Pelvic Pain

• Do you regularly experience pain in your bladder or lower abdominal area or pelvis?
• Is it difficult to sit for long periods of time due to your pelvic pain?
• Are you having trouble riding your bicycle due to testicular pain or pain in your pelvis?
• Do you experience testicular, penile, or anal pain or pain with, or after, intercourse?

What is Pelvic Pain?

1 in 12 men in Australia suffer from pelvic pain. Unfortunately, most men will experience pelvic pain for years before seeking help, and when they do seek help, they describe their pelvic pain as being both emotionally and physically distressing.

In some instances, pelvic pain can be difficult to diagnose.

If your pelvic floor muscles are chronically tense or overactive, it can be difficult to relax these muscles completely. This can be problematic, as an overactive pelvic floor can lead to pelvic pain that can become a chronic or long-term problem. Many men describe experiencing difficulty riding a bicycle or sitting for long periods of time due to this type of pain.

You may receive a diagnosis of ‘painful bladder syndrome’ or ‘chronic prostatitis’, which leads to a referral to one of our experienced men’s health physiotherapists. In most cases, the pelvic floor muscles are overactive and painful, contributing to pelvic pain. If this is the case for you, your physiotherapist will be able to give you treatment and management strategies to help with this overactivity and pain.

There are many other possible causes of pelvic pain, including past trauma or injury in the pelvic region, nerve irritation or compression, psychological factors including mood, past relationship issues or sexual abuse, and lifestyle factors including a high-stress lifestyle.

Many men report experiencing bowel or bladder problems such as incomplete emptying of the bowel and bladder contents and/or the sensation of incomplete emptying; or they may report experiencing increased frequency (needing to go to the toilet often). This is can be a contributor to pelvic pain.

Common Symptoms of Pelvic Pain

• Pain or discomfort while riding a bike or sitting for long periods of time
• Pain when your bladder is full
• Pain during sexual activities such as erection, orgasm or ejaculation
• Discomfort or pain in the penis, testes, or anus
• Discomfort or pain with involuntary muscle spasms in your pelvic floor

How can we Help?

There is strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of physiotherapy in the successful management of chronic pelvic pain in men. Physiotherapy provides a broad range of treatment options to help improve your pain and get you back to what you enjoy doing the most. Using a holistic approach, your physiotherapist will provide you with an individualised treatment plan to assist you to manage your pain and symptoms.

Management of pelvic pain varies depending on the cause of the pain and the symptoms you are experiencing. In some cases, physiotherapy care is the best treatment option, whilst in other cases, physiotherapy is effective as an adjunct to medical care. Some people also benefit from input from a psychologist or dietician. In many cases, we find adopting a multidisciplinary approach to addressing pelvic pain to be highly valuable.

What to Expect From my Appointment?

• Detailed Interview to listen carefully to you in order to understand your symptoms, medical and surgical history and your specific goals.
• Physical Assessment of your body and pelvic floor, using the latest technologies as appropriate.
• Targeted Treatments including the use of Real Time Diagnostic Ultrasound to facilitate pelvic floor muscle ‘down-training’ (reducing overactivity of your pelvic floor muscles), manual therapy to help improve pain, and comprehensive advice and education around chronic pain and the role of the nervous system and brain. Treatment strategies also include practical lifestyle advice.
• Progressive Exercise Program to assist with improving any pelvic pain, including an exercise program for your general fitness, health and well-being as well as providing you with strategies to improve pelvic floor function and bowel and bladder habits.
• Communication and Collaboration with any specialists overseeing your care including Urologists, Psychologists and/ or your General Practitioner to keep them informed of your progress and to support your care.