Why Male Pelvic Floor Therapy Matters
Why Male Pelvic Floor Therapy Matters
Especially After a Prostatectomy
If you’ve recently had prostate surgery, you may be feeling uncertain, especially if you’re dealing with frustrating symptoms like urine leakage or pelvic pain. At Fitness Matters, we understand how challenging these symptoms can be. But we also offer an often overlooked solution: pelvic floor physical therapy.
Many people associate pelvic floor PT with women’s health. However, men also have a pelvic floor, and keeping it strong and healthy is essential for overall well-being, especially after a prostatectomy. Pelvic floor physical therapy is one of the most effective ways to make this possible.
Clinic Update! Our Pickerington clinic has moved to Dublin. Our new address is 5150 Bradenton Ave., Ste. C Dublin, Ohio 43017.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“I’d strongly recommend Fitness Matters after my experience working with Rachel. I started working with Rachel in February for help with chronic pain that was keeping me from making a full return to running and strength training. Rachel guided me through several series of exercises to build core strength and thoracic mobility, and she also changed the way I had been thinking about pain. Since July, I’ve been back on trail regularly, have been training hard in the gym again, and feel great overall!” – G.P.
The Pelvic Floor and Men’s Health: What You Need To Know
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that form a supportive sling at the base of the pelvis. These muscles play a vital role in:
- Controlling the bladder and bowel
- Supporting internal organs
- Sexual function
- Core stability and posture
Unfortunately, surgeries like a prostatectomy can weaken the pelvic floor, leading to a variety of symptoms.
Prostatectomies and the Pelvic Floor
A prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the prostate gland, usually performed to treat prostate cancer. While the procedure is lifesaving, it can have long-term effects on the pelvic region, including the following:
- Urinary incontinence (leakage or loss of bladder control)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pelvic discomfort or weakness
These symptoms occur because the prostate is one of the organs supported by your pelvic floor muscles. Removing the prostate can disturb some of the key tissues in the region, including the muscle that holds urine in and the nerves that help coordinate bladder and pelvic floor activity (including sexual function).
This disruption places extra strain on the pelvic floor muscles, making them less effective until they are retrained and strengthened through physical therapy.
Helping Men Thrive After A Prostatectomy
At Fitness Matters, you’ll work one-on-one with a licensed PT to develop a customized care plan tailored to your needs. We also combine physical therapy, wellness, and exercise services to ensure you recover fully, not just manage symptoms. That said, here’s an overview of what you can expect as we work to help you restore pelvic health after prostate surgery.
Specialized Evaluations
- Pelvic Floor Assessment: We’ll evaluate the strength, coordination, and endurance of your pelvic floor muscles.
- Movement and Posture Analysis: This assessment identifies compensations and other issues that may strain healing tissues.
Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches
- Manual Therapy: Hands-on techniques that ease tightness, scar tissue, or pain around the pelvis and abdomen. We perform all manual therapy externally.
- Pelvic Floor Muscle Training: Targeted exercises that will teach you how to contract and relax the right muscles to improve pelvic function, especially bladder control. We often use biofeedback technology to provide real-time feedback on muscle activation, ensuring correct technique.
- Electrical Stimulation: Low-level electrical currents to encourage the contraction of weak pelvic muscles, improve nerve communication, and help manage pelvic pain.
- Bladder Retraining Strategies: This training will help you gradually increase bladder capacity, which reduces urge incontinence (the sudden, overwhelming need to use the bathroom). We can also provide you with strategies to improve your overall bladder health.
- Core and Hip Strengthening: Since the pelvic floor works closely with core and hip muscles, strengthening these areas supports long-term stability.
- Additional Training And Education: Beyond exercises, we can provide information to address other areas of concern, such as tips for improving sexual health or breathing techniques to decrease pressure on the pelvic floor.
Taking the First Step to Lasting Relief
A prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the prostate gland, usually performed to treat prostate cancer. Life after prostate surgery does not need to be defined by leakage or discomfort. Pelvic floor physical therapy is a proven path to addressing those challenging symptoms you may have been too afraid to discuss.
When you visit our clinic, you’ll receive specialized care that supports healing and long-term wellness. Every patient is guided toward practical strategies, targeted exercises, and lasting solutions designed to meet their unique needs. Don’t let a prostatectomy define your life. The Fitness Matters team is here to help you make a full, lasting recovery–and the earlier you get started on your treatment, the better off you’ll be. Schedule an appointment with us today to get started.
Recipe of the Month: Halloween Ghost Pizza
Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
- 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons (11 ounces, 312 grams) bread flour
- 1-⅛ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup (6 ounces, 177 ml) filtered water
Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- 16 ounces (2 8-ounce cans) tomato sauce
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1-½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Ghosts for Pizza
- 6 slices (4 ounces, 113 grams) sliced Mozzarella cheese
- 1 Tablespoon sliced black olives
Halloween Ghost Pizza
- 8 ounces Pizza Dough, room temperature
- 1-½ Tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- ¼ cup (.75 ounces, 22 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-½ cups (6 ounces, 170 grams) shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, for drizzling on cooked pizza
Instructions:
Pizza Dough
- Add bread flour, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse 5 times to combine. Add olive oil and water. Process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds. Let rest for 2 minutes.
- Process an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place in a large, lightly greased bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-½ hours. Yield: 1 pound of pizza dough – enough for two pizzas.
Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- Add all ingredients to the blender. Purée for 30 seconds, or until all ingredients are well combined.
Ghosts for Pizza
- Trace an 11-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper. Flip to the other side. Set aside.
- Using ghost cookie cutters, cut out ghosts from sliced Mozzarella cheese. Position on parchment as you want them to appear on the finished pizza.
- Cut out eyes and mouths of black olive slices, and place them on the ghosts. Set aside until the pizza comes out of the oven.
Halloween Ghost Pizza
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- Brush 1-½ Tablespoons of olive oil in bottom of 12-inch cast-iron skillet; set aside.
- Divide pizza dough in half. Press and roll one piece of dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer to prepared cast-iron skillet; gently push it to the corners of the pan. Spread ⅓ cup of super-simple pizza sauce over surface of dough leaving ½-inch border around the edge. Top with ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and 1-½ cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Set skillet over medium heat and cook until the outside edge of the dough is set and the pizza is lightly puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to preheated oven; bake until the edge of the pizza is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pizza from oven; position the ghosts on the hot pizza.
- Remove pizza from cast-iron skillet. If desired, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
