatitis (CP) or chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). Male pelvic pain is a type of prostatitis. It is the most common form, accounting for 90% of prostatitis cases. For example, CPPS is a non-bacterial manifestation of prostatitis, with pain being the primary symptom.
CPPS is more often than not caused by overactive pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that stretch like a hammock connecting the front, back, and sides of the pelvis and sacrum. They provide support to the pelvic organs, and control the bladder and bowel to prevent incontinence. The pelvic floor, like any muscle or group of muscles, needs to be able to shorten and contract and also to lengthen and relax. Overactive muscles however, are muscles that have lost their ability to relax fully, thus causing pain to the surrounding areas.
Other causes of pelvic pain can be due to stress and anxiety, pelvic trauma, or as a result of having another health condition such as IBS.
Symptoms of Male Pelvic Pain
The primary and most commonly reported symptom in CPPS is pain. The intensity of pain is usually quite severe and is most often perineal, pelvic, or genital pain. Irritative urinary symptoms such as discomfort when urinating, the need to urinate very suddenly or very frequently, along with obstructive urinary symptoms such as difficulty initiating the stream, a weak stream and an intermittent stream are also common. The third group of symptoms relate to sexual dysfunction and include erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and ejaculatory pain.
How Physiotherapy Can Help
Physiotherapy can help reduce the symptoms caused by CPPS and help improve your pelvic floor support. Treatment is often focused around learning how to release the pelvic floor muscles correctly and relieve the tension through pelvic floor exercises. This will help improve bladder and bowel control and any other urinary symptoms experienced, along with relieving sexual dysfunction issues. Treatment for male pelvic pain varies depending on individual diagnosis, however it may include some of the following:
Manual therapy treatment to the lower back and pelvis in order to get the joints moving correctly.
Trigger point therapy.
Pelvic floor exercises to help release the pelvic floor.
Re-education of the pelvic floor, hip and abdominal musculature.
Education regarding pain and how to manage it.
Specialised breathing and relaxation work.
Abdominal holding patterns.
Here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic, our clinic director Aileen Maguire specialises in treatment for pelvic pain, and accompanying bladder and bowel conditions. If you have any questions regarding pelvic pain and symptoms, or wish to have an assessment, please get in contact with us here.