You won’t notice their existence until they stop
functioning properly for you!
What is normal pelvic floor function?
Your pelvic floor muscles lie inside your pelvis and act like a hammock or trampoline sitting underneath your organs, providing support for your pelvic organs (bladder and bowel). The deeper layer of muscle sits directly underneath the prostate and helps maintain your urinary continence. The more superficial layer you can feel at the base of your testes helps with maintaining an erection and pushing out the last few drops in the urine tube. Pelvic Floor dysfunction occurs when these muscles become weak or overactive.
Signs and symptoms?
- Do you have difficulty holding in a fart or poo?
- Do you have difficulty emptying your bowel and your stools are skinny and short?
- Do you find yourself dribbling after you have finished emptying your bladder?
- Do you experience pain in the testes, penis or perineal or anal region?
- Do you have associated difficulty gaining an erection or sustaining an erectile or new premature ejaculation? (ie occurred at the same time as bladder or bowel concerns)
Common concerns with pelvic floor muscle problems or nerve problems?
Overactive Pelvic Floor Muscles
- Incomplete emptying of bladder or bowel – possibly due to pelvic floor muscles being too tight
- Pain with intimacy – often experienced during ejaculation or afterwards
- Pain that is felt in the lower abdomen, groin, testicular region, perineum and or penis.
Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles (uncommon) in men, may lead to bladder or bowel leakage or decreased erectile rigidity = tumescence. Tight Pelvic Floor Muscles (more common) can cause incomplete emptying of the bladder and bowel and difficulty with infilling and sustaining an erection.
How can we help?
Physiotherapy help for your pelvic floor muscles?
Your physiotherapist can teach you how to activate your pelvic floor muscles to either strengthen them, if weak or relax them if they are overactive.
Cues and tailored exercises can improve your pelvic floor function. A treatment plan usually includes:
- Helping you identify the three main parts of your pelvic floor muscles – front, middle and back
- How to activate your pelvic floor muscles and engage them for instance while lifting.
- A tailored program can assist you in building up these muscles slowly and progressively to achieve normal function.
- Optimizing pelvic floor function can assist with both the strength of the erection and maintaining it strong.
- For men maintaining good cardiovascular health is your greatest protector for optimal sexual health, prostate health and mental health.
Related Blogs
Pelvic Health Is for Everyone Pelvic health is often talked about as a women’s issue, but in reality it affects people of all genders across every stage of life. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that support the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. These muscles also play a role in sexual function and everyday movements like lifting, bending, coughing, or laughing. Because they are involved in so many aspects of daily life, looking after pelvic health is important for everyone. Pelvic health concerns can show up in many different ways. Some people experience bladder leakage, urgency, constipation, or changes in bowel habits. Others may experience pelvic girdle pain, including discomfort around the sacroiliac joints, pubic symphysis, or coccyx (tailbone). Pelvic pain can also occur in the lower abdomen or in the genitals and may affect comfort with sitting, exercise, or sexual activity. These symptoms can affect people of any gender, yet they are often not openly discussed. Pelvic floor challenges can appear at different stages of life. Children may experience constipation, bedwetting, or daytime bladder accidents. Adolescents and adults may notice pelvic pain, bladder urgency, or bowel changes. Men may experience pelvic pain or bladder symptoms, including leakage, particularly after prostate surgery. Older adults may notice changes in bladder or bowel control or pelvic comfort as the body changes with age. While these experiences are common, many people are surprised to learn that help is available. Hormones also play an important role in pelvic health for people of all genders. Changes in hormone levels; during puberty, pregnancy, menopause, or as part of gender-affirming hormone therapy, can influence tissue health, bladder control, sexual function, and comfort in the pelvic region. Understanding these changes and supporting the body with the right care can make a meaningful difference. Pelvic health physiotherapy offers practical support, education, and treatment for many of these concerns. Physiotherapists can help people better understand their pelvic floor, improve bladder and bowel habits, manage pelvic girdle or pelvic pain, and support comfortable movement in daily life. Often, small changes can make a big difference to daily comfort and confidence. Pelvic health isn’t limited to one gender or one stage of life. By talking about it more openly and recognising the many ways it can affect the body, we can make it easier for everyone to seek support and care for their pelvic health.
Incontinence, intimacy pain and initial appointment all start with the letter I and are all related to pelvic health. How can we help?
Hysterectomy, hormones and hemorrhoids all start with the letter H and are all related to pelvic health. How can we help?
Yes! Penis owners have a pelvic floor too.
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