The pelvic floor is a set of muscles located at the bottom of your torso, near the base of your pelvis. The pelvic floor muscles serve as the basis for organs such as the bladder, uterus, prostate, and rectum, which are all housed in the pelvis. If you have a dysfunctional pelvic floor, physiotherapy for men’s pelvic floor is a viable and effective treatment option.

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when the muscles in your pelvic floor cannot relax and cooperate properly to pee or have a bowel movement. Constipation, straining to defecate, urine or stool leaks, and the need to urinate often are all symptoms of the Pelvic floor not working properly.

Organs on Men’s Pelvic floor:

•  Bladders
•  Uterus
•  Rectum
•  Prostate

Physiotherapy For Pelvic Floor

If you need to go to the bathroom, you normally don't have any difficulties since your pelvic floor has been operating properly to tighten up the pelvic muscles, but if you have a malfunction, your muscles lose that capacity, resulting in leaks when you sneeze, cough, or even stand or sit. It can be passed down the generations or acquired throughout your lifetime.

It can arise for a variety of reasons, including pelvic floor injuries, being overweight, or having had surgery in that region, among others. The good news is that it can be treated, and physiotherapy is a great way to improve pelvic floor conditions.

How to do it?

For pelvic floor improvement, you must activate the pelvic floor muscles, which requires the completion of specific exercises.

• Squeeze and draw in the muscles surrounding the base of your penis, causing your penis to draw in and your scrotum to raise up to activate the muscle.
• Do this practice as though you're attempting to stop your pee from flowing; it will help to activate those muscles and train them to function when needed.
• Another thing to keep in mind is that you should just concentrate on those muscles when doing this. Don't hold your breath, clench your buttocks or push from your stomach while doing so.
• After that, let go and relax pelvic floor muscles completely and notice that as the pelvic floor muscle tightens, the anal passage closes; the same thing happens with the Urethra.

There are two different parts in the pelvic floor to work upon the entire part:

1. Front part of the pelvic floor – You pull the penis into the body.

2. Back part of the pelvic floor- You tighten around Anus.

Before you begin this muscle training, you must first pick a posture. You may start by sleeping, sitting, or standing, whichever is most comfortable for you, but gradually work your way up to the standing position because most of the leakage occurs.

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This whole physiotherapy exercise is also known as Kegels. In the beginning, try doing Kegels at least 7-8 times each day. When you have free time, such as when you are waiting for someone, walking somewhere, or simply relaxing. As you progress, try holding those muscles tightened for a few seconds at a time, increasing the seconds as you go until you can hold it for roughly 10 seconds.

Benefits of Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

Pelvic floor muscles grow healthier and provide specific benefits if we exercise them appropriately, just like we train our other muscles at the gym to develop and keep them in condition. It can support your pelvic organs, such as the Bladder, Uterus, Prostate, and Rectum, and aid with bowel imbalance.

According to research, pelvic floor physiotherapy can assist with erectile dysfunction (ED) and ejaculation issues, enhancing your sex life.

Physiotherapy can also help you deal with weak pelvic floor muscle symptoms, such as leakage, stooling, incontinence, and other issues. It will provide you with better control over your urine bladder or urethra, allowing you to avoid unpleasant situations. It also helps with your back and spine pain that can occur due to dysfunctional Pelvic Floor muscles in males.

Other Physiotherapy Options for Weak Pelvic

Manual Therapy - In pelvic floor disorders, manual therapy aims to relax, lengthen, mobilize, and relieve discomfort.  Different techniques can be used like trigger point pressure, connective tissue manipulation, muscle energy techniques, etc.

Heel Slides - Begin by laying on your back on the floor, legs bent and pelvis neutral. Draw your pelvic floor up, engage your core, and pull your right heel away from your body. Only go as far as you can without losing touch with your innermost self. Inhale and return your leg to the beginning position when you've reached the bottom position. After 10 repetitions, switch legs.

Diaphragmatic breathing - Diaphragmatic breathing promotes the diaphragm and pelvic floor's functioning interaction. It's also a great workout to do while meditating.

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Begin by lying down on a yoga or fitness mat on the floor. The exercise can also be done in a sitting position. Practice increasing relaxation for a few seconds. Concentrate on releasing your body's tightness. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest once you've relaxed.

Expand your stomach by inhaling through your nose; your chest should remain relatively steady. Then take a deep breath in for 2–3 seconds and gently exhale. Apart from these exercises specifically designed for improving the pelvic floor, you can also do some other general exercises that you do in your routine like Squats, Lunges, Bridge, Bird dog, Split Tabletop, etc. to strengthen your pelvic muscles.

Conclusion

Most men avoid discussing their personal medical problems with others as if it were a source of embarrassment, but you must understand that it is completely natural and nothing to be ashamed of, and if not addressed promptly, it may cause serious harm. If you have obvious symptoms, get expert help and use this physiotherapy for the pelvic floor to enhance your health and eliminate the problem.

Physiotherapy may take some time to show results, but it will undoubtedly improve your pelvic floor if done correctly.