Chronic pelvic pain in men can be a painful debilitating condition. There are many cases where it is just related to posture and overactive pelvic floor muscles.
CHRONIC PROSTATITIS Vs CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN
There is an overlap in presentation between chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome in men. It presents in young and middle aged men at a prevalence rate of approximately 6%. It can either be associated with an initial episode of prostatitis or mistaken for and treated as chronic prostatitis where there is no response to antibiotics and all other urology tests are negative. In this case there is no prostatitis at all.PROSTATITIS TYPES
Type I: Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
Caused by bacteria and treated with antibiotics men have severe urinary tract infections that may be accompanied by high fever, chills, and even the inability to urinate.Type II: Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis
Typified by recurrent urinary tract infections an infection within the prostate gland causes the symptoms.Type III A and III B: Chronic Non-Bacterial Prostatitis (CP/CPPS)
Type IIIA signs of prostate inflammation are present, but no obvious infection is found. Type IIIB symptoms of bacterial prostatitis are present, with no evidence of inflammation.Type IV: Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis
Signs of inflammation within the prostate, however the patient experiences no symptoms.SYMPTOMS
- Rectal pain
- Perineal pain to behind the pubic bone
- Pain to the tip of the penis
- Lower abdominal pain
- Associated lumbar spine, hip an inner thigh pain
- Pain worse with or after erection or ejaculation
- Decreased sexual desire
- Pain is often worse with sitting but not always
HOW DO WE HELP?
The use of manual therapy, focal shockwave therapy and dry needling forms a key part of this treatment as well as setting out comprehensive home exercise programs. Treatment is to evaluate and correct:- Spinal posture
- Abdominal holding patterns
- Breathing patterns
- Pelvic floor taut bands and trigger points
