When you hear the term “pelvic floor” most of us probably think we are about to hear information which only pertains to the female anatomy. However, the pelvic floor is a term used to describe a group of muscles in the floor of the pelvis in the male and female anatomy. Yes, men have a pelvic floor too. The pelvic floor muscles play a key role in bowel, bladder, and sexual function. These are vital functions in the female and male anatomy. Understanding the pelvic floor anatomy and becoming more familiar with your body may help you understand why things work the way they do.
Individuals with a penis often times make the mistake of assuming they don’t have to be as concerned with their pelvic floor because they do not carry or deliver babies, have menstrual cycles, or go through menopause. However, if you recall the pelvic floor muscles play a key role in bowel, bladder, and sexual function then you will realize that pelvic floor muscles are important to men and/or those with a penis as well.
Real quickly let’s take a look at the male anatomy:
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Individuals with a penis can experience pain in their pelvic or dysfunctions in their pelvic floor muscles which can affect how their bowel and bladder function. These individuals can also experience painful sex or painful erections if they have pelvic muscle dysfunctions.
Male and female reproductive systems function very differently and there are obvious anatomical differences. Thus, men and women will not experience the same dysfunctions in their pelvis or the same mechanism of injury. Some common issues men or individuals with a penis experience include pelvic pain, prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, constipation, fecal or urinary incontinence, pelvic muscle overactivity, tailbone pain, painful bladder syndrome, urinary urgency and frequency, post-surgical urinary or sexual dysfunctions and/or pain dysfunctions.
When seeking out help with a pelvic floor concern in Physical Therapy you want to seek out a pelvic floor trained physical therapist with experience specifically dealing with individuals with a penis. Many pelvic floor therapists will see men and women patients, but not all of them do.
At The Fit Pelvis, Katy Girlinghouse has training to evaluate and treat individuals with a penis to determine the source of their pelvic floor symptoms, bowel dysfunction, and/or bladder dysfunction. If you are interested in learning how pelvic floor Physical Therapy can benefit you, please schedule a Discovery Call with Katy today.
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