Symptoms
- Typically refers to burning, itching, aching, or other types of pain in the penis, scrotum, testicles, perineal, and/or anal area
- Men suffering from pelvic pain often times experience pain caused by sitting, certain types of exercises, and certain types of clothing
- In addition to pelvic pain, men often experience urinary urgency/frequency/hesitancy as well as pain and slower / diminished urinary stream
- With pelvic pain, men may have discomfort in their penis, scrotum, and perinea upon ejaculation
- Some Men experience signs of erectile dysfunction, accompanied by reduced ejaculation strength.
- Men may endure gastrointestinal distress, bloating, and/or constipation
- Symptoms of GI distress can be aggravated by actions like ejaculation or exercise, or unprovoked and spontaneous
- Men may experience these symptoms intermittently or constantly
Symptoms
- Pelvic pain generally refers to burning, itching, aching, or other types of pain in the penis, scrotum, testicles, perineal and/or anal area
- Men suffering from pelvic pain often have pain with sitting, certain types of exercises, and certain types of clothing
- In addition to pelvic pain, men often experience urinary urgency/frequency/hesitancy and pain and slower/diminished urinary stream
- Ejaculation can cause penile, scrotal or perineal pain
- Men may experience erectile dysfunction and decreased force of ejaculate
- Men may suffer from gastrointestinal distress, bloating, and/or constipation
- Symptoms can be provoked, such as in response to ejaculation or exercise, or unprovoked and spontaneous
- Symptoms may be intermittent or constant
Associated Diagnoses
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome/Male Pelvic Pain, Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis, Pudendal Neuralgia, Hard Flaccid Syndrome and Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome are all pain syndromes that cause pelvic pain due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Associated Diagnoses
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome/Male Pelvic Pain, Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis, Pudendal Neuralgia, Hard Flaccid Syndrome and Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome are all pain syndromes that cause pelvic pain due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Causes of Pelvic Pain
- Surgical trauma (vasectomy, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) interventions, prostatectomy)
- Orthopedic injuries or other traumas (spine, hip, knee, and/or ankle injuries/pathology, accidents)
- Biomechanical or structural dysfunction (hip dysfunction, piriformis syndrome, scoliosis, leg length discrepancy)
- Excessive exercise or changes to exercise routine
- Excessive sitting
- Chronic constipation and straining
- Jelqing and/or attempts at gential enhancement or foreskin regeneration
- In rare cases, bladder, prostate, or sexually transmitted infections after successful resolution of infection
- The majority of men with pelvic pain, with or without urinary or bowel complaints, have pelvic floor dysfunction
Causes of Pelvic Pain
- Surgical trauma (vasectomy, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) interventions, prostatectomy)
- Orthopedic injuries or other traumas (spine, hip, knee, and/or ankle injuries/pathology, accidents)
- Biomechanical or structural dysfunction (hip dysfunction, piriformis syndrome, scoliosis, leg length discrepancy)
- Excessive exercise or changes to exercise routine
- Excessive sitting
- Chronic constipation and straining
- Jelqing and/or attempts at gential enhancement or foreskin regeneration
- In rare cases, bladder, prostate, or sexually transmitted infections after successful resolution of infection
- The majority of men with pelvic pain, with or without urinary or bowel complaints, have pelvic floor dysfunction
Diagnostic Challenges
Research reveals it can take men with pelvic pain up to seven years to get an accurate diagnosis. This is because the symptoms of male pelvic pain mimic prostate, bladder and/or sexually transmitted infections. Because testing for prostate infections is a laborious process for the patient and the medical provider, most urologists empirically prescribe antibiotics without testing. The majority of medical providers are also unaware that men can suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction. To complicate the matter further, many pelvic floor physical therapists are only trained to treat women. This is not the case at PHRC, in fact, some days we treat more men than women.
Men with pelvic pain are almost always misdiagnosed with ‘prostatitis’ and are prescribed antibiotics even though they do not have an infection. Research shows that over 90% of men with genitourinary symptoms of pelvic pain do NOT have a prostate infection and fall into the National Institutes of Health Classification of prostatitis syndromes categories IIIa and IIIb, Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS).
