By: Ashley Stump, PT, DPT, PCES, PRPC

Why does pelvic health matter for men?

Some symptoms are easy to ignore because they feel embarrassing to talk about.

Difficulty fully emptying your bladder. Straining to use the bathroom. Constipation. Dribbling after urination. Pelvic pain. Erectile dysfunction. Urinary frequency or hesitancy.

If any of that sounds familiar, you are not the only one. And it does not mean you have to simply live with it.

Pelvic health is often talked about as if it only applies to women, or only matters after pregnancy. That is not true. Men have pelvic floor muscles, too, and those muscles can affect bladder control, bowel function, sexual health, and pain.

What is the pelvic floor?

Think of the pelvic floor as a group of muscles that help support the bladder and bowels. Like other muscles in the body, they can become weak, overactive, poorly coordinated, or difficult to relax.

When that happens, symptoms can show up in ways that affect daily life, including:

• Trouble fully emptying the bladder
• Constipation or straining with bowel movements
• Urinary leakage, dribbling, frequency, or hesitancy
• Pelvic pain
• Erectile dysfunction

Pelvic health physical therapy can help identify what may be contributing to these symptoms and build a plan that fits your body and your goals.

A quick way to understand a Kegel

A Kegel is a pelvic floor contraction. One way men may be taught to find this contraction is to imagine gently lifting the penis upward or stopping the flow of urine.

You may feel the penis move slightly upward, and you may feel the muscles around the anus gently tighten. That can be the pelvic floor contracting.

What you should not feel is a big brace through your stomach, a strong squeeze in your glutes, or tension through your inner thighs. Those are common “helper” muscles that can take over when the pelvic floor is not doing the work on its own.

That said, Kegels are not the right answer for every pelvic health symptom. Some people need strengthening. Others need help learning how to relax or coordinate the pelvic floor muscles. A licensed physical therapist can help determine what your body needs.

The main takeaway

Pelvic health is not just a women’s health topic. It is part of men’s health, too.

If bladder, bowel, sexual health, or pelvic pain symptoms are affecting your daily routine, pelvic health physical therapy may help you better understand what is going on and what your next step should be.

LHMPTI