Men’s Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation & Management of Male Incontinence
Incontinence (loss of control of the bladder) is often hidden by men, or they don’t know there is help out there.
There are 2 types of incontinence:
Stress incontinence is a loss of bladder control with a sudden increase in pressure, like a cough or a laugh.
Urge incontinence is a loss of bladder control where you first feel the urge to go and you are unable to defer voiding or hold on.
The good news is that both of these problems are treatable with the right exercise program and education.
East Gosford Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre has specially trained male physiotherapists who can help you work through these problems – Men 4 Men who understand and can help.
Contact us for advice on how you can improve your pelvic floor and bladder control and stop your incontinence!
Prostate Cancer Rehabilitation Plan
MEN 4 MEN has been designed by a specially trained male physiotherapist with many years’ experience in neuro-muscular physiotherapy. This experience has led to development of a program for male pelvic floor rehabilitation after prostate cancer or surgery (prostatectomy).
It has been identified that better postural muscle control enhances pelvic floor function and vice versa.
The male physiotherapists and exercise physiologists at East Gosford Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre are able to offer a Prostate Cancer Rehabilitation Plan to help you recover from the effects of treatment or surgery.
The comprehensive prostate cancer rehabilitation program at East Gosford Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre includes the following:
1.Pre-operative physiotherapy pelvic floor exercise advice and education prior to radical prostatectomy. It is beneficial to get the exercise program in place before the stress and trauma of surgery. It includes use of Real Time Ultrasound so you can see the muscles working correctly.
2.Post-operative pelvic floor rehabilitation and bladder control training, which speeds up the recovery from radical prostatectomy and restores continence and bladder control as quickly as possible (based on Craig Allingham Prostate Recovery Plan). It includes dealing with postural and core muscle issues to make pelvic floor rehabilitation more efficient (Allingham C, Prostate Recovery MAP, Redsok Publishing 2013).
The post-operative radical prostatectomy program involves an initial assessment by a specially trained male physiotherapist to deal with persisting incontinence (loss of bladder control). He will assess you with diagnostic Real Time Ultrasound and provide you with instruction and a specific training program to restore the muscle control in your pelvic floor to control leakage.
Once this control has been achieved, you will commence exercises with a specially trained male exercise physiologist to help you increase your exercise load and general fitness. He will help you “get back into life”.
This is simple muscle training and once you know what muscles to use, a home exercise program will help you develop the strength and endurance you need to “keep dry”.
We can also advise you on general exercise prescription for men diagnosed with prostate cancer to improve general health related issues and wellness, including postural and core muscle awareness and improvement, fitness and dealing with other chronic disease issues.
Our Prostate cancer survivor exercise programs are designed to help you manage the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Regular exercise has also been shown to improve mental health and anxiety associated with the stress of a cancer diagnosis.
Specific exercise prescription and advice for men having treatment for prostate cancer including Androgen Deprivation Therapy. This program specifically addresses reduced bone density and muscle mass, which are side effect of this treatment.
We will also provide you with advice on regular exercise, which has been scientifically shown to increase cancer survival rates by 50% (Demark-Wahnefried W, 2006).
Contact East Gosford Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre today on 4323 7499 to make an appointment with a specialist MEN 4 MEN Physiotherapist for treatment and advice on male pelvic floor muscle and incontinence control.
General information about male pelvic floor dysfunction, prostate cancer, and the pelvic floor.
- Urine leakage or incontinence is a common occurrence after prostate cancer surgery.
- It can take a few weeks or many months to resolve and some men can have an ongoing problem.
What is the pelvic floor?
- The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that starts from the pubic bone and attaches to the tail bone. It acts as a sling under your bladder.
- Your pelvic floor has many roles and helps with controlling urine flow, faecal continence, posture, core stability and erectile function.
How do I know if I have a problem with my pelvic floor?
Men can experience many symptoms if their pelvic floor is weak or dysfunctional including:
–Urinary incontinence, increased frequency, or urgency
-Problem with bowel control
–Erectile dysfunction
–Pelvic pain
Can physiotherapy help pelvic floor dysfunction and urine leakage after prostate surgery?
- Research clearly supports that learning how to effectively use your pelvic floor can improve your incontinence.
- The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and muscles can be strengthened. It just has to be done the correct way and the highly trained male neuro-muscular physiotherapists at East Gosford Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre can show you how.
Should I learn ‘how’ to use these muscles before my prostate surgery?
YES
- It has been shown in research that men who learn about their pelvic floor before surgery can recover faster.
- Your pelvic floor muscles can be bruised during surgery and you know how hard it is to make bruised muscles work. Learning the exercise protocol without the stress of post-surgical bruising and stress is more effective.
- The MEN 4 MEN program is the complete prostate cancer rehabilitation plan and will help you learn how to control your incontinence and much more.