The National Institute of Health Classification of prostatitis syndromes are:
Category I: Acute bacterial prostatitis which is associated with severe prostatitis symptoms, systemic infection and acute bacterial urinary tract infection.
Category II: Chronic bacterial prostatitis which is caused by chronic bacterial infection of the prostate with or without prostatitis symptoms and usually with recurrent urinary tract infections caused by the same bacterial strain
Category IIIa: inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome (white blood cells in semen and/or expressed prostatic secretions and/or third midstream bladder specimen)
Category IIIb: noninflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome (no white blood cells in semen and/or expressed prostatic secretions)
Category IV: asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis which is categorized by prostate inflammation in the absence of genitourinary tract symptoms
Diagnostic Challenges
Research reveals it can take men with pelvic pain up to seven years to get an accurate diagnosis. This is because the symptoms of male pelvic pain mimic prostate, bladder and/or sexually transmitted infections. Because testing for prostate infections is a laborious process for the patient and the medical provider, most urologists empirically prescribe antibiotics without testing. The majority of medical providers are also unaware that men can suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction. To complicate the matter further, many pelvic floor physical therapists are only trained to treat women. This is not the case at PHRC, in fact, some days we treat more men than women.
Men with pelvic pain are almost always misdiagnosed with ‘prostatitis’ and are prescribed antibiotics even though they do not have an infection. Research shows that over 90% of men with genitourinary symptoms of pelvic pain do NOT have a prostate infection and fall into the National Institutes of Health Classification of prostatitis syndromes categories IIIa and IIIb, Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS).
The National Institute of Health Classification of prostatitis syndromes are:
Category I: Acute bacterial prostatitis which is associated with severe prostatitis symptoms, systemic infection and acute bacterial urinary tract infection.
Category II: Chronic bacterial prostatitis which is caused by chronic bacterial infection of the prostate with or without prostatitis symptoms and usually with recurrent urinary tract infections caused by the same bacterial strain
Category IIIa: inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome (white blood cells in semen and/or expressed prostatic secretions and/or third midstream bladder specimen)
Category IIIb: noninflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome (no white blood cells in semen and/or expressed prostatic secretions)
Category IV: asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis which is categorized by prostate inflammation in the absence of genitourinary tract symptoms
Treatment:
How We Can Help You
Men experiencing pelvic pain can benefit from an evaluation with a pelvic floor physical therapist specializing in pelvic pain. During the evaluation, the physical therapist reviews your history and symptoms with you, what you have been diagnosed with in the past, the treatments you have undergone and how effective or not effective these treatments have been. Importantly, we understand what you have been going through and that most men are frustrated by the time they get to see us. During the physical examination the physical therapist examines muscles, tissues, joints, nerves, and movement patterns. Once your physical therapist completes the examination they review your findings with you. The physical therapist creates an assessment which explains how you developed pain and creates short and long-term goals for your treatment plan. Typically, the frequency of physical therapy treatment is one to two times per week for roughly 12 weeks. You are given a home exercise program to compliment your in-person sessions, and your physical therapist will help to coordinate your recovery with the other members of your treatment team. We are here to help you recover and live your best life!
Treatment:
How We Can Help You
Men experiencing pelvic pain can benefit from an evaluation with a pelvic floor physical therapist specializing in pelvic pain. During the evaluation, the physical therapist reviews your history and symptoms with you, what you have been diagnosed with in the past, the treatments you have undergone and how effective or not effective these treatments have been. Importantly, we understand what you have been going through and that most men are frustrated by the time they get to see us. During the physical examination the physical therapist examines muscles, tissues, joints, nerves, and movement patterns. Once your physical therapist completes the examination they review your findings with you. The physical therapist creates an assessment which explains how you developed pain and creates short and long-term goals for your treatment plan. Typically, the frequency of physical therapy treatment is one to two times per week for roughly 12 weeks. You are given a home exercise program to compliment your in-person sessions, and your physical therapist will help to coordinate your recovery with the other members of your treatment team. We are here to help you recover and live your best life!
How Can We Help You?
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At its heart, Pelvic Pain Explained is the story of how patients develop pelvic pain, the challenges patients and providers face throughout the diagnosis and treatment process, the difficult task of sifting through the different available treatment options, and the impact that an “invisible” condition has on a patient’s life and relationships, and much more.