Let’s Talk About Male Pelvic Pain
The WAMOH Research Review
At WAMOH PT/OT, we understand how critical it is to provide innovative, evidence-based solutions for your patients.
Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a condition that impacts up to 10% of men worldwide, causing persistent pelvic pain, urinary challenges, and sexual dysfunction. Managing this complex condition can be challenging, but we want to share some exciting insights that may directly impact your approach to patient care.
A recent 2022 study titled “Impaired Ability to Relax Pelvic Floor Muscles in Men With Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome” sheds new light on the neuromuscular dysfunction underlying CP/CPPS.
The findings emphasize a key factor: pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunction, specifically impaired relaxation, plays a significant role in symptom severity. Here’s why this matters for your practice: incorporating pelvic floor physical therapy into care plans can dramatically improve outcomes for these patients.
Key Points
Objective: Researchers assessed pelvic floor muscle activity in men with CP/CPPS versus healthy controls, using advanced tools like EMG and ultrasound imaging.
Participants: 54 men with CP/CPPS (mean age 39) and 20 healthy controls.
Research Findings:
Elevated Baseline Activity: Resting pelvic floor muscle activity in CP/CPPS patients was 2-3 times higher than in controls.
Impaired Relaxation: 70% of CP/CPPS patients struggled to fully relax pelvic floor muscles after contraction, retaining significant muscle activation (>20%).
Symptom Correlation: Higher EMG activity strongly correlated with more severe pain and urinary symptoms.
How Specialist Pelvic Health Therapists Can Help:
Reducing Muscle Tension: Techniques like biofeedback-guided relaxation, internal and external manual therapy, pain science education, and progressive muscle relaxation can effectively target chronic muscle hyperactivity.
Monitoring Progress: EMG and imaging can track muscle activity and relaxation over time, guiding adjustments in therapy plans.
Enhancing Patient Satisfaction: Multidisciplinary approaches—combining physical therapy, stress management, and cognitive-behavioral strategies—address the physical and psychological components of CP/CPPS, improving patients’ quality of life.
Why WAMOH?
At WAMOH, our team of specialist pelvic health therapists are ready to collaborate with you to offer your patients the relief they deserve.
Physical and occupational therapy provide non-invasive, research-backed solutions that complement the care you already provide, giving your patients the best chance at recovery.
Together, we can ensure earlier intervention, better management of symptoms, and improved outcomes for men living with CP/CPPS.
If you’d like to learn more or discuss how we can work together to support your patients, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your dedication to patient care.
Reference: Yani, M. S., Eckel, S. P., Kirages, D. J., Rodriguez, L. V., Corcos, D. M., & Kutch, J. J.
(2022). Physical Therapy, 102(7), pzac059. DOI:10.1093/ptj/pzac059