Prostatectomy and Your Pelvic Floor

Prostatectomy and Your Pelvic Floor

When people think of the pelvic floor, they often think of women, specifically ones who have recently had a baby. While we certainly work with a lot of women, it is very important to remember that men have pelvic floors, too!

Men can experience many of the same symptoms that women do including urinary leakage (often after prostatectomy), pelvic pain, pelvic floor muscle tension, and constipation. Seeing a pelvic health specialist can be vital to getting men on their way in treating these diagnoses.

            When men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, one of the possible treatment options is prostatectomy (removal of the prostate). The prostate sits below the bladder and the urethra (the tube that the urine travels through from the bladder to exit the body) runs THROUGH the prostate. During prostatectomy, the urethra (and sometimes the bladder neck) may need to be surgically repaired. Whether or not the nerves can be spared is determined by each man’s specific cancer.

            Initially after the surgery, urinary incontinence is present in almost all men. Over time, this should improve however with many men, it either does not improve or it does not improve enough. This is when the pelvic floor becomes important since strength, endurance, and proper activation of these muscles with daily activities becomes crucial.

            A pelvic floor physical therapist can help instruct men in necessary exercises as well as proper use of the pelvic floor throughout the day. These exercises can be started before a prostatectomy or afterward, whenever a man learns about this information. If you or a loved one is about to have a prostatectomy or has already had one and is experienced urinary incontinence, see a trained pelvic floor physical therapist. If you do not have one near your home or if you would prefer to address these issues on your own, Empower Your Pelvis now offers a program on our website that provides further information and walks you through the rehabilitation process. Check it out at: https://www.empoweryourpelvis.com/new-products/prostatectomy-incontinence-and-the-pelvic-floor